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Elezioni senza sorpresa in Kazakhstan: vince il partito al potere. Centinaia di arresti
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La Repubblica
|
https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2021/01/11/news/kazakhstan_elezioni_parlamentari_partito_nur-otan_nazarbaev_tokaev_arresti-282071969/?rss
|
[
"Rosalba Castelletti"
] |
[
"Esteri"
] |
Nessuna sorpresa in Kazakhstan alle elezioni per rinnovare il Mazhilis, la Camera bassa del Parlamento. Il partito al potere Nur Otan, guidato dall'ex presidente ottantenne Nursultan Nazarbaev, si è aggiudicato il 71 percento dei voti seguito da Ak Zhol e dal Partito popolare (l'ex Partito comunista). Mentre le organizzazioni per i diritti umani denunciano decine di arresti ad Almaty, la più grande città del Paese, e nella capitale Nur-Sultan, ex Astana.
Nessuna elezione in Kazakhstan è mai stata riconosciuta come equa dagli osservatori occidentali. "Gli elettori non avevano alternative politiche autentiche tra cui scegliere", ha riferito l'Osce (Organizzazione per la sicurezza e la cooperazione in Europa), aggiungendo che la campagna elettorale "non è stata competitiva" e denunciando le "limitazioni di fatto sistemiche alle libertà fondamentali garantite dalla Costituzione", come "i limiti alla libertà di associazione, di riunione e di espressione".
"Due presidenti"
Si è trattato delle prime elezioni legislative da quando, nel marzo 2019, Nazarbaev ha annunciato a sorpresa le sue dimissioni dopo trent'anni al potere e ha ceduto il potere a Kassym-Jomart Tokaev, 67 anni. Nazarbaev tuttavia continua a controllare tutti i gangli del potere e conserva il titolo di Elbasi, padre della patria, nonché diverse posizioni chiave, a partire dalla presidenza del partito Nur Otan che conta 800mila membri in un Paese grande nove volte l'Italia ma che conta poco meno di 19 milioni di abitanti. Tokaev aveva promesso riforme politiche graduali ma poco è cambiato nell'ex Repubblica sovietica.
I partiti in corsa
Mai entrato in Parlamento nelle tre elezioni precedenti, il Partito nazionale socialdemocratico (Nsdp) - che sostiene di essere all'opposizione, nonostante alcuni mettano in dubbio questa posizione - lo scorso novembre aveva annunciato che avrebbe boicottato il voto. A correre alle elezioni erano perciò rimasti solo cinque partiti: Nur-Otan (Patria radiosa) e altre quattro formazioni considerate succursali del potere: Adal (Onesto), Auyl (Villaggio), Ak Zhol (Sentiero Luminoso) e il Partito popolare (l'ex Partito popolare comunista).
Nelle fila di Nur-Otan era candidata anche la figlia di Nazarbaev, Dariga Nazarbaeva, che l'anno scorso era stata rimossa dalla carica di presidente del Senato: episodio che aveva fatto pensare a una lotta politica tra Tokaev e il suo predecessore.
Le manifestazioni e gli arresti
Centinaia di persone sono scese in piazza ad Almaty, nella capitale Nur-Sultan, così ribattezzata in onore dell'ex presidente, e in varie città del Paese per manifestare contro quelle che reputavano elezioni farsa. Molti dimostranti sono stati arrestati e, alcuni, rilasciati in serata. Secondo i dati raccolti finora da Fidu (Federazione italiana diritti umani) insieme a Open Dialogue Foundation, Freedom Kazakhstan Foundation grazie ai loro osservatori indipendenti sul territorio, 98 persone sono state arrestate in nove città: Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Aktobe, Semey, Aktau, Arkalyk, Shymkent, Kyzylorda, Uralsk. Ma secondo denunce degli attivisti ancora da confermare, il numero potrebbe salire a 175.
"A Nur-Sultan, cittadini pacifici sono stati arbitrariamente detenuti dalla polizia per oltre 12 ore senza cibo, acqua, né la possibilità di chiamare un avvocato o i familiari", riferiscono le ong che denunciano anche casi di multe amministrative, osservatori non ammessi ai seggi, elettori a cui è stato impedito di votare, attivisti sotto sorveglianza e altri casi di persecuzione. Come l'aggressione subita dalla giornalista Sanija Toiken di Azattyq o il caso di Sultanov Abaibek, convocato come presunto testimone in un processo penale.
Tra i detenuti ad Almaty anche Rakilja Beknazarova che, insieme a un collettivo di donne, aveva rasato i capelli per denunciare le violazioni dei diritti umani. È stata rilasciata dopo nove ore di fermo
Kazakhstan, la protesta delle donne: si rasano i capelli contro la repressione
Nello Stato modellato dall'autoritarismo sin dalla sua indipendenza nel 1991, rimangono poche voci critiche per esprimere il malcontento: Oyan Kazakhstan (Sveglia, Kazakhstan!) e Scelta Democratica, il movimento fondato dall'ex banchiere accusato di sottrazione di fondi Mukhtar Abljazov poi fuggito dal Paese e condannato all'ergastolo in contumacia. Nel maggio 2013 la moglie Shalabaeva e la figlia erano state estradate in Kazakhstan dal ministero degli Interni italiano guidato allora da Angiolino Alfano, provocando un incidente diplomatico.
La prima recessione in vent'anni
Ricco di risorse minerarie e di idrocarburi, il Kazakhstan è uno dei Paesi più prosperi nell'Asia centrale e ha buoni rapporti sia con l'Occidente sia con Russia e Cina. Tuttavia, secondo la Banca mondiale, il Pil del Paese nel 2020 dovrebbe essere diminuito del 2,5 percento a causa della crisi del coronavirus. Per il Paese sarebbe la prima recessione in vent'anni.
| 2021-01-11T13:37:42Z | true |
|
Merkel sul blocco di Twitter a Trump: "Chiusura problematica"
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La Repubblica
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https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2021/01/11/news/merkel_su_blocco_profilo_social_a_trump_chiusura_problematica_-282086922/?rss
|
[
"Repubblica.it"
] |
[
"Esteri"
] |
BERLINO - La cancelliera tedesca Angela Merkel ritiene "problematica" la chiusura da parte di diversi social network, tra cui Twitter, degli account del presidente uscente Donald Trump: lo ha riferito il suo portavoce. "È possibile interferire con la libertà di espressione, ma secondo i limiti definiti dal legislatore, e non per decisione di un management aziendale", ha spiegato Steffen Seibert. "Questo è il motivo - ha aggiunto- per cui la Cancelliera ritiene problematico che gli account del presidente americano sui social network siano stati chiusi in maniera definitiva".
L'ultima guerra di Trump: contro Twitter e i poteri forti di Big Tech dal nostro inviato Federico Rampini 09 Gennaio 2021
In mattinata il ministro dell'Economia francese, Bruno Le Maire aveva criticato la decisione di Twitter: "Quello che mi sconvolge è che sia Twitter a chiudere, perché la regolamentazione dei giganti digitali non può essere fatta dalla stessa oligarchia digitale. L'oligarchia digitale è una delle minacce che gravano su Stati e democrazie".
Twitter ha chiuso per sempre l’account di Trump venerdi scorso, un giorno dopo l'assalto al Congresso. Lo ha accusato di aver ripetutamente violato le regole, incitando alla violenza: “Dopo aver revisionato i più recenti tweet di @realDonaldTrump e averli contestualizzati, analizzando come vengono recepiti e interpretati su Twitter e fuori, abbiamo deciso di sospendere permanentemente l’account per evitare ulteriori rischi”.
| 2021-01-11T14:07:00Z | true |
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Post Office sales surge during busy Christmas
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-9134487/Post-Office-sales-surge-busy-Christmas.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"PA Media"
] |
[] |
The Post Office has said sales surged over the Christmas period as customers sent more gifts by mail due to Covid-19 restrictions keeping families and friends away from each other.
In the four weeks to December 27, 51.3 million customers used the Post Office and income across the network jumped 17% to £66.3 million.
The week beginning Monday December 7 was the busiest of the year, with 15.1 million transactions, as mail and parcel services benefited from stores being closed under the new tiering system.
The Post Office is classed as an “essential” retailer and remained open throughout Covid-19 restrictions, with 11,450 branches still trading.
Bosses also revealed they had benefited from a jump in online businesses using the Post Office to mail products to customers and use fast-track services.
Sales value for mail and parcel services increased 87% as a result, the company said.
Cash and banking services slipped by 10%, despite independent businesses increasingly relying on local Post Offices for deposits.
In the four-week period, £1.56 billion was deposited and £630 million withdrawn, although bosses said this was expected considering the Covid-19 restrictions.
A British Gas contract which started in January 2020 helped bill payment services jump 27% across Post Offices and Payzone services.
But cancelled holidays and restrictions on overseas travel saw a plunge of 69% in the company’s travel money division as the demand for foreign currencies fell away.
Post Office chief executive Nick Read said: “After a very challenging year for much of the retail sector, I am pleased to see 17% growth in network income over the Christmas period thanks to the hard work of postmasters.
“The mails market, particularly for parcels, remains very strong driven by the growth in online retailing.”
| 2021-01-11T13:38:11Z | true |
|
Usa, Melania Trump condanna l'assalto al Congresso: "Inaccettabile"
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La Repubblica
|
https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2021/01/11/news/usa_melania_condanna_l_assalto_al_congresso_inaccettabile_-282078280/?rss
|
[
"Repubblica.it"
] |
[
"Esteri"
] |
WASHINGTON - Melania Trump rompe il silenzio e condanna le violenze del 6 gennaio a Capitol Hill dicendosi "delusa e scoraggiata" da quanto accaduto. Lo si legge in un testo pubblicato dalla Casa Bianca. "Condanno assolutamente le violenze che si sono verificate nel Campidoglio della nostra nazione. La violenza non è mai accettabile".
Melania tace, Ivanka tuona: le tensioni nel clan Trump dalla nostra inviata Anna Lombardi 09 Gennaio 2021
"Vi imploro di fermare le violenze - scrive - di non fare mai supposizioni basate sul colore della pelle di una persona o di usare ideologie politiche diverse come base per l'aggressività. Dobbiamo ascoltarci l'un l'altro, concentrarci su ciò che ci unisce e superare ciò che ci divide". Continua: "In qualità di americana, sono orgogliosa della nostra libertà di esprimere i nostri punti di vista senza persecuzioni. È uno degli ideali fondamentali su cui è costruita l'America. Molti hanno compiuto l'ultimo sacrificio per proteggere quel diritto".
| 2021-01-11T12:45:00Z | true |
|
Melania Trump condemns Capitol violence but hits out at `false...
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-9134507/Melania-Trump-condemns-Capitol-violence-condemns-false-accusations.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"PA Media"
] |
[] |
Melania Trump said that she is “disappointed and disheartened” by the deadly riot at the Capitol last week by supporters of her husband.
But in breaking her silence, she also lashed out at people she said have used the tragic event to spread “salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks and false and misleading accusations about me”.
The statement marked the first lady’s first public comment in the five days since a violent mob of Trump supporters, angry over Mr Trump’s election loss and stirred up by the president himself, stormed the Capitol on Wednesday and temporarily disrupted proceedings certifying that Democrat Joe Biden will be the next president come January 20.
“I am disappointed and disheartened with what happened last week,” she wrote in a White House blog post released before sunrise.
“I find it shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me — from people who are looking to be relevant and have an agenda.”
The first lady did not say who she was referring to.
Last week, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, the first lady’s former friend and one-time assistant at the White House, wrote an editorial accusing Mrs Trump of being “complicit in the destruction of America”.
Their friendship ended bitterly after Ms Wolkoff, who had worked on arranging festivities for Mr Trump’s inauguration in 2017, said the first lady failed to defend her after questions arose about inaugural spending, now the subject of federal and congressional investigations.
In the post Monday, the first lady said: “This time is solely about healing our country and its citizens.
“It should not be used for personal gain.”
“Our Nation must heal in a civil manner,” she wrote.
“Make no mistake about it, I absolutely condemn the violence that has occurred on our Nation’s Capitol.
“Violence is never acceptable.”
She also urged people to stop the violence, not judge people by the colour of their skin or “use differing political ideologies as a basis for aggression and viciousness”.
She made no comment about her husband or his role in encouraging his supporters to go to the Capitol.
The president has spent the weeks after losing the November presidential contest spreading baseless claims that the balloting was tainted by massive fraud and that the election was stolen from him.
Numerous state and federal officials, including former US attorney general William Barr, said there was no evidence of fraud on a scale massive enough to have affected the outcome.
Mr Trump encouraged his supporters to flock to Washington last Wednesday, the day set for Congress to certify the presidential vote.
After addressing a rally near the White House in which he encouraged his supporters to keep fighting, they stormed the Capitol.
Five people, including a Capitol police officer, died.
| 2021-01-11T13:52:39Z | true |
|
Vaticano, sì alle donne per le letture e la distribuzione dell'Eucarestia
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La Repubblica
|
https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2021/01/11/news/vaticano_si_alle_donne_per_le_letture_e_la_distribuzione_dell_eucarestia-282088907/?rss
|
[
"Paolo Rodari"
] |
[
"Esteri",
"Vaticano"
] |
La prassi già lo permetteva, ma da oggi diviene riforma stabile per tutta la Chiesa cattolica ai sensi del diritto canonico: Papa Francesco ha stabilito con un motu proprio che i ministeri del Lettorato e dell’Accolitato siano aperti anche alle donne. La norma è stata da lui istituzionalizzata con un apposito mandato.
In tante parrocchie già oggi ci sono diverse donne che leggono le letture del giorno o che dispensano l’eucaristia assieme al prete durante le funzioni religiose. Molti vescovi autorizzano già questa prassi, seppure non in tutte le parrocchie queste figure siano presenti. Fino a oggi, tuttavia, tutto questo aveva luogo per deroga, per una concessione che superava quanto concesso nel 1972 da Paolo VI. Come riporta Vatican News, infatti, Papa Montini, pur abolendo i cosiddetti “ordini minori”, aveva deciso di mantenere riservato l’accesso a questi ministeri alle sole persone di sesso maschile perché li considerava propedeutici a un eventuale accesso all’ordine sacro. Ora Papa Francesco, anche sulla scia del discernimento emerso dagli ultimi Sinodi dei vescovi, ha voluto ufficializzare e rendere istituzionale questa presenza femminile sull’altare.
Il motu proprio con cui il Papa formalizza il cambiamento si chiama “Spiritus Domini”. Interviene sul primo paragrafo del canone 230 del Codice di Diritto canonico che prevede che il conferimento alle donne di questi due particolari ministeri avvenga con un atto liturgico.
Il Papa ha agito in seguito a diverse richieste arrivate in merito da più riunioni sinodali. Sono state queste assemblee, spiega Francesco nel testo, a ricordare come questi ministeri hanno “per fondamento la comune condizione di battezzato e il sacerdozio regale ricevuto nel sacramento del battesimo”. Di qui il riconoscimento che si tratta di ministeri laicali “essenzialmente distinti dal ministero ordinato che si riceve con il sacramento dell’ordine”.
Al motu proprio si accompagna una lettera del Papa indirizzata al Prefetto della Congregazione per la dottrina della fede, il cardinale Luis Ladaria. Qui Francesco spiega come la sua decisione avvenga “nell’orizzonte di rinnovamento tracciato dal Concilio Vaticano II” e per “riscoprire la corresponsabilità di tutti i battezzati nella Chiesa, e in particolar modo la missione del laicato”. Già Giovanni Paolo II disse che “rispetto ai ministeri ordinati la Chiesa non ha in alcun modo la facoltà di conferire alle donne l’ordinazione sacerdotale”. A conferma che “per i ministeri non ordinati è possibile, e oggi appare opportuno, superare tale riserva”.
La decisione di Francesco vuole incrementare il riconoscimento, anche attraverso un atto liturgico, “del contributo prezioso che da tempo moltissimi laici, anche donne, offrono alla vita e alla missione della Chiesa”. Certo, da più parti nella Chiesa ci sono spinte per far sì che alle donne sia conferito anche l’ordinazione diaconale e sacerdotale. Ma, almeno per quanto riguarda quella sacerdotale, Francesco ha detto che non intende portare cambiamenti.
| 2021-01-11T13:45:00Z | true |
|
PM warns tougher measures may be needed and calls for `maximum...
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-9134523/PM-warns-tougher-measures-needed-calls-maximum-vigilance.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"PA Media"
] |
[] |
Boris Johnson has warned that tougher lockdown measures may be needed as he announced that around 2.4 million vaccines for Covid-19 have now been put in people’s arms.
The Prime Minister stressed that “now is the moment for maximum vigilance” amid increasing calls for tougher lockdown restrictions.
Speaking to reporters, he said stricter lockdown measures may be needed “if we feel that things are not being properly observed”.
During a visit to a vaccine centre in Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol, the Prime Minister added: “As I speak to you today we’ve done about two million people, maybe a bit more.
“We’re at about 2.4 million jabs all in across the whole of the UK.”
It comes as Professor Chris Whitty warned the UK has not yet hit the peak of the current wave of Covid-19 infections, with the next few weeks being “the worst” of the pandemic for the NHS.
| 2021-01-11T13:57:21Z | true |
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Convalescent blood plasma `does not help severely ill ICU patients´
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-9134537/Convalescent-blood-plasma-does-not-help-severely-ill-ICU-patients.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"PA Media"
] |
[] |
A clinical trial looking at whether blood plasma from coronavirus patients can help those who are seriously ill does not appear to work in intensive care patients, researchers have said.
The REMAP-CAP trial, which is testing the effects of convalescent plasma in Covid-19 patients, has paused enrolment for those who are severely ill needing intensive support in intensive care units (ICUs).
But donors are still being urged to come forward for work on less severely ill patients to see whether they can benefit from the plasma.
A statement from researchers behind the REMAP-CAP trial said the decision to stop recruiting severely ill patients was based on initial analysis of the data.
The statement said: “This analysis showed that convalescent plasma did not improve outcomes in this group.
“There was no evidence of harm associated with the administration of convalescent plasma.
“The trial is continuing to recruit hospitalised Covid-19 patients who are moderately unwell and are not requiring intensive care. Senior investigators are asking people to continue donating plasma.”
The latest analysis looked at data from a subset of 912 people who were severely ill. More than 2,000 patients are taking part in the trial overall.
The analysis found that, overall, convalescent plasma was unlikely to be beneficial.
Experts found there was “a very low probability” (2.2%) that plasma decreased the number of days that severely ill patients required intensive care support or risk of death by more than 20%.
But they said: “Whether the use of convalescent plasma leads to better outcomes in hospitalised patients with less severe disease remains a very important question. Recruitment of such patients will continue in the trial.”
Manu Shankar-Hari, professor of critical care medicine at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, which is in the trial, said: “We are publicly sharing the preliminary data to ensure that learning happens at pace for determining best treatments for Covid-19.
“Further data on all the trial participants, including whether particular patient subgroups may benefit, will be forthcoming.
“We are incredibly grateful to all the trial participants, plasma donors, clinicians, blood bank services, and research staff who help us understand the best treatments for Covid-19.
“It is biologically plausible that patients who are not producing antibodies at the time of convalescent plasma therapy and those patients with excess virus may benefit more than others.”
A separate RECOVERY trial is looking at a range of treatments for coronavirus including plasma. It works closely with investigators from the REMAP-CAP trial.
Peter Horby, professor of emerging infectious diseases and global health from the University of Oxford, and chief investigator for RECOVERY, said: “We don’t yet know if convalescent plasma works as a treatment for Covid patients, but if it does it would have a major impact worldwide.
“Plasma from patients who have recovered from Covid-19 contains antibodies that may help to speed up clearance of the virus from those who are suffering from the disease and improve their chances of recovery, particularly if they are treated before they become severely ill.
“By volunteering to donate plasma you will ensure we complete the study and provide the evidence we need to improve care for Covid patients and save lives.”
Anthony Gordon, professor of anesthesia and critical care at Imperial College London, which takes part in REMAP-CAP, said: “I am glad REMAP-CAP has been able to provide important evidence about which patients might benefit from convalescent plasma.
“Although it is disappointing that all critically ill patients don’t appear to gain any benefit, this is still vitally important to know.
“Convalescent plasma is a precious resource, and we can now continue to focus on identifying exactly which patients might benefit the most from treatment – maybe people earlier in their illness or those with weak immune systems.”
Dr Gail Miflin, chief medical officer for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “REMAP-CAP is now in the analysis phase and is exploring whether subgroups of people in intensive care benefit from plasma. The final results are not yet known.
“We urgently need people to continue donating thousands of units of plasma every week for the larger RECOVERY trial which is using plasma from when people come into hospital.
“Antibodies work by stopping the virus, not by treating the symptoms.
“The emerging evidence from international studies is that use before intensive care may prove to be more effective.”
| 2021-01-11T14:02:22Z | true |
|
Vladimir Putin hosts meeting with Armenia and Azerbaijan leaders
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Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-9134597/Vladimir-Putin-hosts-meeting-Armenia-Azerbaijan-leaders.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"PA Media"
] |
[] |
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted his counterparts from Armenia and Azerbaijan, their first meeting since a Russia-brokered truce ended six weeks of fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh.
As he sat down for talks in the Kremlin with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev and Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan, Mr Putin said that the peace agreement has been successfully implemented, “creating the necessary basis for a long-term and full-format settlement of the old conflict”.
The November 10 peace deal ended 44 days of hostilities in which the Azerbaijani army routed Armenian forces and reclaimed control over large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.
Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994.
That war left Nagorno-Karabakh itself and substantial surrounding territory in Armenian hands.
Hostilities flared up in late September and the Azerbaijani military pushed deep into Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas in six weeks of fighting involving heavy artillery and drones that left more than 6,000 people dead on both sides.
Under the peace deal, Russia has deployed about 2,000 peacekeepers to Nagorno-Karabakh for at least five years.
The peace deal was celebrated in Azerbaijan as a major triumph, but sparked outrage and mass protests in Armenia, where thousands repeatedly took to the streets demanding Mr Pashinyan’s resignation.
Scores of protesters on Monday tried to block a road linking the Armenian capital with the airport to prevent Mr Pashinyan from travelling to Moscow, but police dispersed them.
The Armenian prime minister has defended the deal as a painful but necessary move that prevented Azerbaijan from overrunning the entire Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey have shut their borders with Armenia ever since the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted, a blockade that has weakened the economy of the landlocked country.
The Russia-brokered peace deal envisaged the reopening of transport routes, including a corridor linking Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave that borders Armenia, Turkey and Iran.
Mr Putin noted on Monday that senior officials from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia will set up a working group to discuss further moves to restore traffic links in the region.
| 2021-01-11T14:17:23Z | true |
|
Reuters Science News Summary
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134345/Reuters-Science-News-Summary.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
Following is a summary of current science news briefs.
Companies must set climate targets in line with science - executives
Companies must listen to scientists and align their plans to reach net zero targets with a global pact to fight climate change, executives told a Reuters Next conference on Monday. Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries agreed to take steps to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and preferably to 1.5C, compared with pre-industrial levels.
Exclusive: Tesla hunts for design chief to create cars for China - sources
Tesla Inc is searching for a design director in China, part of efforts to open a "full-function" studio in Shanghai or Beijing and design electric cars tailored to Chinese consumer tastes, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. The U.S. carmaker's human resources managers, as well as several headhunters, have been trawling the industry over the past four months, the sources said.
Wielding machetes and calipers, sweat-soaked scientists count carbon in Amazon
The machete-wielding scientists ventured into the Amazon, hacking through dense jungle as the mid-morning temperature soared past 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 C). Soaked in sweat, the small group of men and women sawed and tore trees limb from limb. They drilled into the soil and sprayed paint across tree trunks.
| 2021-01-11T12:59:58Z | true |
|
Covid: Bus depot shuts as 28 drivers test positive
|
The BBC
|
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55641234
|
[
"BBC News"
] |
[] |
.css-14iz86j-BoldText{font-weight:bold;}A bus depot has closed after 28 bus drivers in Wrexham tested positive for Covid-19.
|
.css-14iz86j-BoldText{font-weight:bold;}A bus depot has closed after 28 bus drivers in Wrexham tested positive for Covid-19.
On Monday Arriva said it was experiencing "significant disruption" as a result of staff shortages following the positive test results.
On Tuesday it tweeted it had also taken the "difficult decision" to suspend some services.
A spokesperson said they were looking to "redeploy resources" to reopen routes in coming days.
A member of staff in Bangor, who is not a driver, has also tested positive.
Arriva tweeted that services would be suspended from Wednesday morning.
Wrexham county currently has the highest infection rate of any council area in Wales, with 853.2 cases per 100,000 people over the most recent seven-day period.
A spokesperson for the company said it would be prioritising routes its "key worker customers require for their essential journeys".
They added: "All other services are suspended with immediate effect, whilst we look at how we can redeploy resources which may allow us to reintroduce some routes over the coming days."
"Arriva Bus Wales has closely worked with public health agencies, local transport authorities, experts and trade unions to protect employees and customers from Covid-19 as much as possible."
They said that included increasing cleaning in all buses and depots.
"Our drivers sit behind screens that separate them from customers and if they need to leave the cab, they wear face coverings, customer seating within two metres are not in use and we also encourage contactless payment where possible," the spokesperson added.
"We will continue to support Public Health Wales and local authorities whilst following all the latest Covid-19 guidance, as we continue to prioritise keeping our colleagues and customers safe."
It comes as staff at Wrexham's Maelor Hospital said they were under immense pressure as Covid cases in the county were double the Welsh average.
| 2021-01-12T21:31:35Z | true |
Rapid oil price rise divides fund managers: Kemp
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134347/Rapid-oil-price-rise-divides-fund-managers-Kemp.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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By John Kemp
LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Hedge fund managers are starting to diverge over the likelihood of further oil price increases as Brent futures surge above $50 per barrel and global coronavirus infections accelerate.
Hedge funds and other money managers purchased the equivalent of 14 million barrels of futures and options in the six most important contracts in the week ending Jan. 5.
Last week´s buying takes total purchases to almost 400 million barrels in the nine weeks since the first successful coronavirus vaccine trials were announced in early November.
But the rate of buying has slowed as prices have climbed and the balance of short-term price risks has progressively shifted from the upside through neutral to the downside.
In the most recent week, fund managers added 43 million barrels of bullish long positions, but also 30 million barrels of bearish short ones, the largest increase for two months.
The total ratio of long to short positions fell to 4.73:1, down from 5.30:1 the previous week, and the first decline since early November (https://tmsnrt.rs/3otXQZz).
Position changes last week were small across all contracts, with minor buying in Brent (+12 million barrels), NYMEX and ICE WTI (+3 million), U.S. gasoline (+2 million) and European gasoil (+2 million) but selling in U.S. diesel (-6 million).
From both a positioning perspective and a fundamental one, it is no longer obvious prices will extend their recent blistering rally rather than pull back temporarily.
The rapid escalation in prices above $50 from less than $40 two months ago has increased the risk of a short-term reversal, as has the emergence of a concentration of hedge fund positions on the bullish side of the market.
From a fundamental perspective, rising prices are already encouraging more shale drilling, with the number of active rigs up by more than 100 in the last five months, which will boost U.S. output in the second half of 2021.
Price rises are undermining the commitment to restrict output among OPEC+ and divisions are resurfacing between Russia and Saudi Arabia over whether to focus on boosting prices or protect market share.
And the new wave of COVID in North America and Europe, as well as vaccination delays, threaten to delay the resumption of air travel and normal business activity, crimping consumption for longer.
Most fund managers remain bullish, but the changing risk profile has sapped the rally of its earlier buying momentum and caused a minority to start anticipating a short-term correction.
Related columns:
- Hedge funds end 2020 with lopsided oil position (Reuters, Jan. 5)
- Oil sees more fund buying, but risks shifting (Reuters, Dec. 7)
- Positive oil outlook draws in fund managers (Reuters, Dec. 1)
- Oil sees wave of fund buying on early COVID immunisation hope (Reuters, Nov. 23) (Editing by Jane Merriman)
| 2021-01-11T13:00:00Z | true |
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Real's Jovic set for Eintracht return
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9140309/Reals-Jovic-set-Eintracht-return.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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MADRID, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Real Madrid forward Luka Jovic is set to return to former club Eintracht Frankfurt on loan until the end of the season after a poor spell at the Spanish champions in which he scored two goals following his 60 million euros ($73 million) move.
Eintracht's sporting director Fredi Bobic was quoted by the club's official Twitter account as saying Serbian Jovic was "on the verge" of re-joining the Bundesliga side until the end of the season and was soon to undergo a medical.
Jovic, 23, signed for Real from Eintracht in June 2019 but has been one of the Spanish side's most disappointing transfers in recent memory, making only six La Liga starts while scoring twice.
Things did not go well for Jovic off the pitch either.
He returned home when the coronavirus pandemic paralysed sport in March but was charged with breaking Serbia's quarantine rules and ordered to pay a fine equivalent to around 30,000 euros, in order to avoid a six-month prison term.
He later broke his foot while training at home, missing the start of the return to action as Real went on to win the La Liga title.
The Serbia striker hit 17 league goals in the 2018/19 campaign for Eintracht, who are currently ninth in the Bundesliga standings.
He also scored 10 times in their Europa League campaign as they reached the semi-finals. ($1 = 0.8194 euros) (Reporting by Richard Martin Editing by Toby Davis)
| 2021-01-12T21:55:09Z | true |
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U.S. FTC's antitrust case against Facebook gets new judge
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9140311/U-S-FTCs-antitrust-case-against-Facebook-gets-new-judge.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's antitrust lawsuit against Facebook was transferred to another judge on Tuesday so that it and a similar case filed by state attorneys general will be heard by the same person, according to a court filing on Tuesday.
Both the FTC and a large group of state attorneys general, led by New York, filed lawsuits against Facebook in December before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging violations of antitrust law. (Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Dan Grebler)
| 2021-01-12T21:55:09Z | true |
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REUTERS NEXT-Travel body rejects compulsory COVID-19 shots, experts...
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134349/REUTERS-NEXT-Travel-body-rejects-compulsory-COVID-19-shots-experts-say-herd-immunity-distant.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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By Laurence Frost and Jane Wardell
PARIS/SYDNEY, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The head of a global travel organisation on Monday opposed making COVID-19 vaccinations a requirement for travellers in the fight against the pandemic, despite scepticism about reaching herd immunity this year.
Several health experts said during the Reuters Next conference that the mass roll-out of coronavirus vaccines would not result in enough people having immunity to be able to effectively stop COVID-19 from spreading.
Some policymakers have proposed immunisation should be compulsory for air travel as the world steps up the battle to curb the spread of COVID-19, and Australia's Qantas Airways has said it plans to introduce such a requirement.
But Gloria Guevara, chief executive of the World Travel and Tourism Council, said such moves would be similar to workplace discrimination.
"We should never require the vaccination to get a job or to travel," Guevara, whose organisation represents a sector accounting for as much as 10% of global employment, told a panel at Reuters Next.
"If you require the vaccination before travel, that takes us to discrimination."
She was supported by AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes, who said global testing protocols remained key to unlocking travel.
Their comments contrasted with a majority of online panel viewers in a snap poll who supported a vaccine requirement.
The contrasting views highlighted the difficulties reaching agreement on ways to defeat COVID-19 as the death toll from the virus and its economic fallout mount.
More than 90 million people are reported to have been infected by the novel coronavirus globally and about 1.9 million have died from the disease since it first emerged in China in December 2019, according to a Reuters tally.
MASS VACCINATION
Countries including the United States, Singapore and European states have begun rolling out vaccines such as those developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech, by Moderna and by drugmaker AstraZeneca alongside Oxford University.
Indonesia and India plan to start mass inoculations later this week.
But Dale Fisher, chairman of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Outbreak Alert and Response Network, said: "We won't get back to normal quickly."
He was cautious about the chances of countries quickly reaching herd immunity.
"We know we need to get to herd immunity and we need that in a majority of countries, so we are not going to see that in 2021," Fisher told Reuters Next. "There might be some countries that might achieve it but even then that will not create 'normal' especially in terms of border controls."
That was a best-case scenario, based on current knowledge of the vaccines being rolled out, Fisher said.
Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia, told the conference some governments were over-reliant on the coming vaccines and this meant herd immunity could not be achieved in the near term.
Irma Hidayana, the Indonesia-based co-founder of LaporCOVID-19, an independent coronavirus data initiative, said public trust in vaccines could have an impact on the roll-out.
Another problem, Fisher said, was uncertainty about the ability of the virus to mutate further.
For more coverage from the Reuters Next conference please click here or www.reuters.com/business/reuters-next
To watch Reuters Next live, visit https://www.reutersevents.com/events/next/register.php
(Editing by Timothy Heritage and Alexander Smith)
| 2021-01-11T13:00:01Z | true |
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Facebook takes down Ugandan pro-Museveni accounts ahead of election
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134351/Facebook-takes-Ugandan-pro-Museveni-accounts-ahead-election.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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KAMPALA, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Facebook has taken down a network in Uganda linked to the country's ministry of information for using fake and duplicate accounts to post ahead of this week's presidential election, the U.S. social media giant said on Monday.
Ugandans vote on Thursday in a election pitting long-time leader Yoweri Museveni against 10 candidates including opposition frontrunner Bobi Wine, a singer-turned-lawmaker whose star power has rattled the ruling party.
"We found this network to be linked to the Government Citizens Interaction Center at the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology in Uganda," Facebook said.
"They used fake and duplicate accounts to manage pages, comment on other people's content, impersonate users, re-share posts in groups to make them appear more popular than they were," Facebook said in a statement.
Uganda's government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said Facebook had acted in a high-handed manner.
"We are not familiar with anybody who complained about these accounts. The owners of these accounts are verified," he said in BBC interview broadcast live on Facebook.
"It was unilaterally done. And so I think you can ask Facebook to give you more details of what the complaints were because we are not privy to them," he said.
Minister of Information Judith Nabakooba told Reuters she needed more time to study the situation before commenting.
Scores of opposition protesters have been killed during a campaign scarred by crackdowns on Wine's rallies which the authorities say contravene curbs on gatherings to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Opposition candidate Patrick Oboi Amuriat was arrested on Sunday outside Kampala. He was charged on Monday with traffic violations, released on bail and detained again by police as he returned to the capital, his aide, Ayub Kigongo, told Reuters.
"He has not been told why," Kigongo said.
Amuriat is running for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), which was the main opposition party at previous presidential elections under its former leader Kizza Besigye.
Amuriat has been detained multiple times during campaigning, mostly for violating coronavirus restrictions.
Campaigning has been banned in Kampala and 10 other districts due to the pandemic, though opposition candidates say it was because they are more popular in those areas.
Opondo defended moves to shut down opposition gatherings saying COVID-19 was real and rivals should have challenged the rules when they came in, if they believed they were unfair.
"(The election is) going to be peaceful, it's going to be fair, it's going to be free, it's going to be credible and Uganda's going to be peaceful after that," he said.
"Whoever disagrees with the outcome of the election, the courts of law are available to take your challenge there." (Reporting by Nairobi newsroom; Editing by David Clarke)
| 2021-01-11T13:00:02Z | true |
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In rare joint message, top U.S. military leaders condemn Capitol riot
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9140313/In-rare-joint-message-U-S-military-leaders-condemn-Capitol-riot.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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By Idrees Ali
WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the uniformed leaders of the different military branches, on Tuesday put out a rare message to service members saying the violent riots last week were an assault on America's constitutional process and against the law.
The joint message broke nearly a week of silence by the military leaders after the assault on the Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump sent lawmakers into hiding and left five people dead.
While a number of Trump's cabinet members including acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller condemned the storming, the top U.S. general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, was silent until now.
"The violent riot in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021 was a direct assault on the U.S. Congress, the Capitol building, and our Constitutional process," the seven generals and one admiral said in an internal memo to troops, adding that the military remained committed to protecting and defending the Constitution.
"The rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition and insurrection," the memo, seen by Reuters, said.
The military leaders said that President-elect Joe Biden would be inaugurated on Jan. 20 and become their commander in chief.
"Any act to disrupt the Constitutional process is not only against our traditions, values, and oath; it is against the law."
U.S. officials said Milley had not commented on last week's events because he wanted to stay out of politics.
The silence was in sharp contrast to June, when Milley made a controversial walk to a church with Trump after law enforcement officers backed by National Guard troops used tear-inducing chemicals and rubber bullets to clear the area of peaceful protesters
Some service members have privately expressed concern that senior leaders did not provide direction in the aftermath of the attack on American democracy on Wednesday.
There has also been a renewed focus on extremism within the U.S. military after the Capitol storming, with a large proportion of service members being white and male.
The Army told Reuters on Tuesday that it was working with the FBI to see if any attackers were current service members and with the Secret Service to see if any of the nearly 10,000 National Guard troops securing Biden's inauguration would need additional screening. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
| 2021-01-12T21:55:10Z | true |
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Leverkusen rally to beat Eintracht Frankfurt in German Cup
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9140315/Leverkusen-rally-beat-Eintracht-Frankfurt-German-Cup.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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Jan 12 (Reuters) - Moussa Diaby scored twice as 10-man Bayer Leverkusen came from a goal down to defeat in-form Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1 in their DFB Pokal second round clash at the BayArena on Tuesday.
The victory sets up an away fixture with fourth-tier Rot-Weiss Essen in the next round, and was delivered the hard way for the hosts, who played the final 17 minutes with 10 men after a straight red card for defender Jonathan Tah.
Napoli loanee Amin Younes fired Eintracht in front inside six minutes, his second goal against Leverkusen in 10 days after he also scored in the 2-1 league win on Jan. 2.
But Lucas Alario equalised for the home side from the penalty-spot after Tuta handled the ball in the box, and they went in front four minutes after halftime when defender Edmond Tapsoba headed in Kerem Demirbay's free kick from deep.
It was a sweet moment for Tapsoba, who had netted an own goal in that league loss earlier this month.
Leverkusen extended their advantage midway through the second period when Moussa Diaby fired a low shot past Kevin Trapp in the Eintracht goal after collecting a pass from Nadiem Amiri.
He added a second with a breakaway goal in the final three minutes. (Reporting by Nick Said Editing by Christian Radnedge)
| 2021-01-12T21:55:10Z | true |
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Putin hosts first post-war talks between leaders of Azerbaijan,...
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134371/Putin-hosts-post-war-talks-leaders-Azerbaijan-Armenia.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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By Tom Balmforth and Vladimir Soldatkin
MOSCOW, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday brought together the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for the first time since a war last year over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, an effort to resolve problems that risk undermining the deal that ended the conflict.
A Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement in November halted the six-week conflict between Azeri and ethnic Armenian forces over the mountainous enclave and surrounding areas, locking in territorial gains for Azerbaijan.
But tensions persist, with sporadic fighting, prisoners of war continuing to be held by both sides, and disagreements over how a prospective new transport corridor cutting through the region will work.
The enclave is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, but both ethnic Armenians and Azeris regard it as part of their historic homelands and fought a much bigger war in the 1990s over it that left tens of thousands dead.
In opening remarks in the Kremlin, Putin said the November ceasefire deal, which saw Moscow deploy peacekeepers to the region, was being implemented.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev did not shake hands, only exchanging curt greetings as they sat down at an oval table opposite Putin.
The ceasefire deal sparked protests in Yerevan against Pashinyan whom protesters accused of bungling the war. He has since faced pressure from opponents to step down, something he has resisted.
Aliyev has cast the war victory at home as an historic righting of wrongs, something Armenia rejects, and held a victory parade last month with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
For Russia, the conflict highlighted the rising influence of Azeri ally Turkey in the South Caucasus, part of the former Soviet Union that Moscow has traditionally seen as its own sphere of influence.
But by brokering the deal and getting Russian peacekeepers on the ground, Putin has thwarted a stronger Turkish presence for now while expanding Moscow's own military footprint.
Dmitry Trenin, a political analyst for the Moscow Carnegie Center, said the Kremlin hoped that Monday's talks would allow it to reaffirm its influence in the region.
"(The) peacekeeping function is Moscow's advantage in its competitive relationship with Ankara," Trenin wrote on Twitter. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Tom Balmforth; editing by Andrew Osborn)
| 2021-01-11T13:04:57Z | true |
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CDC to require negative COVID-19 tests for nearly all international...
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9140325/CDC-require-negative-COVID-19-tests-nearly-international-air-travelers-sources.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved an order Tuesday expanding coronavirus testing requirements for nearly all international air travelers starting Jan. 26, sources briefed on the matter told Reuters.
The new rules will require all U.S.-bound passengers age 2 and over to get negative COVID-19 test results within three calendar days of travel. The CDC will consider temporary waivers from testing requirements for travelers from some countries with little or no testing capacity, the sources said. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler)
| 2021-01-12T22:00:05Z | true |
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Turkey invites Greece to resume talks over sea claims
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134373/Turkey-invites-Greece-resume-talks-sea-claims.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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By Tuvan Gumrukcu
ANKARA, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Turkey has offered to resume talks with Greece on conflicting claims in the Mediterranean Sea and other issues this month, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.
Ankara and Athens are at odds over the extent of their continental shelves in the Mediterranean, offshore energy rights, air space and the status of some islands.
They held 60 rounds of talks between 2002-2016.
Greece rejected talks planned for last year after Turkey deployed a seismic exploration vessel to disputed waters, but the Oruc Reis has since moved to Turkish shores.
"So Greece has no excuse right now," Cavusoglu said, adding that the talks would cover all issues between the two neighbors who are both members of the NATO transatlantic alliance.
"As Turkey, we want to make an official invitation. As of today, we urge Greece to start exploratory talks, with the first meeting to be held within the month of January," Cavusoglu said.
Under pressure from some European Union (EU) members including Germany, Greece had indicated it could resume talks on Jan. 11, the Turkish minister added.
Greece's Foreign Ministry said it had not received a formal invitation, but was willing to restart talks.
Cavusoglu said Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who was in Ankara last week, had tried to bring him together with Greek counterpart Niko Dendias in Tirana, but that Dendias had refused at the time over the Oruc Reis. He said he was ready to meet Dendias in Tirana after the resumption of exploratory talks.
"This is an invitation. I hope Greece does not turn down this opportunity," he said. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Additional reporting by Renee Maltezou in Athens; Editing by Daren Butler and Andrew Cawthorne)
| 2021-01-11T13:04:58Z | true |
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Defending champs Lightning prep for opener vs. Blackhawks
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9140335/Defending-champs-Lightning-prep-opener-vs-Blackhawks.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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The Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks open the 2021 season in Florida on Wednesday night riding a shifting wave of ups and downs.
For starters, the Lightning open the 56-game campaign as the NHL's defending Stanley Cup champions, but they won't be defending their title in front of home fans right away.
Due to COVID-19 concerns, the organization announced Saturday that Amalie Arena -- also home to the NBA's Toronto Raptors -- wouldn't allow fans before at least Feb. 7.
Coach Jon Cooper's club entered the playoff rounds as the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed and compiled a 16-6 mark over four series in claiming their second Cup -- beating the Dallas Stars in six games.
But the holiday season delivered some bad news for the champs, who hold the NHL's best points percentage (.704, 18-7-2) in 27 season openers.
Two days before Christmas, the Lightning learned that star right winger Nikita Kucherov would undergo hip surgery and be sidelined the entire regular season.
"It's our job as a group -- players, coaches, management -- to get ourselves into the playoffs," Lightning GM Julien BriseBois said, "so that we give (Kucherov) an opportunity to compete this year and help us defend this Stanley Cup championship as we're chasing another one."
Kucherov, the 2019 Hart Trophy winner and NHL MVP, has produced 398 points over the last four seasons, which trails only Edmonton superstar Connor McDavid for the league lead.
The Lightning were able to place the 27-year-old Russian sniper and his $9.5 million cap hit on long-term injured reserve.
That move and a few other transactions allowed the team to remain under the salary cap.
With the financial break of LTIR, BriseBois re-signed Mikhail Sergachev, Erik Cernak, Mathieu Joseph, Alexander Volkov and Anthony Cirelli.
He also traded Braydon Coburn and Cedric Paquette to Ottawa, and free agents Carter Verhaeghe (Florida), Zach Bogosian (Toronto) and Kevin Shattenkirk (Anaheim) found new teams.
The Blackhawks surprised in the postseason despite being the 12th seed by shocking the Edmonton Oilers in four games in the qualifying round before falling to top-seeded Vegas in five in the quarterfinals.
But Chicago will start the season without team captain Jonathan Toews, who is out indefinitely with an unidentified medical issue that he said leaves him "drained and lethargic."
"We're supporting him however we can," said coach Jeremy Colliton, who received a two-year contract extension Tuesday. "As far as when he's coming back and all those things, it doesn't really matter. ... When he comes back is not the top priority."
Promising 19-year-old forward Kirby Dach -- who tallied eight goals and 15 assists in 64 games last year -- will also be absent four to five months after breaking his wrist last month while playing for Team Canada in a world junior championships exhibition.
The club saw the departure of forwards Brandon Saad and Drake Caggiula along with defensemen Olli Maatta, Dennis Gilbert and Slater Koekkoek.
Also, two-time Stanley Cup-winning goalie Corey Crawford retired last week after signing with New Jersey in the offseason.
New Blackhawks include forwards Mattias Janmark, Lucas Wallmark and Brandon Pirri, and defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm.
In goal, backstops Malcolm Subban (66 NHL appearances) and Collin Delia (18) will likely be Chicago's regular tandem.
--Field Level Media
| 2021-01-12T22:05:08Z | true |
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Walmart suspends contributions to U.S. lawmakers who opposed Biden...
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9140345/Walmart-suspends-contributions-U-S-lawmakers-opposed-Biden-certification.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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By Jessica DiNapoli and David Shepardson
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON Jan 12 (Reuters) - Walmart Inc, the world's biggest retailer, joined other major companies in indefinitely suspending donations to U.S. lawmakers who voted against President-elect Joe Biden's election certification.
The Arkansas-based company said on Tuesday that in light of last week's attack on the U.S. Capitol, its "political action committee is indefinitely suspending contributions to those members of Congress who voted against the lawful certification of state electoral college votes."
A spokesman for the retailer had said on Sunday that it conducts a review of its political giving after every election cycle and that last week's events would be factored into the company's process. The issue will remain under review over the next few months, the spokesman added.
Blue-chip companies including AT&T Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Mastercard Inc announced similar moves in the past several days.
Other firms such as JPMorgan Chase & Co, Alphabet Inc's Google and Union Pacific Corp are withholding contributions from all members of Congress, rather than targeting those who opposed Biden's certification.
The announcements indicate that some corporate donors, which usually give money to Republicans and Democrats alike, are re-assessing their strategy after supporters of outgoing Republican President Donald Trump attacked the Capitol last week, aiming to prevent Congress from certifying Biden's win. Five people died, including a police officer.
Before the assault on the seat of Congress, Trump urged supporters to march to the Capitol to protest the Nov. 3 election results, which he has falsely claimed were "rigged."
When lawmakers reconvened after the incident, 147 Republicans in the House of Representatives and Senate voted to challenge the Democratic president-elect´s victory in Pennsylvania or Arizona, even though both states already formally certified the results and election officials say there were no significant problems with the vote.
It is unclear whether the companies' decisions will have a lasting impact. The time period immediately after an election is typically a lull for fundraising activity.
(Reporting by Jessica DiNapoli and David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler and Peter Cooney)
| 2021-01-12T22:10:07Z | true |
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'The Office' Was by Far the Most-Streamed TV Show in 2020, Nielsen...
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9140355/The-Office-Was-Far-Most-Streamed-TV-Show-2020-Nielsen-Says.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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By Todd Spangler
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Amid the acceleration of the streaming wars in 2020, one thing was clear: "The Office" stood head and shoulders above every other TV show available on major subscription-video platforms.
Last year, Americans cumulatively streamed more than 57 billion minutes of "The Office," the comedy favorite that originally aired on NBC, on Netflix, according to figures released Tuesday by Nielsen. But Netflix won't benefit from the Dunder Mifflin gang catalog this year: As of Jan. 1, all seasons of "The Office" moved exclusively to NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service.
The next-biggest show was "Grey's Anatomy," also on Netflix, with an estimated 39.4 billion minutes streamed. Indeed, Netflix had a lock on the top 10 most-viewed licensed TV shows, per Nielsen, with past seasons of "Criminal Minds," "NCIS," "Schitt's Creek," "Supernatural," "Shameless," "New Girl," "The Blacklist" and "Vampire Diaries."
Note that the rankings are based on the Nielsen SVOD Content Ratings service, which measures just four services: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Disney Plus.
Among original series, Netflix grabbed nine of the 10 spots, with "Ozark" taking first place. That was followed by "Lucifer," "The Crown" and "Tiger King." Disney Plus' "The Mandalorian," the hit Star Wars spinoff, came in at No. 5.
It's worth noting that licensed TV shows generally have more episodes, so it's not surprising they generate more streaming volume overall. For example, U.S. viewers watched 30.5 billion minutes of "Ozark" during 2020, which was across a total of 28 episodes. The more than 57 billion minutes of "The Office" spanned 192 episodes.
Meanwhile, on the movie front, Disney Plus' early release of "Frozen II" topped the most-streamed list, followed by "Moana" on Disney Plus and "Secret Life of Pets 2" on Netflix.
A caveat: The Nielsen estimates are estimated based on viewing on connected TVs, excluding mobile devices and computers. The streaming providers don't typically release viewing numbers. When Netflix touts viewing, for example, it uses a proprietary metric that counts the number of subscribers who watched at least two minutes of a title.
Also Tuesday, Nielsen announced the launch of Theatrical Video On-Demand (TVOD), a measurement service tracking movie releases that are directly available to consumers to rent or purchase on-demand through streaming and pay-TV platforms. Nielsen didn't specify which platforms would be included in the TVOD measurement, or when exactly it would launch.
Top Streaming Content of 2020: Acquired Series
Rank Program Name SVOD Provider(s) # of Episodes Minutes Streamed (Nearest Million) 1 The Office Netflix 192 57,127 2 Grey's Anatomy Netflix 366 39,405 3 Criminal Minds Netflix 277 35,414 4 NCIS Netflix 353 28,134 5 Schitt's Creek Netflix 70 23,785 6 Supernatural Netflix 318 20,336 7 Shameless Netflix 122 18,218 8 New Girl Netflix 146 14,545 9 The Blacklist Netflix 152 14,480 10 Vampire Diaries Netflix 171 14,091 Top Streaming Content of 2020: Original Series Rank Program Name SVOD Provider(s) # of Episodes Minutes Streamed (Nearest Million) 1 Ozark Netflix 30 30,462 2 Lucifer Netflix 75 18,975 3 The Crown Netflix 40 16,275 4 Tiger King Netflix 8 15,611 5 The Mandalorian Disney Plus 16 14,519 6 The Umbrella Academy Netflix 20 13,470 7 The Great British Baking Show Netflix 65 13,279 8 Boss Baby: Back in Business Netflix 49 12,625 9 Longmire Netflix 63 11,382 10 You Netflix 20 10,965 Top Streaming Content of 2020: Movies Rank Program Name SVOD Provider(s) Minutes Streamed (Nearest Million) 1 Frozen II Disney Plus 14,924 2 Moana Disney Plus 10,507 3 The Secret life of Pets 2 Netflix 9,123 4 Onward Disney Plus 8,367 5 Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Netflix 6,180 6 Hamilton Disney Plus 6,132 7 Spenser Confidential Netflix 5,374 8 Aladdin (2019) Disney Plus 5,172 9 Toy Story 4 Disney Plus 4,416 10 Zootopia Disney Plus 4,400 Source: Nielsen SVOD Content Ratings (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus and Hulu), Nielsen National TV Panel, U.S. Viewing through Television. U.S. Persons 2+, Total Minutes Viewed During 2020 (Dec. 30, 2019 through Dec. 27, 2020)
| 2021-01-12T22:15:06Z | true |
|
Keane seals win for Everton at Wolves
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9140357/Keane-seals-win-Everton-Wolves.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
WOLVERHAMPTON, England, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Everton claimed a sixth win from nine away games this season as Michael Keane's late header earned them a 2-1 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers to move them into fourth spot in the Premier League on Tuesday.
A lively opening saw Alex Iwobi fire Everton in front before Ruben Neves replied for Wolves.
Wolves had looked the more likely winners in a dull second half but Keane's towering header in the 77th minute sealed maximum points for Carlo Ancelotti's side.
Everton moved into the top four with 32 points from 17 games while Wolves dropped a place to 14th spot with 22. (Reporting by Martyn Herman Editing by Toby Davis)
| 2021-01-12T22:15:07Z | true |
|
COLUMN-Buyers' mistakes likely to blame for LNG price surge, not...
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134375/COLUMN-Buyers-mistakes-likely-blame-LNG-price-surge-not-winter-weather-Russell.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
By Clyde Russell
LAUNCESTON, Australia, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The surge to record highs for the price of spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) is being largely attributed to severe cold weather over much of northern Asia, but miscalculations by buyers of the fuel are probably a larger factor.
The weekly spot price assessment <LNG-AS> settled at $21.45 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) on Jan. 8, eclipsing the prior record of $20.50 from February 2014. Prices have rallied an astonishing 1,060% since they hit an all-time low of $1.85 in May.
There are also media reports of at least one transaction in the past week with a price of around $33 to $35 per mmBtu, which shows just how desperate some buyers are to secure supplies of the super-chilled fuel.
While there is no doubt the winter has been more severe than usual in northern Asia, with massive snowfalls in Japan and temperatures falling to the lowest since 1966 in Beijing, the weather alone can't explain such a huge price spike.
In late November, when the spot price was just $6.40 per mmBtu, the message from importers in the top three buyers, Japan, China and South Korea, was that they were comfortable with the LNG volumes they had secured for the upcoming winter.
The view was also expressed that even if the winter did turn out to be colder than expected, there was plenty of spot cargoes available, given the ongoing surplus of LNG production capacity.
That comfort among buyers proved to be entirely misplaced, and the spot price started to surge from the week of Nov. 20 onwards as buyers were forced to re-assess the level of anticipated demand, natural gas inventories and the availability of spot cargoes.
Certainly some production outages in major exporter Australia and elsewhere did serve to tighten the supply of spot cargoes, but this shouldn't have been enough to provoke such an unprecedented rally.
The LNG flows assessed by Refinitiv showed that delivered volumes did rise in December, but not dramatically so compared to the same month in prior years.
A total of 20.1 million tonnes of LNG was discharged at ports in Japan, China and South Korea in December, according to Refinitiv vessel-tracking data.
This was up 9.6% on the 18.34 million tonnes in December 2019, and an increase of 5.7% on December 2018.
China was behind much of the rise in volumes, importing 8.14 million tonnes in December, up 14% on the 7.14 million in December 2019 and a jump of 27% from the 6.42 million tonnes of December 2018.
Japan, whose status as the world's top LNG buyer is being increasingly challenged by China, imported 7.73 million tonnes in December, up 16.6% from 6.63 million in December 2019, but steady from 7.72 million tonnes in December 2018.
SUPPLY RAMPS UP
On the supply side, there are indications that the tightness that has driven the recent rally is starting to ease, with the United States, the main swing supplier to the market, shipping more cargoes in recent weeks.
U.S. LNG exports rose to 6.18 million tonnes in December, the highest monthly total assessed by Refinitiv, and up from 5.77 million in November.
Given the sailing time of up to six weeks from the U.S. Gulf coast to north Asia, much of the export volumes from late November and December will only arrive in the current month, and may spill over into early February.
Exports from Australia have also increased in recent months, although December's 6.51 million tonnes was below the 6.89 million in November and the 6.77 million in October.
However, these three months represent a recovery from volumes around the middle of the year, with both June and July coming in at under 6 million tonnes.
Qatar, which lost its crown as the world's top exporter to Australia, also saw reasonably strong exports in December, with shipments of 6.48 million tonnes, up from November's 5.86 million and 6.42 million in October.
The volumes of LNG being shipped in recent weeks doesn't really square with the massive surge in prices, as it appears there is plenty of LNG being produced, shipped and delivered.
What is more likely is that some buyers misjudged the availability of spot cargoes, and when hit with a surge in demand found themselves unable to secure further supply, thus bidding up the prices massively for the few cargoes still available.
If this is the case, then prices could reverse as soon as the current period of strong demand starts to ease. (Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
| 2021-01-11T13:04:58Z | true |
|
Rachel Griffiths leads Amazon’s female-led disaster drama series The Wilds
|
The West Australian
|
https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/rachel-griffiths-leads-amazons-female-led-disaster-drama-series-the-wilds-ng-b881767795z
|
[
"The West Australian"
] |
[
"Entertainment",
"TV",
"premium"
] |
Rachel Griffiths believes Australian television networks have struggled to tell authentic stories that accurately portray the audiences they serve.
The Aussie actor and director, pictured, who has enjoyed a successful career both here and in Hollywood, says the long-held tradition of telling the stories of “privileged white people” are behind us.
“The days of making a show just about privileged white people (are over) — not only because they’re bad, the content that is really working is not that content around the world,” Griffiths says.
“Inclusive screen worlds are compelling.
“Stevie Payne (the younger brother of jockey Michelle Payne) was the breakout star of Ride Like a Girl — I wasn’t box-ticking, it’s because he exists in this universe and he is the most wonderful, compelling character.”
Race, gender and identity are hot topics in film and television around the world. Minority groups have long been under-represented on screens and only recently has any real effort been put into correcting those inequalities.
Australia has not been immune to that, Griffiths laments.
“I think it’s the big challenge in our country because our networks have not been reflective of who we are as Australians,” she says.
Griffiths says Amazon Prime Video’s new drama series The Wilds, in which she stars as a mysterious scientist, appealed because its diverse, mainly female cast was not a gratuitous box-ticking exercise.
The 10-part series, which is available in full on the streaming service, follows a group of girls stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes en route to a wellness retreat.
There is a bit of a Lost meets Lord of the Flies vibe as the stories of the troubled teens are unravelled through flashbacks.
And it soon becomes clear the crash is not a horrible accident, but part of a wider conspiracy in which Griffiths has a leading role.
The girls, who come from all walks of life, have rich characters and backstories that penetrate deeper than the superficial, angsty tropes so often played out in tales involving teens.
Griffiths admits when she is rummaging through the scripts sent by her agent, she is usually hoping they will not strike a chord, as taking on new projects often means leaving behind her family for extended periods of time.
Unfortunately for the wannabe homebody, The Wilds was too good to ignore.
“I’m pretty choosy about my content — you can probably guess from my bio which jobs I did for the money,” she laughs.
“I pretty much have to leave my family in order to do what I do to create or make work and to contribute to our creative industries, so it’s really hard to do that unless you’re highly motivated.”
The girls stranded on the island are a lesson in diversity — in race, religion, sexual orientation and socioeconomic backgrounds.
In and of itself, casting a much more representative cross-section of actors could be seen as ticking boxes. But Griffiths says it needs to go further than that.
“How does the content get to authentic beyond just the casting,” she asks before throwing the question to showrunner Amy Harris.
Harris, who was a producer on Sex and the City and creator of its spin-off, The Carrie Diaries, says it is important that diversity begins with a show’s writers.
“What we did on Sex and the City, that I think is why it really resonated, was we were telling specific, intimate, raw, emotionally naked stories,” Harris says.
“And I think what we have hopefully done in this show as well is bringing in unbelievably talented writers who have come from many different walks of life, telling really authentic, specific stories.”
When travelling through regional Australia to promote Ride Like a Girl, Griffiths says she was often approached by locals who felt let down by what they saw in Australian productions.
“There is a sense in the country that we’re very city centric in the content we make, that many television writers are middle class and urban, ” she says.
“So I think we just always need to be asking that question: are we telling stories for everyone and are we including everyone in the stories that we’re telling?”
The Wilds is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
| 2021-01-12T22:00:00Z | false |
|
フジ「とくダネ！」、３月終了 ２２年の歴史に幕
|
Tokyo Shimbun
|
https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/79532/
|
[
"東京新聞 TOKYO Web"
] |
[] |
フジテレビは１２日、１９９９年４月から放送してきた情報番組「情報プレゼンター とくダネ！」（月―金曜朝）を今年３月２６日で終了すると発表した。２２年間の歴史に幕を下ろす。
当初から司会を務め、病気休養などを経ながらも鋭い視点で社会を切り取ってきた小倉智昭キャスター（７３）は「皆さんが私を支えてくれました。まだ全てをやり遂げてはいませんが、そろそろ次世代のキャスターに席を譲る時が来たようです」などとコメントした。
フジテレビによると、スタジオでボードを使ってプレゼンする方式を導入。「現代のニュース情報番組の礎をつくった」としている。
| 2021-01-12T20:18:26Z | true |
|
Aptiv unveils new self-driving platform with wireless upgrades
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134377/Aptiv-unveils-new-self-driving-platform-wireless-upgrades.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
By Nick Carey
LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Auto supplier Aptiv PLC on Monday unveiled its next generation technology platform for automated driving, which can be used across a range of vehicles and be updated wirelessly so carmakers can upgrade car features and fix glitches.
Aptiv chief technology officer Glen De Vos told Reuters the core of the new platform was the same whether a manufacturer was building a compact car or a full-size sedan - the larger vehicles merely require more sensors or cameras.
One of the biggest problems facing global carmakers as they develop the sensors, radars and cameras necessary for self-driving technology is the cost.
Fully self-driving vehicles are years away, but assisted-driving features such as adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance are becoming more common.
For carmakers "developing and validating these systems can cost many hundreds of millions of dollars," in development and testing, De Vos said. "This platform dramatically reduces the system validation costs and represents dramatic savings for manufacturers."
He added the new platform could save carmakers up to 20% or 30% over Aptiv's previous generation platform.
In 2019, Hyundai and Aptiv launched a $4 billion venture called Motional to develop self-driving technologies and be among the first to deploy fully autonomous cars on public roads.
Aptiv's new platform also allows the supplier to track vehicle problems and provides over-the-air updates so carmakers can fix issues or upgrade self-driving features in real time rather than waiting for the next version of a vehicle.
"Now that I can update that car, I can enable new features and content for manufacturers to sell into that vehicle," De Vos said.
Aptiv, headquartered in Dublin, also unveiled "zone controllers" for carmakers to break down computing functions in cars into more manageable pieces that will improve computing power and reduce vehicle weight and cost. (Reporting by Nick Carey. Editing by Mark Potter)
| 2021-01-11T13:04:59Z | true |
|
'Night Stalker' Is Just Another Gory True-Crime Misfire: TV Review
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9140359/Night-Stalker-Is-Just-Another-Gory-True-Crime-Misfire-TV-Review.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
By Daniel D'Addario
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Richard Ramirez's spree of terror through the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Areas in 1984 and 1985 made for a psyche-shredding media fixation: The so-called "Night Stalker's" rapaciousness -- targeting people seemingly at random and with an appetite for violence that set him apart even among the history of psychopaths -- provided insatiable fodder for television reports, a side effect that both burnished Ramirez's legend and increased the effects of his reign of terror.
Over and above his grievous crimes, Ramirez was creating an atmosphere of fear and mistrust that overlay an unhappy period for California.
This, at least, is the case made by "Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer," a four-episode documentary series on Netflix. As an analysis of social madness, "Night Stalker," directed by Tiller Russell, makes some interesting points; those, though, tend to be studded within a project that gives itself away to mania more frequently.
Clogged with high-gloss but somewhat ludicrous footage, "Night Stalker" knows it's about the deaths of innocents only inasmuch as that makes for a riveting story, but it lacks the seriousness of purpose to tell its story well.
In the main, the story follows Gil Carillo and Frank Salerno, the investigators tracking Ramirez; they're interviewed in the present day with every clich? about P.I.'s in the unfeeling city in evidence: forebodingly-darkly-lit interviews, a re-enacted shot of a lonesome cop car accelerating down a lonely street, lit by streetlights. That the latter shot is handsome means about as much as does the impressive grossness of re-enacted shots of knives penetrating flesh, emerging coated in juicily crimson blood.
It can be boring to constantly write about true crime as lacking the deeply-thought-through intentionality to match its grave subject matter -- in part because it happens so frequently.
While Ramirez's victims, including a kidnap victim he let go as well as families of the slain, get the chance to speak, here, the show's pleasurable embrace of violence seems, in its effort to attract, tonally repulsive. Series like HBO's "I'll Be Gone in the Dark," with its careful construction and deliberate pace, tend to be exceptions: More frequent are shows like this one, that tend to revel in the glamour and thrill of pretty gruesome real-life events.
Consider, say, a Los Angeles news reporter speaking to camera in the final episode and musing about "what it would be like to be attacked by him, to have him on top, to have him with a gun at your throat, knife" with a sort of kitschy fascination at her own revulsion. Why did this make the cut? We know by this point that Ramirez was dangerous. Or the fact that the first episode, for instance, ends with Carillo restaging his epiphany that the crimes were linked, saying "We got us a serial killer" -- followed by amped-up rock music kicking in and the show's title in pink graffiti font.
It's not that the thrill of the chase isn't a real human emotion, however worthy; "Night Stalker," though, tends to tip its hand in moments like these to reveal that the hunt for a serial murderer is, in its own sick way, kind of fun.
All of which suffocates that which, in the series, surfaces interesting warnings about precisely the sort of thing the show is doing. A sequence about Dianne Feinstein, then the mayor of San Francisco, giving away details of the investigation on television and thus scotching much of the detectives' progress, makes a suggestive case for the power of TV news to warp perspective even at the highest levels. Then, though, Feinstein could be argued to be educating the public; now, "Night Stalker" seeks to re-create a climate of nasty fear for no ultimate higher purpose than four hours of thrills and chills.
| 2021-01-12T22:15:07Z | true |
|
KKR to buy majority stake in Ryan Tedder and OneRepublic's music...
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134379/KKR-buy-majority-stake-Ryan-Tedder-OneRepublics-music-catalog.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
Jan 11 (Reuters) - Investment firm KKR & Co said on Monday it will buy a majority stake in Ryan Tedder and OneRepublic's music catalog that includes hits such as "Counting Stars" and "Apologize".
The company, with investments in TikTok parent ByteDance and music company BGM, will also have publishing and recorded music rights to the catalog that has nearly 500 songs, including those co-written with popular acts such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga and U2.
Tedder's management and artist development companies will also take part in the equity transaction.
Record label Interscope Records will continue to own the master recordings of OneRepublic, of which Tedder is the lead singer.
KKR said it wants to expand the reach of Ryan Tedder's music, who is the winner of three Grammy awards, with its investment experience in digital, media and music businesses.
(Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)
| 2021-01-11T13:05:01Z | true |
|
Sigourney Weaver plays literary agent of reclusive The Catcher in the Rye author J.D. in My Salinger Year
|
The West Australian
|
https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/sigourney-weaver-plays-literary-agent-of-reclusive-the-catcher-in-the-rye-author-jd-in-my-salinger-year-ng-b881762288z
|
[
"The West Australian"
] |
[
"Entertainment",
"Movies",
"premium"
] |
Beyond the fact both films star Sigourney Weaver and are set in New York, there wouldn’t appear to be many similarities between Ghostbusters and new literary drama My Salinger Year.
But Weaver reckons something she learnt on the set of the former played a big part in her performance in the latter, and, indeed, every film she’s made since that iconic 1984 comedy.
Cast your mind back to the first Ghostbusters movie, and a scene in which Weaver’s character, Dana, confronts a supernatural terror-dog in her apartment.
“I remember getting ready for that scene, where the terror-dog jumps out of the fridge, and I was sort of over on the side, concentrating, and Bill Murray came over and started tickling me,” Weaver, pictured, recalls.
“He said ‘What are you doing?’ And I said ‘I’m trying to prepare because I have to be terribly frightened’. And he just thought it was so funny I was working so hard, and I really learnt that that was not the answer — just be in the moment.
“And I think if I had it over again, I wouldn’t go to drama school, I’d try to be part of one of those improvisational groups, because I think it’s closer to the work, not if you want to do Shakespeare, obviously, but to the way most movies are made now.”
In My Salinger Year, which is based on Joanna Rakoff’s memoir of the same name, Weaver plays a literary agent named Margaret, who is tasked with managing the interests of the famously reclusive J.D. Salinger, a giant of American literature, who is best known for his 1951 novel, The Catcher in the Rye.
Blurring the line between fact and fiction, the movie is told from the perspective of a young intern, Joanna, played by rising star Margaret Qualley, who is an aspiring writer but given the soul-crushing job of typing templated responses to the fan mail Salinger receives.
The contents of this fan mail is revealed in short vignettes, featuring the letter writer speaking to the camera as if to Salinger himself.
It’s an effective way to illustrate how books, and, in particular, books such as The Catcher in the Rye, have the power to move us.
“You know, I was so caught up in F. Scott Fitzgerald when I was in high school, I even chose my name from The Great Gatsby, this character who is mentioned once, and I was just thrilled by his writing,” Weaver admits.
Yes, if it hadn’t been for Gatsby, this article would be about one Susan Weaver. The actor thinks pandemic-related lockdowns have resulted in people doing more reading in the past 10 months than they’ve been able to in a long time.
“I know I have,” she says, before listing a pandemic bibliography that includes such lighthearted tomes as Tolstoy’s War and Peace and Anna Karenina.
All those people locked in their homes who haven’t embarked on a deep dive into Russian literature have probably been revisiting classic movies for a nostalgia-tinged hit of escapism.
And nothing makes a virus seem less scary than the prospect of an extraterrestrial foetus bursting from one’s chest, as happens with alarming frequency in the Alien franchise.
Weaver was a 29-year-old theatre actor when Ridley Scott cast her as Ellen Ripley, the chief protagonist in the original Alien movie, a role that is now considered one of the greatest heroines Hollywood has ever produced.
“It was a hard movie because we almost never used the script, we were always improvising, and, for me, as a young theatre actor, that was really challenging but it also gave the movie such a sense of realism,” Weaver says of the 1979 sci-fi classic.
“We really were uncomfortable in many ways, we never knew what was going to happen next, and that sort of is the brilliance of Ridley Scott, he brought that.”
No scene was more uncomfortable than the one where Weaver’s Ripley flees from the spaceship Nostromo before it self-destructs — and the discomfort was from something far worse than a bit of improv.
“By the time we got through the movie, the crew knew that they could depend upon me to move fast,” Weaver recalls.
“But there was that moment as I raced from the Nostromo where, honestly, if I think I had slowed down, I would’ve been incinerated because I could feel the flames of the explosion licking at my back.”
For a film franchise that has given so many viewers nightmares, it is rather amusing the actor who has spent more time around facehuggers and chestbursters than anyone has only suffered awkward stress dreams from the experience.
“I did have a nightmare once that I was on a cruise, and apparently there was an alien loose, and I remember thinking ‘Gosh, I’m supposed to know what to do, well, there’s a deckchair, I’m going to hide under it and hopefully it won’t see me’ — not really a good move on my part,” Weaver laughs.
Qualley, who is the daughter of Andie MacDowell, has a long way to go to reach the pop-culture resonance of her more famous My Salinger Year co-star, but Weaver has every confidence in the 26-year-old.
“I’d only seen her in the Quentin Tarantino movie (Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood), where she plays the waif who’s with the Manson tribe, so, Joanna, as a role, is about the absolute opposite of that part,” Weaver says.
“But Margaret is one of those rare actors and, in a way, a little bit like Audrey Hepburn, so beautiful and graceful but she’s really a chameleon.”
The film offers a relatively rare depiction of women mentoring women in the workplace — instead of The Devil Wears Prada think The Devil Reads Kakfa — which Weaver felt excited to be involved in.
“Mentoring for women is such a natural thing but there just aren’t movies made about it,” she agrees.
“And how wonderful that (French-Canadian director) Philippe Falardeau, who has done so many political documentaries, would write such an utterly charming, lovable and unique picture about people who fall in love with books.”
My Salinger Year is in cinemas from tomorrow.
| 2021-01-12T22:00:00Z | false |
|
Lina Bande
|
Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR)
|
https://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/schleswig-holstein_magazin/wir_ueber_uns/Lina-Bande,bande108.html
|
[] |
[
"Lina Bande",
"Moderatorin",
"Porträt",
"NDR",
"Norddeutscher Rundfunk",
"Norddeutschland",
"Radio",
"Fernsehen",
"TV"
] |
Ob als Reporterin oder Moderatorin - Lina Bande freut sich über jeden Schnack. Gerne auch auf Platt.
|
Ob als Reporterin oder Moderatorin - Lina Bande freut sich über jeden Schnack. Gerne auch auf Platt.
Eigentlich kann es für mich gar keinen besseren Beruf als Reporterin und Moderatorin bei NDR1 Welle Nord geben: Wasser, Strand, Sand und Wind fand ich schon immer toll, da bin ich geprägt von den vielen Dänemark-Familienurlauben in meiner Kindheit. Durch die Dünen butschern, Muscheln sammeln, in die kalten Wellen der Nordsee hüpfen - herrlich!
Hier zu arbeiten ist fast Luxus
Und jetzt darf ich gleich zwischen zwei Meeren leben, hab's nie weit bis zum nächsten Strand. Auch beruflich hier unterwegs zu sein, ist da schon fast Luxus. Ich hatte schon so viele tolle Begegnungen als Reporterin in Schleswig-Holstein und freue mich auf alle, die noch kommen - mit offenen, freundlichen Menschen, die sich über jeden Schnack freuen. Und mit schnacken und sabbeln sind Sie bei mir sowieso an der richtigen Adresse. :)
Vom Blog zur rasenden Reporterin
Wie gerne ich Geschichten erzähle, habe ich im Auslandsjahr in Irland nach dem Abitur gemerkt. Vom Blog im Internet war's dann nicht weit bis zum Praktikum bei der Lokalzeitung. Mein Journalistikstudium in Bremen habe ich mir mit unzähligen Artikeln über Schützenfeste, Feuerwehrversammlungen und Dorfaktionen finanziert, immer unterwegs als rasende Reporterin in meinem Heimatort Ganderkesee in Niedersachsen.
Die schönste Station im Norden
Schon meine erste Station im NDR-Volontariat führte mich dann ins Funkhaus nach Kiel in die Redaktion Heimat, Kultur und Wissenschaft. Und da bin ich dann irgendwie auch hängen geblieben. Über Land und Leute zu berichten und jeden Tag in diesem tollen Bundesland unterwegs zu sein, macht richtig viel Spaß - und hier ist es jetzt auch endlich mal von Vorteil, dass ich so gerne rede. ;) Zu hören bin ich abends in der Sendung "Von Binnenland und Waterkant", entweder als Reporterin oder als Moderatorin. Und dann auch gern und oft op Platt!
| 2021-01-11T12:23:50.956000Z | true |
村田諒太３５歳に「試合したい」 ミドル級スーパー王者
|
Tokyo Shimbun
|
https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/79533/
|
[
"東京新聞 TOKYO Web"
] |
[] |
世界ボクシング協会（ＷＢＡ）ミドル級スーパー王者の村田諒太（帝拳）が３５歳の誕生日を迎えた１２日、東京都内のジムで取材に応じ「率直に試合がしたい。３５歳まで（現役を）やっているというのは不思議な感覚。できるだけ長く、自分を高められる限りはやりたい」と意欲的に語った。
新型コロナウイルスの影響で最後の試合は２０１９年１２月。実戦感覚を鈍らせないよう、外国選手とのスパーリングを重ね「集中力を切らさずに練習できている」という。
スーパー王者昇格が発表されたばかりで「ビッグマッチの実現性は高まった。負けられない気持ちが強くなった」と話す。
| 2021-01-12T21:09:04Z | true |
|
Greece willing to talk to Turkey on EEZ, continental shelf issues
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134391/Greece-willing-talk-Turkey-EEZ-continental-shelf-issues.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
ATHENS, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Greece has not yet received an invitation from Turkey to resume exploratory talks on their conflicting territorial claims in the Mediterranean but would be willing to discuss issues including the continental shelf, the foreign ministry said on Monday.
The comment came after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara was making an official offer to resume the talks, which have been suspended since 2016.
"Greece has expressed its intention to respond to any such invitation from the Turkish side, in accordance with international law, on the issue of demarcation of an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the continental shelf," foreign ministry spokesman Alexandros Papaioannou said in a statement. (Reporting by Renee Maltezou; editing by James Mackenzie and Louise Heavens)
| 2021-01-11T13:09:58Z | true |
|
20 Tote bei Schiffsunglück: Vor 50 Jahren sinkt die "Brandenburg"
|
Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR)
|
https://www.ndr.de/geschichte/chronologie/20-Tote-bei-Schiffsunglueck-Vor-50-Jahren-sinkt-die-Brandenburg,schiffsunglueck132.html
|
[
"Kerstin von Stürmer",
"Jan Wulf"
] |
[
"MS Brandenburg",
"Untergang",
"Schiffsunglück",
"Ärmelkanal",
"Straße von Dover",
"Kollision",
"Wrack",
"Schiffswrack",
"Tanker",
"Texaco Caribbean"
] |
Innerhalb weniger Minuten geht vor 50 Jahren der Hamburger Stückgutfrachter MS "Brandenburg" im Ärmelkanal unter. Das Schiff war mit einem Wrack kollidiert. 20 Männer und Frauen der Besatzung sterben.
|
Innerhalb weniger Minuten geht vor 50 Jahren der Hamburger Stückgutfrachter MS "Brandenburg" im Ärmelkanal unter. Das Schiff war mit einem Wrack kollidiert. 20 Männer und Frauen der Besatzung sterben.
Elf Besatzungsmitglieder überleben das Schiffsunglück, das zu den schwersten der Nachkriegszeit gehört. Unter ihnen ist auch Jens Heesch aus Rosengarten bei Hamburg. Er ist 3. Offizier auf der MS "Brandenburg", als das Schiff am 12. Januar 1971 im Ärmelkanal sinkt. Die letzte Fahrt der "Brandenburg" beginnt am 11. Januar 1971 in Antwerpen. Von hier aus soll es in Richtung Karibik gehen. Um 18 Uhr macht der Stückgutfrachter an diesem milden ruhigen Wintertag die Leinen los und nimmt Kurs auf den Ärmelkanal.
Ein markerschütterndes Geräusch geht durch das ganze Schiff
Heeschs Wache an diesem Tag endet um Mitternacht. Am nächsten Morgen wird er um 7.15 Uhr vom Offiziersanwärter geweckt. Um 8 Uhr soll seine Wache beginnen. Nur wenige Minuten später geht ein markerschütterndes Geräusch durch das ganze Schiff. Heesch weiß sofort, dass etwas nicht stimmt. Er zieht noch einen Mantel über, nimmt seine Schwimmweste mit und geht auf die Brücke.
Keine Zeit mehr für einen Notruf
Die "Brandenburg" hatte ein großes Wrackteil des am Vortag auseinander gebrochenen Tankers "Texaco Caribbean" gerammt. Dabei war der Schiffsrumpf auf breiter Front aufgerissen. Als Heesch die Brücke erreicht, ist es dunkel, der Strom ist bereits ausgefallen. Immer schneller neigt sich das Schiff vorne über. Den Männern auf der Brücke bleibt keine Zeit, einen Notruf abzusetzen. Auch für die Rettungsboote ist es zu spät. Die "Brandenburg" sinkt innerhalb von drei Minuten. Dank seiner Schwimmweste gelingt es Heesch, an der Wasseroberfläche zu bleiben. Nach langen zweieinhalb Stunden im eiskalten Wasser wird er schließlich von britischen Fischern gerettet. Auch zehn weitere Besatzungsmitglieder können die Fischer vor dem Ertrinken retten.
Frage der Schuld bleibt ungeklärt
In der späteren Seeamtsverhandlung geht es um die Frage, ob und warum die Besatzung des Hapag-Lloyd-Frachters offenbar keine Kenntnis von der Lage des Wracks hatte. Funksprüche mit genauen Angaben zur Lage des Wracks gab es zahlreich. Allerdings kann nicht geklärt werden, ob und welcher Funkspruch das Schiff erreicht hat: Tauchgänge mit dem Ziel, das Funktagebuch zu bergen, sind gescheitert. Das Seeamt stellt fest, dass der Untergang der "Brandenburg" durch das Zusammentreffen einer Reihe von ungewöhnlichen Umständen geschehen ist. Das Seeamt empfiehlt gleichzeitig neue Sicherheitsmaßnahmen, unter anderem die Ausrüstung aller Schiffe mit leicht zu handhabenden, aufblasbaren Rettungsflößen, die im Falle eines Untergangs selbst aufschwimmen. Heute ist dies internationaler Standard.
| 2021-01-11T12:12:35.204000Z | true |
Why car companies can’t make exciting ads in Australia
|
The West Australian
|
https://thewest.com.au/lifestyle/motoring/why-car-companies-cant-make-exciting-ads-in-australia-ng-b881764138z
|
[
"The West Australian"
] |
[
"Lifestyle",
"Motoring",
"premium"
] |
In recent weeks, you may have seen a TV ad for the Toyota Yaris range where a trio of siblings are heading to their parents’ house for their anniversary.
The two sisters are discussing how their brother has forgotten about the catch-up, only to discover he is already there when they arrive.
It’s a nice, charming bit of advertising... which has been pulled from the air for breaching the Australian Advertising Board’s standards.
The problem?
In his haste to make it to his parents’ house, the brother is shown driving a GR Yaris out of a shed on a rural property and slightly spinning its wheels.
Though it only makes up about one second of a 30-second ad, it’s technically in violation of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries’ Voluntary Code of Practice for Motor Vehicle Advertising, which places strict restrictions on how car companies can advertise their products.
The code was introduced in 2002 to “provide guidance to FCAI members of appropriate standards for the portrayal of images, themes and messages relating to road safety in their advertising”.
It mainly prohibits car ads from portraying unsafe driving and speeding, but also “deliberate and significant environmental damage”, and people driving while tired or under the influence.
Toyota will have to re-edit the ad should it choose to run it again.
Car companies contacted by WestWheels all welcomed having a code to guide advertising and promote safety, but many expressed frustration at the code’s strictness.
Some said it contributed to Australia’s reputation as a nanny state among the global automotive industry.
Bugbears ranged from the difficulty in showing a car’s performance capability, the cost involved in having to pull an ad and some clauses — such as “advertisers may make a legitimate use of fantasy” — being open to interpretation.
Others noted other forms of entertainment were free to portray behaviours car companies were not, while others questioned why gambling ads were accepted while “a Yaris kicking up some dirt” isn’t.
Ad Standards will investigate if it receives a complaint against a commercial — and there is no shortage of people keen to take issue with what they’re seeing.
Recent complaints include Suzuki’s “For Fun’s Sake” tagline apparently suggesting responsible driving isn’t fun, and a Ford commercial showing a dog played by a man allegedly portraying “a white man as being so inferior he can be put on a chain and collar and treated like a dog by a man who is not white and his white female partner”.
Men seem to be the most sensitive viewers out there.
Another recent Toyota ad showing a man getting a haircut at a dog groomer also drew someone’s ire.
“Is is offensive to imply that men are so stupid that they would take up a ‘2 for 1’ offer and have themselves cleaned at a dog wash,” the complaint reads in the case report.
“Or is the ad implying that all men are dogs? This is discrimination.”
Though the most complaints are dismissed — only three of the past 20 complaints against car ads have been upheld — there have been some decisions bordering on ridiculous.
Volkswagen’s 2018 “Too Powerful for TV” campaign for its Amarok ute parodied the code, portraying a director outlining his plans for the world’s most exciting car ad but using toys and drawings to show the exciting sequences.
One of the original cuts was pulled for depicting dangerous driving, albeit using model cars and storyboards.
VW Australia public relations manager Kurt McGuiness said while the company respected Ad Standards’ findings, the brand was acutely aware of the many restrictions placed on car advertising in Australia.
He noted the ad was banned on the same day it won “Ad of the Month” on an advertising industry publication.
The code is regularly reviewed — most recently in 2019 — and is voluntary, however it’s unlikely anything will change.
Some companies expressed concern if ads started to be pulled regularly it would become political and laws would be created. Others said despite frustrations, they were powerless to initiate change.
So car ads won’t be getting pulses to race any time soon.
* All were dismissed.
TOYOTA
GR Yaris shown losing traction exiting a shed.
BMW
A young person skateboarding on a road.
SUZUKI
A vehicle’s front wheels leave the road surface going over a big bump while off-road.
HOLDEN
An Equinox does a 180-degree turn while evading pursuers.
ALFA ROMEO
Stelvio found to portray drifting and wheels shown throwing up a “quantity of dust and debris”, which would be “excessive if the vehicle was travelling at a safe speed on a winding road such as is depicted”.
| 2021-01-12T21:48:00Z | false |
|
１９９３年、毒ガスなど化学兵器の開発、生産、保有などを禁ず…
|
Tokyo Shimbun
|
https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/79543/
|
[
"東京新聞 TOKYO Web"
] |
[] |
１９９３年、毒ガスなど化学兵器の開発、生産、保有などを禁ずる化学兵器禁止条約の調印式がパリで行われた。米国、ロシアなどが保有する化学兵器の一定期間内の全廃を定めた。
| 2021-01-12T21:58:36Z | true |
|
Chipotle to hire 15,000 workers in the United States
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134405/Chipotle-hire-15-000-workers-United-States.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
Jan 11 (Reuters) - Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc said on Monday it would hire 15,000 workers in the United States, as the fast-casual burrito chain benefits from strong demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move comes about five months after Chipotle said it planned to add 10,000 more people to its more than 85,000-strong workforce. It now employs about 94,000 people, most of them in the United States.
Fast-food chains - mainly pizza and Mexican restaurants - have seen sales remain strong during the pandemic as customers crave comfort food and order in more. Chipotle had posted a 14% jump in revenue in its latest reported quarter.
Chipotle in October had said it would open about 200 restaurants. The company had over 2,700 restaurants, as of September.
Major pizza chains, including Papa John's International Inc and Domino's Pizza Inc, and other big names such as McDonald's Corp have hired thousands of people in recent months to meet heightened demand even as family-owned restaurants have had to shut shop. (Reporting by Praveen Paramasivam in Bengaluru and Hilary Russ in New York; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)
| 2021-01-11T13:14:58Z | true |
|
US Capitol rioters face sedition charges
|
The West Australian
|
https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/us-capitol-rioters-face-sedition-charges-ng-s-2045151
|
[
"The West Australian"
] |
[
"News",
"Crime"
] |
The US Justice Department has opened criminal investigations on more than 170 individuals for their involvement in the riot at the US Capitol by President Donald Trump's supporters, and investigators aim to charge people with assault and seditious conspiracy, the top federal prosecutor in Washington, DC says.
"I think the scope and scale of this investigation and these cases are really unprecedented, not only in FBI history but probably DOJ history," Acting US Attorney Michael Sherwin said in a media briefing on Tuesday.
"The Capitol grounds outside and inside are... a crime scene."
Sherwin said 70 criminal cases have been filed to date.
While many of them involve people whose photos went viral on social media, such as one of a man pictured sitting at the desk of a staffer of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he said more serious charges are coming and a grand jury has been reviewing the cases.
"We're looking at significant felony cases tied to sedition and conspiracy," Sherwin said, noting his office has launched a strike force whose marching orders are to build criminal cases around such charges.
He said other strike forces have been formed to focus on assaults on law enforcement and members of the media.
"The range of criminal conduct is really ... unmatched in any type of scenario that we've seen," Sherwin said, noting it runs the gamut from "simple trespass" and "theft of mail" to "felony murder and even civil rights excessive force".
Investigators are combing social media images that showed hundreds of people swarming the building, attacking police, stealing computers and artifacts and smashing windows.
Steven D'Antuono, the assistant director in charge for the FBI's Washington, DC office, said the bureau has been combing through more than 100,000 photos, video and other tips it has received since last week.
The FBI has been releasing photos of suspects and seeking help from the public. Recently, it released images of someone who is suspected of planting pipe bombs at the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican national committees.
Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican from Louisiana, on Tuesday tweeted photos he said he had received from Capitol Police and said the man pictured was wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick.
D'Antuono declined to comment on whether the man in the photo was in fact a suspect.
| 2021-01-12T22:16:12Z | true |
|
Corona-News-Ticker: Ausgangssperre und Kontakt-Verbot in Gifhorn
|
Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR)
|
https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/info/Corona-News-Ticker-Grenzpendler-stehen-stundenlang-fuer-Test-an,coronaliveticker764.html
|
[] |
[
"Corona",
"Liveticker",
"Zentral",
"Norddeutschland",
"Karte",
"Podcast",
"Corona-Virus",
"Coronavirus",
"Blog",
"Ticker"
] |
Im Live-Ticker informiert NDR.de Sie auch heute - am Montag, den 11. Januar 2021 - aktuell über die Folgen der Coronavirus-Pandemie für Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern und Hamburg.
Das Wichtigste in Kürze
|
Im Live-Ticker informiert NDR.de Sie auch heute - am Montag, den 11. Januar 2021 - aktuell über die Folgen der Coronavirus-Pandemie für Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern und Hamburg.
Das Wichtigste in Kürze
Jetzt live auf NDR.de: Landkreis Gifhorn führt Ausgangssperre und Kontakt-Verbot ein
Moderna-Impfstoff kommt heute in Deutschland an
Härterer Lockdown tritt in Schleswig-Holstein in Kraft
Niedersachsen: Ausnahme für Kleinkinder bei Kontakt-Regeln
Neuinfektionen im Norden: Niedersachsen meldet 369 Fälle, Hamburg 273 und Schleswig-Holstein 144
RKI: Bundesweit 12.497 neue Corona-Fälle und weitere 343 Todesfälle bestätigt
Überblick: Tabellen, Karten und Grafiken zu Corona im Norden Hintergrund: So kommen unterschiedliche Fallzahlen zustande
Ausgangssperre und Kontakt-Verbot im Kreis Gifhorn
Ab morgen gilt im Landkreis Gifhorn eine Ausgangssperre - von 20 Uhr bis 5 Uhr. Sie soll den ganzen Januar bestehen bleiben. Dies hat Landrat Andreas Ebel soeben in einer Pressekonferenz mitgeteilt. Zudem soll ein Kontaktverbot für Menschen aus unterschiedlichen Haushalten im privaten Bereich gelten - voraussichtlich ab Freitag, eventuell erst ab Montag. Der 15-Kilometer-Radius zur Bewegungseinschränkung werde hingegen nicht eingeführt, sagte Ebel. Verfolgen Sie die Pressekonferenz hier im Video-Livestream.
Der Landkreis Gifhorn hatte am Sonnabend als derzeit einziger in Niedersachsen den Grenzwert von 200 Neuansteckungen pro 100.000 Einwohner binnen einer Woche überschritten. Die aktuelle niedersächsische Corona-Verordnung stellt es den Kommunen bei einem Sieben-Tage-Wert von mehr als 200 frei, die Bewegungsfreiheit der Bewohner auf einen 15-Kilometer-Radius zu beschränken.
Server-Probleme behindern Homeschooling im Norden
In Norddeutschland sollen jetzt die meisten Schülerinnen und Schüler wegen der Corona-Pandemie zu Hause digital unterrichtet werden. Doch heute Vormittag gab es vielerorts massive technische Probleme - vor allem in Hamburg und Niedersachsen. Der Grund: Der bundesweite Schulserver IServ ging in die Knie. Offenbar hatten sich zu viele Klassen gleichzeitig angemeldet. So war es nicht möglich, Videokonferenzen zu eröffnen oder ihnen beizutreten. Inzwischen sollen die Probleme behoben sein.
Lange Schlangen: Grenzpendler brauchen Corona-Test
Stundenlanges Anstehen im kalten Nieselwetter: Heute Vormittag haben in Flensburg wieder Hunderte Grenzpendler nach Dänemark darauf gewartet, den jetzt nötigen Corona-Schnelltest zu bekommen. Am Freitag hatte die dänische Regierung schärfere Regeln für die Einreise angekündigt - aus Sorge um das mutierte Corona-Virus. Wer in Dänemark arbeitet und aus Deutschland kommt, muss sich seit dieser Woche einmal wöchentlich auf das Corona-Virus testen lassen - der Test darf maximal 24 Stunden alt sein. Betroffen sind rund 16.000 Pendler und Pendlerinnen. An den Grenzübergängen kam es am frühen Morgen zu längeren Wartezeiten.
Bundesregierung wirbt um Verständnis für Lockdown
Die Bundesregierung hat zum heutigen Start des neuen Lockdowns um Verständnis für die strengeren Kontakt-Beschränkungen geworben. Die aktuellen Infektionszahlen zeigten laut Regierungssprecher Steffen Seibert, dass die Lage nach den Weihnachtsfeiertagen und Silvester weiterhin ernst sei. Gesundheitsminister Jens Spahn (CDU) sagte: "Ich weiß, das sind jetzt nochmal besondere Schwierigkeiten - Härten für viele, auch soziale Härten, aber das ist im Moment auch der Bereich, wo sich dieses Virus vor allem noch überträgt".
Gilt eine Corona-Infektion bei Polizisten als Dienstunfall?
Die Gewerkschaft der Polizei (GdP) will anhand eines Falls aus Osnabrück vor Gericht durchsetzen, dass eine Corona-Infektion von Polizisten bei der Arbeit als Dienstunfall anerkannt wird. In Osnabrück hatten sich offenbar mehrere Polizisten bei der Arbeit mit dem Virus infiziert. Die Gewerkschaft plant nun laut "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" beim Verwaltungsgericht der Stadt eine Musterklage für alle Bundesländer. Denn die Frage ob die Infektion als Dienstunfall eingestuft wird, hat Einfluss auf die Pensions-Ansprüche der Beamten. Laut Gewerkschaft geht es bei manchen Polizisten um mehrere Tausend Euro Pension im Jahr.
Niedersachsen meldet 369 Neuinfektionen
Für Niedersachsen hat das Landesgesundheitsamt heute 369 labordiagnostisch bestätigte Neuinfektionen innerhalb von 24 Stunden gemeldet. Zu Beginn der Woche liegen die Werte üblicherweise niedriger, weil es über das Wochenende zu Melde-Verzögerungen aus den Landkreisen kommt. Im Zusammenhang mit Corona sind acht weitere Menschen verstorben. Die Gesamtzahl der Todesopfer steigt damit landesweit auf 2.347. Die Sieben-Tage-Inzidenz liegt in Niedersachsen aktuell bei 121,1 Fällen je 100.000 Menschen.
273 Neuinfektionen in Hamburg bestätigt
Nach Angaben der Hamburger Sozialbehörde sind heute 273 neue Corona-Fälle registriert worden. Das sind 141 mehr als vor einer Woche und 62 mehr als am Sonntag. Die Zahl neuer Ansteckungen pro 100.000 Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner in den zurückliegenden sieben Tagen liegt in Hamburg nun bei 162,3. Vor einer Woche hatte die Sieben-Tage-Inzidenz noch bei 126,1 gelegen.
SH: "Keine Gefährdung der Abschluss-Klassen durch Unterricht"
Das schleswig-holsteinische Bildungsministerium hat den Vorwurf der Lehrer-Gewerkschaft GEW zurückgewiesen, unverantwortliche Corona-Infektionsrisiken durch den Präsenzunterricht in den Abschluss-Klassen einzugehen. Es solle in Kleingruppen unterrichtet werden, stellte ein Ministeriumssprecher klar. "Und dabei gelten natürlich die Hygiene-Regeln, die Maskenpflicht und das regelmäßige Lüften. Mehr frische Luft finden Sie in keinem Büro in Deutschland."
Die GEW hatte Bildungsministerin Karin Prien (CDU) vorgehalten, die Schulen "wieder einmal in Aufruhr" zu versetzen. Trotz des verschärften Lockdowns zur Corona-Bekämpfung würden Hunderte Schüler der Abschluss-Jahrgänge in die Schulen strömen.
Sollen Olympia-Sportler beim Impfen bevorzugt werden?
Ein halbes Jahr vor dem geplanten Beginn der Olympischen Spiele in Tokio hat IOC-Mitglied Richard Pound mit seiner Idee, Athletinnen und Athleten mit Priorität zu impfen, eine kontroverse Diskussion angeschoben. "Wir möchten uns nicht in irgendeiner Form vordrängen", beeilte sich Deutschlands oberster Sportfunktionär Alfons Hörmann zu sagen. Was wollen die Sportler?
Spahn: Moderna-Impfstoff kommt heute nach Deutschland
Der Corona-Impfstoff des US-Herstellers Moderna soll laut Bundesgesundheitsminister Jens Spahn noch heute an einen zentralen Punkt in Deutschland geliefert werden und am Dienstag an die Bundesländer gehen. Dann könnten die Impfzentren beginnen, auch dieses Präparat zu impfen, sagte der CDU-Politiker im Morgenmagazin von ARD und ZDF. Es werde aber keine Wahlmöglichkeit geben, ob man diesen Impfstoff oder jenen von Biontech/ Pfizer bekommen wolle. Dafür sei die Menge zu gering.
Heil: Arbeitgeber sollen Homeoffice ermöglichen
Das Thema Homeoffice bleibt in Zeiten hoher Infektionszahlen ein aktuelles Thema. Bundesarbeitsminister Hubertus Heil (SPD) hat am Morgen auf NDR Info gesagt, dass es die "klare Erwartungshaltung" des Bundes sei, dass die Arbeitgeber Homeoffice für die Beschäftigten ermöglichen, "wo immer es geht". Wo es betrieblich nicht möglich ist, müssten sich alle umso mehr an die Corona-Schutzregeln halten.
Niedersachsen: Ausnahme für Kleinkinder bei Kontakt-Regeln
Für alle, die es am Wochenende noch nicht mitbekommen haben: In Niedersachsen sind Kinder bis drei Jahre bei den Corona-Kontaktbeschränkungen nun doch ausgenommen. Das heißt zum Beispiel: Eine Mutter oder ein Vater mit Baby oder Kleinkind darf die Großeltern besuchen oder mit einer anderen Mutter oder einem Vater mit Baby spazieren gehen.
Die Treffen mit Kleinkindern sollen zunächst über den Wortlaut der am Sonntag in Kraft getretenen Verordnung hinaus geduldet werden. Mit der nächsten Änderung ist auch eine ausdrückliche Regelung vorgesehen. Mögliche Konstellationen, die jetzt erlaubt sind, und weitere Informationen finden sich auf der Corona-Website des Landes.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: Hilfspauschale für Einzelhändler geplant
Die Unternehmen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern sind vor dem Hintergrund der Corona-Krise weiterhin enormen Problemen ausgesetzt. Jetzt ist eine Hilfspauschale für Einzelhändler in Planung. "Wir wollen eine einmalige Pauschale ausreichen, die beispielsweise für Werbung und Verkaufsförder-Aktionen, aber auch für den Aufbau eines Internet-Auftritts oder Online-Shops genutzt werden kann", sagte Wirtschaftsminister Harry Glawe (CDU). Hintergrund sei, dass der Einzelhandel auf Saisonware sitzen zu bleiben drohe.
Hamburg: UKE muss Impf-Termine für Beschäftigte absagen
Das Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) stoppt vorübergehend das Impfen von Beschäftigten. Auch die bereits zugesagten Termine für heute wurden nach Informationen von NDR 90,3 kurzfristig abgesagt. Grund ist nach Angaben des Klinikums, dass es keine neue Lieferung mit Corona-Impfstoff bekommt. Das UKE ist sauer auf die Sozialbehörde. "Wir haben kein Verständnis dafür, dass der bereits fest zugesagte neue Impfstoff kurzfristig doch nicht geliefert wird".
Die Sozialbehörde weist die Vorwürfe zurück: Die Hamburger Krankenhäuser erhalten weiterhin pro Woche zwischen 1.000 und 3.000 Impfstoff-Dosen. Mehr sei auch nicht zugesagt worden.
Grafschaft Bentheim zieht Bilanz zu Ausgangsbeschränkungen
Der erste Landkreis mit einer nächtlichen Ausgangsbeschränkung in Niedersachsen - die Grafschaft Bentheim - will heute nach knapp drei Wochen Bilanz ziehen. Die Kreisverwaltung will auch bekannt geben, ob die Maßnahme verlängert wird. Nach ursprünglichen Plänen gilt sie bis morgen. Der Kreis hatte die Beschränkung am 23. Dezember eingeführt, als 216,5 Neuinfektionen pro 100.000 Einwohner innerhalb einer Woche verzeichnet wurden. Einwohner dürfen Häuser und Grundstücke im Kreisgebiet zwischen 21 Uhr abends und 5 Uhr am nächsten Morgen seitdem nur noch aus beruflichen oder medizinischen Gründen verlassen. Wie die Polizei zwischenzeitlich mitteilte, respektierte die Bevölkerung zwar weitgehend die verschärften Regeln, immer wieder stellten die Beamten aber auch Verstöße fest.
Kanzleramt kritisiert Niedersachsen wegen Schulöffnung
Das Bundeskanzleramt hält die Verschärfungen des Corona-Lockdowns in einigen Bundesländern nicht für ausreichend. Wie die "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung" ("HAZ") berichtet, wird vor allem Niedersachsen für die geplante teilweise Öffnung der Schulen kritisiert. Abitur- und Abschlussklassen sind bereits ab heute wieder im Wechselmodell in den Schulen, in den Grund- und Förderschulen soll ab dem 18. Januar im Wechselmodell teilweise wieder Präsenzunterricht ermöglicht werden. "Die vorzeitige Schulöffnung ist sehr eindeutig gegen den Geist der Beschlüsse von Bund und Ländern", sagte der Staatsminister im Kanzleramt, Hendrik Hoppenstedt, der "HAZ". "Die Schule ist ein normaler Infektionsort. Es gibt keine Erkenntnisse, dass es in den Schulen besser ist als im Rest der Gesellschaft."
Die Landesregierung in Hannover weist die Kritik zurück: "Die Kritik von Herrn Hoppenstedt ist nicht korrekt: Das Vorgehen in Niedersachsen bewegt sich selbstverständlich innerhalb des zwischen Bund und Ländern vereinbarten Rahmes", sagte Regierungssprecherin Anke Pörksen. Für die große Mehrheit der Schülerinnen und Schüler bleibe es bis zum Halbjahres-Ende bei einem digitalen Unterricht.
RKI meldet 12.497 neue Corona-Fälle bundesweit
Die Gesundheitsämter in Deutschland haben dem Robert Koch-Institut (RKI) 12.497 Corona-Neuinfektionen binnen eines Tages gemeldet. Außerdem wurden 343 neue Todesfälle innerhalb von 24 Stunden verzeichnet. Das gab das RKI heute früh bekannt. Der Höchststand von 1.188 neuen Todesfällen an einem Tag war am vergangenen Freitag erreicht worden. An Montagen sind die erfassten Fallzahlen jedoch meist niedriger, unter anderem weil am Wochenende weniger getestet wird. Die Zahl der binnen sieben Tagen an die Gesundheitsämter gemeldeten Neuinfektionen pro 100.000 Einwohner (Sieben-Tage-Inzidenz) liegt aktuell den Angaben zufolge bundesweit bei 166,6. Die Unterschiede zwischen den Bundesländern sind jedoch enorm: Die höchsten Inzidenzen haben demnach Sachsen mit 359,8 und Thüringen mit 316,2, den niedrigsten Wert das Bundesland Bremen mit 90,9. Der bundesweite Sieben-Tage-R-Wert lag laut aktuellstem RKI-Bericht am Sonntag bei 1,18 (Vortag: 1,17). Das bedeutet, dass 100 Infizierte rechnerisch 118 weitere Menschen anstecken. Der Wert bildet jeweils das Infektionsgeschehen vor 8 bis 16 Tagen ab. Erst wenn er für längere Zeit unter 1 liegt, flaut das Infektionsgeschehen ab.
Härterer Lockdown tritt in Schleswig-Holstein in Kraft
In Schleswig-Holstein dürfen sich von heute an die Angehörigen eines Hausstandes nur noch mit einer weiteren Person treffen. Mit dieser Kontaktverschärfung zur Eindämmung der Corona-Pandemie wird nun auch im nördlichsten Bundesland eine Vereinbarung zwischen Bund und Ländern umgesetzt. Ausnahmen gelten für die Betreuung von Kindern und die Pflege von Familienangehörigen. Zudem können in Corona-Hotspots Verbote erlassen werden, um den Bewegungsradius der Einwohner auf 15 Kilometer zu beschränken. Alle Neuerungen im Überblick:
Nur jeder Zweite will sich derzeit impfen lassen
Rund 54 Prozent der Menschen in Deutschland sind derzeit laut einer Umfrage bereit, sich gegen das Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 impfen zu lassen. Auch im Müritz-Klinikum Waren hat sich bislang erst rund die Hälfte des medizinischen Personals impfen lassen. Die Geschwindigkeit, mit der die Impfstoffe entwickelt wurden, lässt viele zweifeln.
Schulbeginn in Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein und MV
Nach den verlängerten Weihnachtsferien beginnt in Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein und Mecklenburg-Vorpommern heute wieder der Unterricht. Der Großteil der Schülerinnen und Schüler bleibt dabei bis mindestens Monatsende im Distanzunterricht, die Länder haben jedoch Ausnahmen definiert, etwa für die Abschlussklassen. In Hamburg läuft die Schule bereits seit vergangener Woche wieder, aber auch dort ist die Präsenzpflicht derzeit aufgehoben.
144 Corona-Neuinfektionen in Schleswig-Holstein bestätigt
In Schleswig-Holstein sind binnen 24 Stunden 144 neue Corona-Fälle registriert worden. Der Sieben-Tage-Inzidenzwert sank leicht auf nun 99,7. Das geht aus Daten des Gesundheitsministeriums hervor. Die Zahl der Menschen, die mit oder an Corona gestorben sind, stieg um neun auf 554. Bei der Interpretation der Daten gilt zu beachten, dass die erfassten Fallzahlen an Wochenenden oft niedriger sind, weil dann unter anderem weniger getestet wird. 364 Corona-Patienten sind den Angaben zufolge derzeit in Schleswig-Holstein in Krankenhäusern. Hier gab es keine Veränderung zum Vortag. 66 von ihnen werden intensivmedizinisch betreut - 44 mit Beatmung. Bislang gab es während der Pandemie in Schleswig-Holstein 28.611 bestätigte Corona-Infektionen.
NDR.de-Ticker am Montag startet
Auch am heutigen Montag, 11. Januar 2021, hält das Team von NDR.de Sie über die Auswirkungen der Corona-Pandemie in Norddeutschland auf dem Laufenden. Im Live-Ticker finden Sie alle wichtigen Nachrichten, außerdem Inhalte aus den NDR Hörfunk- und Fernsehsendungen.
Am Sonntag wurden im Norden insgesamt 2.527 Neuinfektionen gemeldet: in Niedersachsen 1.748, in Schleswig-Holstein 424, in Hamburg 211, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 90 und im Bundesland Bremen 54. Bundesweit wurden 16.946 neue Corona-Fälle und 465 weitere Todesfälle bestätigt.
| 2021-01-11T14:27:27.724000Z | true |
運勢（１３日・赤口）
|
Tokyo Shimbun
|
https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/79544/
|
[
"東京新聞 TOKYO Web"
] |
[] |
☆ね年 香りは暮雲に入って薫ずる。老人病人に親しき友来りて悦楽☆うし年 時運をみて龍が淵より現れる。売買に吉なり☆とら年 弱い人間ほど強がりを言いて人を馬鹿にする。恥じるべし☆う年 雪溶け始めて街路を歩むのが困難なり。客人少なく退屈なるかな☆たつ年 太陽がほのぼのと霧中より生ずる。商談に吉なり☆み年 春風に凧は上がるが糸の切れる意。縛られる事なし。悲観するな☆うま年 眼の美しき者は心も美しき。目に輝きを持ちて世を見つめるべし☆ひつじ年 坂を登り絶景が眼前に開く。努力して後に天恵を受ける☆さる年 ちょっと一服が良い結果を生む。努力だけで突き進むな☆とり年 一期一会。一生に一度の出会いを終生忘れるな☆いぬ年 天上に鶴鳴いて天下和順。吉運は巡るかな☆い年 墨筆鮮やかにて技をふるう象。順運はまた順運へと転ずる（松風庵主）
| 2021-01-12T21:58:36Z | true |
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Mongolia considers terminating, replacing plan to develop Oyu...
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134407/Mongolia-considers-terminating-replacing-plan-develop-Oyu-Tolgoi-copper-mine.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
Jan 11 (Reuters) - The Government of Mongolia is considering terminating and replacing the development and financial plan for the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in the country, Rio Tinto-controlled Turquoise Hill Resources said on Monday.
The government has advised Rio Tinto it is dissatisfied with the miner's plans to achieve production from the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in the country for development capital of $6.75 billion, Turquoise Hill Resources said.
Oyu Tolgoi is one of the world's largest-known copper and gold deposits, located in the South Gobi region of Mongolia. The Mongolian government holds a 34% stake in the project and Rio-controlled Turquoise Hill owns the rest.
(Reporting by Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru)
| 2021-01-11T13:14:58Z | true |
|
UK scammers tricking victims into paying for fake COVID vaccines
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Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134409/UK-scammers-tricking-victims-paying-fake-COVID-vaccines.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Scammers have been defrauding people by falsely offering them COVID vaccines in return for payment, with some victims receiving unidentified jabs, the Welsh health minister said on Monday, echoing warnings from police in other parts of Britain.
A mass vaccination programme is being run across the United Kingdom by the state-owned National Health Service (NHS), which provides all care including vaccines free of charge.
"There are a number of scams involving COVID, including a particularly nasty one in which people have been tricked into paying for a COVID vaccine and then jabbed in the arm," said Vaughan Gething, Minister for Health in Wales, at a briefing.
"I want to be clear, our NHS will never ask anyone to pay for a COVID vaccine. These are free. The NHS will never ask for your bank details and vaccines are not being delivered to your front door by people who have not been identified as NHS staff."
The minister's warning came after the National Crime Agency (NCA) last week urged the public to be vigilant, reporting that scammers were asking elderly and vulnerable people for payment in return for access to vaccines that were fake or non-existent.
"The current level of reported fraud in relation to the vaccine remains very low but is increasing," said Graeme Biggar, Director General of the National Economic Crime Centre at the NCA.
The City of London police reported on Friday that a scammer had obtained 160 pounds from a 92-year-old woman and had jabbed her in the arm with what she described as a "dart-like implement" after he turned up unannounced at her home.
Britain is in the grip of a devastating surge in infections which has pushed the total UK COVID-19 death toll above 81,000 and led to the imposition of national lockdowns in England and Scotland and tight restrictions in Wales and Northern Ireland. (Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; editing by William James)
| 2021-01-11T13:14:59Z | true |
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Gesuchter mutmaßlicher Waffenschieber in Spanien in Haft
|
Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR)
|
https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/hannover_weser-leinegebiet/Gesuchter-mutmasslicher-Waffenschieber-in-Spanien-in-Haft,aktuellhannover7550.html
|
[] |
[
"Barsinghausen",
"Staatsanwaltschaft Hannover",
"Waffenschieber",
"Rentner",
"Spanien",
"illegale Waffengeschäfte",
"Durchsuchung",
"Festnahme",
"Auslieferung",
"NDR"
] |
Ein Rentner aus Barsinghausen soll in Spanien in illegale Waffengeschäfte verwickelt sein und ist deshalb dort festgenommen worden. Die Staatsanwaltschaft Hannover hat nach Angaben eines Sprechers die Auslieferung des Mannes beantragt, wie NDR 1 Niedersachsen berichtet. Die Behörde wirft dem Beschuldigten vor, auch hier gegen das Waffengesetz verstoßen zu haben. 2019 hatten Ermittler das Grundstück des Rentners und seiner Frau in der Region Hannover durchsucht und dabei zahlreiche Schusswaffen und Waffenteile gefunden. Die Ehefrau sitzt in Untersuchungshaft. Gegen ihren Mann war das Verfahren vorübergehend eingestellt worden, weil die Beamten nicht wussten, wo er sich aufhält.
| 2021-01-11T13:12:52.887000Z | true |
|
Glühender Stahl ausgelaufen: Neun Verletzte bei Gießerei-Feuer in Krefeld
|
Bild
|
https://www.bild.de/regional/duesseldorf/duesseldorf-aktuell/gluehender-stahl-ausgelaufen-neun-verletzte-bei-giesserei-feuer-in-krefeld-74864010.bild.html
|
[
"Bild.de"
] |
[
"Krefeld",
"stahl",
"Unfälle",
"Feuerwehr",
"push-automatisch"
] |
Krefeld – Mehrere Tonnen ausgelaufener, glühender Stahl haben in einer Krefelder Gießerei zu einem Brand mit neun Verletzten geführt.
|
Krefeld – Mehrere Tonnen ausgelaufener, glühender Stahl haben in einer Krefelder Gießerei zu einem Brand mit neun Verletzten geführt.
Am Dienstagabend wurden Rettungskräfte zu dem Maschinen- und Anlagebauer gerufen, nachdem es dort zu einem Betriebsunfall gekommen war, wie die Feuerwehr mitteilte. Demnach waren 10 bis 15 Tonnen glühender Stahl beim Umgießen neben die entsprechende Form geflossen – durch die große Hitze kam es zu mehreren Bränden.
Zwei Mitarbeiter auf zwei Deckenkränen konnten sich schwer verletzt aufs Dach retten – dort wurden sie von der Feuerwehr in Sicherheit gebracht.
Fünf weitere Mitarbeiter erlitten ebenso leichte Verletzungen wie zwei Feuerwehrmänner.
Nach rund zwei Stunden war das Feuer gelöscht. Die Schadenshöhe war zunächst unklar.
| 2021-01-12T22:13:59.738000Z | true |
Rallying-Al-Attiyah wins eighth stage to rein in Dakar leader...
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134425/Rallying-Al-Attiyah-wins-eighth-stage-rein-Dakar-leader-Peterhansel.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
Jan 11 (Reuters) - Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah won the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia on Monday to claw back more than three minutes from leader Stephane Peterhansel in the car category.
The Toyota Hilux 4x4 driver, chasing his fourth Dakar title, dominated the 375km eighth stage from Sakaka to Neom with Frenchman Peterhansel third and his lead cut to four minutes and 50 seconds.
It was Al-Attiyah's fifth stage win of this year's event, including the prologue, and 40th of his career.
"It's difficult to say (about the chances of winning the event) because the buggies are more comfortable, better traction and big wheels, less punctures," he said, with four stages remaining.
"From the start until now, we have had eight flat tyres, so it´s not easy."
Peterhansel, a record 13 times winner of the Dakar with victories on two wheels and four, made some mistakes in his X-Raid Mini JCW buggy.
"We're still in the battle. It´s really complicated to do a full Dakar without a mistake," he said.
Spain's defending champion Carlos Sainz, Peterhansel's team mate, finished second and lies third overall, 38 minutes and 55 seconds off the lead.
In the motorcycle category, Chilean Jose Ignacio Cornejo extended his overnight lead with his first stage win of the 2021 event.
The Honda rider started the day with a one second lead over Australian Toby Price and ended it one minute and six seconds clear.
Price was second with defending champion Ricky Brabec of the United States third, moving up to sixth overall but 17 minutes and 42 seconds off the lead.
French Husqvarna rider Xavier De Soultrait, who led after Wednesday's fourth stage, crashed out of the rally and was flown to hospital in Tabuk for X-rays. Organisers said he remained conscious. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Ken Ferris)
| 2021-01-11T13:20:00Z | true |
|
DFB erlaubt in Dritter Liga wieder fünf Wechsel
|
Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR)
|
https://www.ndr.de/sport/DFB-erlaubt-in-Dritter-Liga-wieder-fuenf-Wechsel-,kurzmeldungsport116.html
|
[] |
[
"Kurzmeldungen Sport",
"Fußball",
"NDR",
"Norddeutscher Rundfunk",
"Norddeutschland",
"Radio",
"Fernsehen",
"TV"
] |
Ab dem Rückrundenstart der Dritten Liga sind wieder fünf Wechsel für jede Mannschaft pro Spiel erlaubt. Das Präsidium des Deutschen Fußball-Bundes (DFB) hat dem entsprechenden Antrag des Drittliga-Ausschusses zugestimmt. Die Regelung greift ab dem 22. Januar. Die Dritte Liga kehrt damit zu der Vorgehensweise zurück, die seit vergangenem Frühjahr als Folge der Corona-Pandemie durchgehend in der Bundesliga, der Zweiten Liga, dem DFB-Pokal und der Frauen-Bundesliga Anwendung findet. | 11.01.2020 14:09
| 2021-01-11T13:12:53.824000Z | true |
|
Not 'up to the job': Labour leader renews criticism of UK PM
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134427/Not-job-Labour-leader-renews-criticism-UK-PM.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - British Labour leader Keir Starmer criticised Boris Johnson on Monday for repeatedly failing to take quick decisions to fight the novel coronavirus and called on the prime minister to do more to relieve the financial burden on people.
With Britain suffering from one of the highest rates of COVID deaths in the world and struggling to reduce a spiralling increase in the number of cases, Starmer renewed his criticism of Johnson by saying he "simply isn't up to the job".
The British government has warned that hospitals could soon struggle to treat the rising number of cases if people do not follow the restrictions, a message Starmer also took up by calling on everyone "to come together".
"The indecision and delays of the prime minister cost lives and they cost people's jobs," Starmer said in a speech.
"The British people will forgive many things. They know the pandemic is difficult. But they also know serial incompetence when they see it - and they know when a prime minister simply isn't up to the job."
A spokesman for Johnson rejected the criticism, saying the prime minister had taken "quick and decisive" action.
Johnson has been castigated from all sides over the spread of coronavirus, with even some in his governing Conservative Party taking aim at his seeming reluctance to introduce tougher measures quickly to curb a surge in infections.
Starmer also said he wanted the government to protect more people's money as a new lockdown bites by stopping council tax rises, preventing any cut to welfare payments, extending a ban on evictions and by handing key workers a pay rise.
But he backed the government's vaccine programme, which ministers want to offer people in the four highest risk levels, including those over 70, the most clinically vulnerable and frontline health workers, the shots by Feb. 15.
"I hope they do. Let's hold them to that, and let's help them with that," Starmer said. "But then we must deliver even more and double that target in February." (Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Michael Holden)
| 2021-01-11T13:20:00Z | true |
|
Trömel wird Coach der Hamburg Huskies
|
Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR)
|
https://www.ndr.de/sport/Troemel-wird-Coach-der-Hamburg-Huskies-,kurzmeldungsport109.html
|
[] |
[
"Kurzmeldungen Sport",
"NDR",
"Norddeutscher Rundfunk",
"Norddeutschland",
"Radio",
"Fernsehen",
"TV"
] |
Football-Zweitligist Hamburg Huskies hat Lars Trömel als neuen Headcoach verpflichten können. Der frühere Defense Coordinator des GFL1-Teams Kiel Baltic Hurricanes galt nach dem Abschied von Kendral Ellison als Wunschkandidat für den Cheftrainer-Posten bei den Hanseaten, für die er bereits 2018 im Nachwuchsbereich tätig war. | 11.01.2021 11:39
| 2021-01-11T13:08:09.820000Z | true |
|
Somali PM reserves 30% of parliament seats for women in upcoming poll
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134429/Somali-PM-reserves-30-parliament-seats-women-upcoming-poll.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
By Mohammed Omer
GAROWE, Somalia, Jan 11 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - N early a third of Somalia's parliamentary seats will be reserved for female lawmakers in an election next month, the prime minister said, a measure long demanded by women's rights campaigners in the Horn of Africa nation.
While welcoming Saturday's announcement by Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, some women's groups cautioned that implementing the measure in time for the Feb. 8 poll would be challenging and depended on the commitment of clan leaders.
Somalia has been riven by civil war since 1991, and due to the fragile security situation, elections consist of clan delegates choosing members of parliament as opposed to a one-person, one-vote electoral system.
Roble made the quota pledge after talks with female lawmakers - who currently hold 24% of the 329 seats in Somalia's lower and upper houses of parliament, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
"Somalia Prime Minster his Excellency @MohamedHRoble assured that the Federal Government of #Somalia is committed to ensuring a 30% quota for women in both houses of Somali parliament for the upcoming elections ...," government spokesman Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu said on Twitter on Sunday.
Ensuring that clan leaders nominate enough women representatives will be vital to securing the full 30% quota, women's activists said.
"The seats are shared among clans ... we want assurances that we will reach our target of 30% women in the next parliament," said Suad Salah, co-founder of LeadNow, a grassroots movement aimed at increasing women's political voice.
Somalia has high rates of child marriage and gender violence, including rape and female genital mutilation (FGM). The United Nations says 45% of women are married before 18, while 98% have undergone FGM.
Women's rights groups say a stronger voice at the top would have a trickle-down effect, helping women at the grassroots level fight abuse, discrimination and inequality.
Ruqiya Muhiyadin, 38, who is aspiring to run as a candidate in the capital, Mogadishu, also expressed concern over whether the clan leaders would choose women candidates.
"Initially we doubted we would get our share in the next parliament. I appeal for our cultural leaders to consider the PM's latest pledge for women." (Reporting by Mohammed Omer; Writing by Nita Bhalla; Editing by Helen Popper. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org)
| 2021-01-11T13:20:01Z | true |
|
Students in Rome stage sit-in to demand schools be re-opened
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134431/Students-Rome-stage-sit-demand-schools-opened.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
ROME, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Dozens of students staged a sit-in protest outside their school in central Rome on Monday, urging the government to re-open the education sector across the country after most of its 20 regions extended closures to contain rising COVID-19 infections.
Italian schools reopened in mid-September after a six-month stop - the longest in Europe - but face-to-face lessons in high schools across the country were gradually suspended again a month later due to a new surge in cases.
"School is crucial. We are asking for a safe return to face-to-face activities," student Emanuele Santori said during a demonstration in Rome outside his Cavour school under the shadow of the Colosseum.
Fellow pupil Ilaria Rinattieri added: "It is true we are young, but it is also true we will be the next electoral voters, workers and the citizens of tomorrow."
Last week the government said high schools could restart at 50% capacity as of Jan. 11 but only 4 regions have re-opened. Most regional heads said it was too early and ordered that the return to classes be postponed by several weeks.
Italy's powerful regional heads can overturn the central government's orders on certain issues, including education.
"I have done everything I could do, the schools are ready to start but the regions have the ability to reopen them or not," Education Minister Lucia Azzolina told state broadcaster RAI. "Distance learning is not working any more."
Italy, the first Western country to be hit by COVID-19, has reported over 78,700 coronavirus-related fatalities since discovering the pandemic in February, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the sixth-highest in the world.
After the Christmas holidays, Italy returned to a three-tier system which allows for different measures to be applied to different regions according to infection levels.
"Linking schools reopening to the zones system or to the whim of regional governors makes every decision unstable," parents committee 'A Scuola!' (To School!) wrote in a letter to newspaper Corriere della Sera. "As parents, teachers and citizens, we are tired." (Reporting by Angelo Amante; Editing by Mike Collett-White)
| 2021-01-11T13:20:01Z | true |
|
Soccer-Spurs to play Fulham on Wednesday after Villa game called off
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134443/Soccer-Spurs-play-Fulham-Wednesday-Villa-game-called-off.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League match at Aston Villa on Wednesday has been postponed due to a number of COVID-19 cases at the Midlands club, with Spurs now set to play London rivals Fulham on that date instead, the league said on Monday.
A COVID-19 outbreak at Fulham last month led to their scheduled game against Spurs being called off.
Tottenham were due to travel to Villa Park on Wednesday but the hosts asked the league to rearrange the fixture due to a number of players and staff either testing positive for COVID-19 or being placed in isolation.
"Aston Villa's match against Tottenham Hotspur... has been rescheduled following a decision by the Premier League Board," the league said in a statement https://www.premierleague.com/news/1970065, adding that the revised date for the game will be decided later.
Fulham were also initially due to play local rivals Chelsea at Craven Cottage on Friday bit will now play them on Saturday.
Everton's match at Villa has also been rescheduled from Saturday to Sunday. (Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Jon Boyle and Ken Ferris)
| 2021-01-11T13:24:57Z | true |
|
Oman to get its first crown prince in constitutional overhaul
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134445/Oman-crown-prince-constitutional-overhaul.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
DUBAI, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Oman's sultan announced on Monday a constitutional shakeup that includes the appointment of a crown prince for the first time and new rules on how parliament will work, state media said.
A new basic law issued by Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said also emphasises the role of the state in guaranteeing more rights and freedoms for citizens - including equality between men and women, state news agency ONA said.
Sultan Haitham came to power a year ago after the death of his predecessor Sultan Qaboos. Qaboos did not have a crown prince and named his preferred successor in a sealed envelope to be opened after his death should the royal family disagree on the succession line. The family went with his choice.
The basic law sets out mechanisms for the appointment of a crown prince and his duties. The report did not say who would become the new crown prince or provide other details.
It also sets the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary as the basis for governance in the Gulf Arab state, a small oil producer and a regional U.S. ally.
A separate decree created a new law for the parliament - the bicameral Council of Oman. The published text says changes to conditions of membership and the council's terms of reference have been made, but no further details were given.
Oman, which saw Arab Spring-like protests in 2011 over unemployment, corruption and political reform, does not tolerate political parties or other forms of political representation.
Sultan Haitham has shaken up the government and state entities and moved to enact long-awaited fiscal reform since taking power, appointing finance and foreign affairs ministers and a central bank chairman -- portfolios held by the late sultan.
Oman's finances have been battered by low oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic. Rated sub-investment grade by all major credit rating agencies, it faces a widening deficit and large debt maturities in the next few years.
The new basic law creates a committee under the sultan to evaluate the performance of ministers and other officials, and provisions to support the state's financial and administrative oversight body.
Sultan Haitham in October approved a medium-term fiscal plan to make government finances sustainable. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington and Ghaida Ghantous Editing by Gareth Jones, William Maclean)
| 2021-01-11T13:24:57Z | true |
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REUTERS NEXT-Angola gets breathing space from Chinese creditors,...
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Daily Mail
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134447/REUTERS-NEXT-Angola-gets-breathing-space-Chinese-creditors-says-finance-minister.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
By Tom Arnold and Karin Strohecker
LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Angola has secured three years of payment relief from Chinese creditors and expects to get more than $700 million in its next tranche of International Monetary Fund financing in the coming days, its finance minister said on Monday.
Africa's second-largest oil exporter has been seeking payment relief as it strives to overcome the hit from the coronavirus pandemic, heavy debt service requirements and volatility in the oil sector.
Angola owes more than $20 billion to a number of Chinese entities, including $14.5 billion to the China Development Bank and nearly $5 billion to the Export-Import Bank of China. It has also borrowed from China's largest lender, ICBC, according to analysts' calculations.
"We've got three years of breathing space and we will take the best advantage of that," Vera Daves de Sousa said in an interview for the Reuters Next conference.
Angola had been transparent with the IMF on its negotiations with the Chinese, she said.
The IMF's executive board will meet on Monday to decide on the latest review of Angola's programme with the Fund. Angola has so far received about $2.5 billion from the IMF as part of its largest funding programme in sub-Saharan Africa.
"We are expecting more than $700 million," Daves de Sousa said. It forms part of a $3.7 billion programme under the IMF's Extended Fund Facility approved in December 2018.
ATTRACTING INVESTMENT
In the future, she said Angola wanted to continue its relationship with China and all its "partners", but with a priority on attracting foreign direct investment.
"We want to do more with China and all our partners but to see some money coming in and staying to create value, create jobs. What we are intending to do is shift a little bit, rebuild our relationship with our partners," said Daves de Sousa.
The country is also part of the G20 group's Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), which since April has helped 46 countries defer $5.7 billion in 2020 debt-service payments.
That initiative was recently extended until the end of June.
"Of course, we need to do more," Daves de Sousa said. "The countries need to do their own homework to look at the debt stock and how to optimise it, reprofile it and attract fresh capital."
Angola has also been seeking to recover state funds lost because of corruption.
Scrutiny has increased since the authorities seized the domestic assets of Isabel dos Santos, daughter of former President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, accusing the billionaire and her husband of steering payments of more than $1 billion from state oil company Sonangol and official diamond trading group Sodiam to companies in which they held stakes. Dos Santos has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
The proceeds from the anti-corruption drive would be channelled into the central bank, Daves de Sousa said.
Central bank reserves have been under pressure because of the pandemic's impact and oil price volatility.
"That's a tricky question as the oil sector is 30% of GDP, 60% of fiscal revenues, 90% of exports," she said when asked about the outlook for foreign exchange reserves.
"We are working to change that but the key indicator is still coming from the oil sector."
For more coverage from the Reuters Next conference please click here or www.reuters.com/business/reuters-next To watch Reuters Next live, visit https://www.reutersevents.com/events/next/register.php (Reporting by Tom Arnold; editing by Marc Jones and Alex Richardson)
| 2021-01-11T13:24:58Z | true |
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Democrats in Congress to begin drive to force Trump from office...
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Daily Mail
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134475/Democrats-Congress-begin-drive-force-Trump-office-Capitol-violence.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
By Andy Sullivan and Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats begin their drive to force President Donald Trump from office this week, with a House vote on articles of impeachment expected as early as Wednesday that could make him the only president in U.S. history to be impeached twice.
"It is important that we act, and it is important that we act in a very serious and deliberative manner," Representative Jim McGovern, chairman of the Rules Committee, told CNN on Monday. "We expect this up on the floor on Wednesday. And I expect that it will pass."
Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol last week, scattering lawmakers who were certifying Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's election victory, in a harrowing assault on the center of American democracy that left five dead.
The violence came after Trump urged supporters to march on the Capitol at a rally where he repeated false claims that his resounding election defeat was illegitimate. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, many of her fellow Democrats and a handful of Republicans say Trump should not be trusted to serve out his term, which ends on Jan. 20.
"In protecting our Constitution and our Democracy, we will act with urgency, because this President represents an imminent threat to both," Pelosi wrote to fellow House Democrats on Sunday.
Dozens of people who attacked police officers, stole computers and smashed windows at the Capitol have been arrested for their role in the violence, and officials have opened 25 domestic terrorism investigations.
Trump acknowledged that a new administration would take office on Jan. 20 in a video statement after the attack but has not appeared in public. Twitter and Facebook have suspended his accounts, citing the risk of him inciting violence.
When the House convenes at 11 a.m. (1600 GMT) on Monday, lawmakers will bring up a resolution asking Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the never-used 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which allows the vice president and the Cabinet to remove a president deemed unfit to do the job. A recorded vote is expected on Tuesday.
McGovern said he expected Republican lawmakers to object to the request to invoke the Constitution's 25th Amendment to remove Trump. In that case, he said, his committee will provide a rule to bring that legislation to the House for a vote and, 24 hours later, the committee will then bring another resolution to deal with impeachment.
"What this president did is unconscionable, and he needs to be held to account," McGovern said.
Pence was in the Capitol along with his family when Trump's supporters attacked, and he and Trump are currently not on speaking terms. But Republicans have shown little interest in invoking the 25th Amendment. Pence's office did not respond to questions about the issue. A source said last week he was opposed to the idea.
POSSIBLE INSURRECTION CHARGE
If Pence does not act, Pelosi said the House could vote to impeach Trump on a single charge of insurrection. Aides to House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who voted against recognizing Biden's victory, did not respond to a request for comment.
House Democrats impeached Trump in December 2019 for pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden, but the Republican-controlled Senate voted not to convict him.
Democrats' latest effort to force Trump out also faces long odds of success without bipartisan support. Only four Republican lawmakers have so far said publicly that Trump should not serve out the remaining nine days in his term.
The lawmakers who drafted the impeachment charge say they have locked in the support of at least 200 of the chamber's 222 Democrats, indicating strong odds of passage. Biden has so far not weighed in on impeachment, saying it is a matter for Congress.
Even if the House impeaches Trump for a second time, the Senate would not take up the charges until Jan. 19 at the earliest, Trump's last full day in office.
An impeachment trial would tie up the Senate during Biden's first weeks in office, preventing the new president from installing Cabinet secretaries and acting on priorities like coronavirus relief.
Representative Jim Clyburn, the No. 3 House Democrat, suggested his chamber could avoid that problem by waiting several months to send the impeachment charge over to the Senate.
Trump would be long gone by then, but a conviction could lead to him being barred from running for president again in 2024.
The votes also would force Trump's Republicans to again defend his behavior.
Several prominent U.S. corporations, including Marriott International Inc and JPMorgan Chase & Co, have said they will suspend donations to the nearly 150 Republicans who voted against certifying Biden's victory, and more are considering that step.
Washington remains on high alert ahead of Biden's inauguration. The event traditionally draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city, but has been scaled back dramatically because of the raging COVID-19 pandemic.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who will become majority leader after Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are inaugurated and the two new Democratic senators from Georgia are seated, said on Sunday that the threat from violent extremist groups remained high.
(Reporting by Andy Sullivan and Patricia Zengerle; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu, Susan Cornwell, Steve Holland and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Scott Malone, Peter Cooney and Chizu Nomiyama)
| 2021-01-11T13:34:59Z | true |
|
Corona: Schulen bleiben geschlossen - »Alles ein großes Chaos« - DER SPIEGEL - Panorama
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Spiegel Online
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https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/bildung/corona-schulen-bleiben-geschlossen-alles-ein-grosses-chaos-a-5840533e-7fc6-471a-b98c-e2eb95ef7b55
|
[
"Kristin Haug"
] |
[
"Panorama",
"Bildung",
"Schulen",
"Coronavirus",
"COVID-19",
"Abitur",
"Kindheit und Jugend"
] |
Server brechen zusammen, Unterricht fällt aus, die Abschlussprüfungen nahen: Dario Schramm, Generalsekretär der Bundesschülerschaft, spricht im Interview über frustrierte Abiturienten und Forderungen an die Politik.
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Server brechen zusammen, Unterricht fällt aus, die Abschlussprüfungen nahen: Dario Schramm, Generalsekretär der Bundesschülerschaft, spricht im Interview über frustrierte Abiturienten und Forderungen an die Politik.
SPIEGEL: Herr Schramm, was halten Sie vom Distanzunterricht?
Dario Schramm: Ich weigere mich, das als Unterricht zu bezeichnen. Da werden doch eigentlich nur Materialien herausgegeben. Oft ist Distanzunterricht schon technisch unmöglich, Lernplattformen brechen immer wieder zusammen, weil zu viele Schülerinnen und Schüler gleichzeitig damit arbeiten wollen. Mir schreiben Schüler, die morgens um 6 Uhr aufstehen, weil sie hoffen, auf den Server zugreifen zu können. Selbst um diese Uhrzeit funktioniert das nicht immer. Ich bekomme dann Screenshots mit dem Satz: »Hier ist leider etwas schiefgelaufen.«
SPIEGEL: Warum gibt es solche Probleme immer noch?
Schramm: Wir sind Weltmeister darin, Probleme zu erkennen, aber ganz schlecht darin, sie zu lösen. Ob es Cloud-Systeme sind oder die Art und Weise, wie man lüftet. All das war abzusehen. Aber es wurde sich nicht darum gekümmert. Und jetzt spüren wir die Konsequenzen.
SPIEGEL: Haben Sie eine Erklärung dafür, warum die Ministerien nicht so weit vorausgedacht haben?
Schramm: Den Kultusministerinnen und -ministern fehlt der Mut. Sie denken nur an die nächste Woche, nicht aber an den nächsten Monat.
SPIEGEL: Wie groß ist denn der Frust unter den Schülerinnen?
Schramm: Der Frust ist riesig. Seit Beginn der Pandemie bekommen wir täglich Nachrichten von frustrierten Schülern. Eine Abiturientin etwa hatte große Angst, sich während der Prüfungen anzustecken und ihre herzkranke Mutter zu infizieren. Sie hat ihr Abi geschafft, aber für sie war es ein riesiger Kraftakt. Nach den Sommerferien merkten viele Schüler, dass kaum Vorbereitungen für die zweite Welle getroffen worden sind. Es gab keine klaren Konzepte und das zieht sich bis jetzt durch.
SPIEGEL: Wie können Sie sich das erklären?
Schramm: Der Föderalismus wird oft als Erklärung hergenommen. Aber selbst wir in der Bundesschülerkonferenz finden Lösungen für Probleme, zu denen es viele Meinungen gibt.
SPIEGEL: Haben Sie da ein Beispiel?
Schramm: Wir haben gemeinsame Forderungen gestellt, wie sich der Unterrichtsausfall ausgleichen lässt. Natürlich gab es Vertreter einiger Länder, die gesagt haben, das birgt die Gefahr, dass die Schüler etwas geschenkt bekommen. Aber am Ende waren sich alle einig: Wir brauchen den Ausgleich.
SPIEGEL: Und wie soll der aussehen?
Schramm: Das können wir so per se gar nicht sagen. Es muss individuell geschaut werden, wo Nachteile entstanden sind. Da muss entweder Lehrstoff gekürzt oder Noten müssen angepasst werden. Ich glaube, wir werden dieses Jahr nicht den perfekten fairen Abschluss gewährleisten können, weil die Differenzen zu groß sind. Es hängt viel davon ab, wie sich jemand auf die Prüfungen vorbereiten kann, aus welchem Elternhaus er kommt. Das kann man nicht alles ausgleichen. Es geht jetzt darum, diese Schere so klein wie möglich zu halten.
SPIEGEL: Wie sind Abschlussprüfungen in diesem Jahr überhaupt denkbar – bei dem ganzen Unterrichtsausfall?
Schramm: Die Ministerien müssen die Schulen unbedingt in diese Entscheidung miteinbeziehen. Es muss individuell ausgelotet werden, wo es Probleme gab und wie man den Schulen mehr Spielraum bei den Prüfungen geben kann. Am Ende sind sie es ja, die am besten einschätzen können, welcher Lehrstoff geschafft wurde und welcher eben nicht.
SPIEGEL: Nun wird der Shutdown verlängert und damit auch der Distanzunterricht. Wie effektiv kann der sein?
Schramm: Das ist fatal! Die Schülerinnen und Schüler sind ja komplett zu Hause. Alles hängt davon ab, wie gut jemand dort ausgestattet ist. Derjenige, der sein eigenes Zimmer, seinen eigenen Computer und schnelles Internet hat, so wie ich, hat es zwar auch nicht leicht. Aber das ist Jammern auf hohem Niveau im Vergleich zu demjenigen, der sich ein Zimmer teilen muss, kein Internet und keinen eigenen Laptop hat. Es gibt Schüler, die sind technisch gar nicht in der Lage dazu, auf Server zuzugreifen.
SPIEGEL: Es gibt Stimmen, die fordern, das Schuljahr auf eineinhalb Jahre zu verlängern. Wie sinnvoll ist das?
Schramm: Das halte ich für nicht zielführend. Das Virus wird doch auch noch im Sommer allgegenwärtig sein. Wenn wir die Prüfungen verschieben, verschieben wir das Problem. Es ist auch aus organisatorischen Gründen nicht nachvollziehbar: Die Schüler aus den Grundschulen rücken ja nach. Da gibt es auch durch den Lehrermangel schlichtweg überhaupt keine Kapazitäten, diese Schüler weiter zu unterrichten.
SPIEGEL: Wie könnte man die Abschlussprüfungen in diesem Jahr noch retten?
Schramm: Wenn wir über die Prüfungen reden, braucht es jetzt klare Ansagen für alle Prüflinge. Sie müssen wissen, wie sie sich auf ihren Abschluss vorbereiten sollen.
SPIEGEL: Eine klare Ansage im Hinblick auf den Lehrstoff oder auf das Distanzlernen?
Schramm: Wenn wir über Distanzlernen reden, brauchen die Schulen auf jeden Fall ein Konzept. Bisher hieß es immer: »Schulen, wir haben einen hohen Inzidenzwert und gehen in das Distanzlernen. Macht mal!« Natürlich haben die Schulen und Regionen eine gewisse Handhabe, aber Bund und Länder müssen ihnen ganz klar einen Leitfaden an die Hand geben. Jetzt ist alles nur ein großes Chaos.
SPIEGEL: Sollte der Lehrstoff ausgedünnt werden, damit den Schülerinnen und Schülern ermöglicht wird, ihren Abschluss zu schaffen?
Schramm: Anders ist es nicht realisierbar.
SPIEGEL: Machen Sie dieses Jahr Abitur?
Schramm: Ja, ich habe den vollen Jackpot. Ich schreibe Ende März und Anfang April Sozialwissenschaften und Englisch, Bio und Deutsch. Aber mit dem Vor-Abi geht es schon Anfang März los.
SPIEGEL: Wie gut fühlen Sie sich vorbereitet?
Schramm: Ich möchte meinen Lehrern ungern den schwarzen Peter zuschieben. An meiner Schule hatte ich den Eindruck, dass jede Lehrkraft ihr Bestes gegeben hat. Aber bei immer weniger Unterricht kann selbst der beste Lehrer keine ordentliche Vorbereitung gewährleisten.
| 2021-01-06T09:07:00Z | true |
REUTERS NEXT-Pandemic sharpens sustainability focus in plastics and...
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Daily Mail
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134489/REUTERS-NEXT-Pandemic-sharpens-sustainability-focus-plastics-aluminium.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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[
"Reuters"
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MELBOURNE, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The aluminium and plastics sectors have poved resilient during the coronavirus crisis but need to do more in the push towards so-called circular economies, two industry executives said at at a pre-recorded panel for the Reuters Next conference.
Markets such as the United States have seen average aluminium recycling rates actually fall, said Steve Fisher CEO of Novelis Inc, a unit of Hindalco Industries and the world's largest producer of recycled aluminium and flat rolled products, including for drinks cans.
Collecting the 45 billion cans per year that are not being recycled would save 5 million metric tonnes of green house gas emissions a year, or the equivalent of 1 million vehicles off the road, Fisher said.
In the automotive sector, production of the next generation of aluminium-intensive Ford F-150 trucks, to be launched this year, is driving a change in the supply chain with improved ability to separate out aluminium alloys and reduce waste.
"It´s going to take the industries as a whole to come together and ... design products for circular economies, and not just for linear economies that we have today. So there is a lot of work we have to do," Fisher said.
In plastics, tougher regulation since China shut its doors to Western waste in 2018 is driving improved collection and higher rates of recycled material per product, said Yash Loria, chief sustainability officer at Indorama Ventures.
The two companies have proved resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic, with demand bouncing back towards pre-pandemic levels for Novelis while Indorama's share price has climbed to an 18-month high, both helped by demand for drinks containers.
"In beverage cans, which make up 55% of our business roughly, we have seen steady ... if not an actual increase in consumption, because of the trends of individuals consuming more beverages at home," Fisher said.
The trend was the same for PET plastic producer Indorama.
"There was a big bump in PET sales when COVID-19 first hit Europe and the reason for that was everyone was stocking up at home with large bottles of water," he said.
"In the summer months that continues and we have seen PET sales continue to be strong."
More broadly, demand from all customer segments including auto has recovered from prepandemic levels, Fisher said, the only exception being aerospace.
COVID-19 has also presented opportunities to rethink business priorities, including flexible workplaces that Loria said have improved productivity at Indorama while also providing the opportunity to cut down on air travel.
For more coverage from the Reuters Next conference please click here or www.reuters.com/business/reuters-next
To watch Reuters Next live, visit https://www.reutersevents.com/events/next/register.php
(Reporting by Melanie Burton Editing by David Goodman)
| 2021-01-11T13:39:57Z | true |
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GameStop signs deal with investor, refreshes board to focus on...
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Daily Mail
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134491/GameStop-signs-deal-investor-refreshes-board-focus-e-commerce.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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[
"Reuters"
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[] |
Jan 11 (Reuters) - GameStop Corp signed an agreement with investor Ryan Cohen's RC Ventures LLC on Monday, appointing the Chewy.com founder and two other e-commerce veterans to its board as the ailing videogame retailer doubles down on digital sales.
Shares of GameStop, in which RC Ventures holds a 13% stake, were up 8% in premarket trading.
RC Ventures in November urged the world's largest videogame retailer, hit by growing digital downloads of console games and intense competition, to conduct a strategic review of its business and focus on digital sales.
Alan Attal and Jim Grube will be the other directors on GameStop's board, the company said.
(Reporting by Tiyashi Datta and Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
| 2021-01-11T13:44:57Z | true |
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KKR bets $200 mln on OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder's catalog
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Daily Mail
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134493/KKR-bets-200-mln-OneRepublic-frontman-Ryan-Tedders-catalog.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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[
"Reuters"
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Jan 11 (Reuters) - Private equity firm KKR & Co will buy a majority stake in Grammy award winning songwriter and producer Ryan Tedder and American pop rock band OneRepublic's music catalog that includes hits such as "Counting Stars" and "Apologize".
KKR, with investments in TikTok parent ByteDance and music company BGM, will also have publishing and recorded music rights to the catalog that has nearly 500 songs, including those co-written with popular acts such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney and U2. (https://bit.ly/2LGahmm)
The catalog is valued at nearly $200 million, a source with knowledge of the matter said. KKR declined to comment on the deal value.
Tedder's management and artist development companies will also take part in the equity transaction, KKR said on Monday.
Record label Interscope Records will continue to own the master recordings of OneRepublic, of which Tedder is the frontman.
KKR said it wants to expand the reach of Tedder's music, with its investment experience in digital, media and music businesses.
Tedder has also written songs with Stevie Wonder, Ed Sheeran, Cardi B and the Jonas Brothers.
Keller, Turner, Andrews & Ghanem represented Tedder and OneRepublic, while Latham & Watkins and FTI Consulting served as advisors to KKR on the transaction. (Reporting by Chavi Mehta and Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru and Chibuike Oguh in New York; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)
| 2021-01-11T13:44:58Z | true |
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Monte dei Paschi looking to open data room to potential...
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Daily Mail
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134495/Monte-dei-Paschi-looking-open-data-room-potential-partners-sources.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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[
"Reuters"
] |
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ROME/MILAN, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Monte dei Paschi di Siena is looking to grant access to confidential data to potential merger partners as Italy's Treasury presses ahead with plans to cut its stake in the state-owned bank, three sources close to the matter said.
The board of the Tuscan bank meets on Monday and may already approve the opening of the data room then, the sources said.
Italy has hired advisers to cut its 64% stake in Monte dei Paschi and meet commitments taken with the European Union when it rescued the bank back in 2017.
Rome has identified UniCredit as the ideal merger partner for the Siena-based lender, sources have said. (Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte and Valentina Za)
| 2021-01-11T13:44:59Z | true |
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Queen's cousin Simon Bowes-Lyon face jails over sex assault at castle
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Daily Mail
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9140231/Queens-cousin-Simon-Bowes-Lyon-face-jails-sex-assault-royal-castle.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490
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[
"Gordon Currie"
] |
[] |
The Queen’s cousin faces prison for a violent sex attack on a guest at his ancestral home.
Simon Bowes-Lyon barged his way into the woman’s bedroom while she was sleeping during an event he was hosting at Glamis Castle – the childhood home of the Queen Mother.
He repeatedly grabbed his victim and told her he wanted to have an affair with her during the drink-fuelled assault, which lasted more than 20 minutes.
He is said to have tried to pull up her nightdress, and pushed her up against a wall and groped her.
When she rejected his advances, he is said to have called her a ‘rude, mean, bad and horrible person’ and told her she could not tell him what to do in his own home.
She eventually managed to get him out of the room and sent messages asking other guests for help, only for him to return and try to get into the room again.
Bowes-Lyon, 34, who is the Queen’s cousin twice removed, admitted a charge of sexually assaulting the woman at Dundee Crown Court yesterday.
He faces up to five years in jail for the offence. The aristocrat was granted bail yesterday and placed on the sex offenders register as his sentence was deferred for reports.
Sheriff Alistair Carmichael also ordered that Glamis Castle should be assessed for its suitability for a tagging order.
The charge stated that he repeatedly pushed his victim on to a bed, tried to pull up her nightdress, pushed her against a wall, and tried to kiss her and touch her during the event at the 16,500-acre estate last year.
The young woman managed to fend off his advances until he eventually left her room, located in his private wing of the castle in eastern Scotland.
Bowes-Lyon – who as a 15-year-old walked behind Prince William in the Queen Mother’s funeral cortege – issued an apology to his victim as he left court, adding that he is ‘greatly ashamed’ of his conduct and that ‘alcohol is no excuse’.
The court was told the incident happened as Glamis Castle hosted several people for a luxury weekend.
On the first night, the victim noticed nobody was talking to Bowes-Lyon, who is known as ‘Sam’, during dinner and she engaged him in conversation.
The following evening there was a black-tie dinner and, after the woman went to bed, Bowes-Lyon carried on drinking before arriving uninvited at her room at 1.20am.
Fiscal depute Lynne Mannion said: ‘She was asleep and was woken by knocking at the door.’
She said Bowes-Lyon, a great-great nephew of the Queen Mother, told the woman: ‘It’s Sam. It’s important. Please let me in.
‘She thought something was wrong so she got up. It was pitch black. The second she opened the door he pushed his way in and pushed her on to the bed.
‘He was very drunk and smelled of cigarettes. He told her he wanted to have an affair. He tried to pull her nightdress up.
‘She went into the en suite to get away but the accused followed her, stopped her closing the door, and lit a cigarette. She squeezed past and went back to the bedroom.’
Miss Mannion said Bowes-Lyon then pushed his victim up against a wall and groped her and grabbed her bottom.
She added: ‘She raised her voice in the hope that another guest would hear her. She panicked because she did not know the layout of the castle. She had no signal. He refused to leave. He got into bed and began pulling at her. She had to keep pushing him off.’
Bowes-Lyon called her ‘a rude, mean, bad and horrible person’ and told her she could not tell him what to do in his own home.
After more than 20 minutes she eventually managed to get him out of her room and sent a series of messages asking other guests for help.
Bowes-Lyon returned and tried to get into the room again, but the woman managed to get hold of another guest in another part of the castle and he came to help.
The man later reported that she was ‘distressed’ when he spoke to her and that Bowes-Lyon had fallen asleep when he went to confront him about the incident.
The woman fled the castle in the morning and flew home to immediately report the matter to police.
Bowes-Lyon emailed an apology to the woman and he offered another apology for his behaviour in court yesterday.
His barrister, John Scott QC, said: ‘He is truly sorry for what he accepts was shameful conduct.’
He said Bowes-Lyon had since been to counselling to try and understand his behaviour.
Speaking outside court yesterday, Bowes-Lyon said: ‘I am greatly ashamed of my actions which have caused such distress to a guest in my home.
‘Clearly I had drunk to excess on the night of the incident. As someone who is only too well aware of the damage that alcohol can cause, I should have known better. I recognise, in any event, that alcohol is no excuse for my behaviour.
'I did not think I was capable of behaving the way I did but have had to face up to it and take responsibility.’
Bowes-Lyon, known for his love of fast cars and holidays with reality TV stars, was named one of the UK’s most eligible bachelors by Tatler in 2019.
The 19th and 6th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, he was styled Lord Glamis until his father’s death in 2016.
Among his famous friends are Made In Chelsea TV stars Hugo Taylor and Oliver Proudlock, Bryan Ferry’s son Otis and model and socialite Poppy Delevingne.
| 2021-01-12T22:21:53Z | true |
|
Motor racing-McLaren signs option on 2022-23 Formula E entry
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134513/Motor-racing-McLaren-signs-option-2022-23-Formula-E-entry.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - McLaren Racing have signed an option to compete in the electric Formula E championship from 2022-23, the Formula One team announced on Monday. The British-based team will spend 2021 assessing the feasibility of joining the series for season nine, when a lighter and more powerful Gen3 car makes its debut with faster charging.
BMW, whose team are run by U.S.-based Andretti Motorsport, and Audi have both announced they are leaving the series at the end of this year.
Formula E, a recognised FIA-backed world championship, allows a maximum 12 entries.
McLaren Applied Technologies is the exclusive battery supplier of the series until 2022, with McLaren precluded from competing until that contract expires.
"We´ve been closely observing Formula E for some time and monitoring the series´ progress and future direction," said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown in a statement.
"The opportunity to take an option on an entry, together with the completion of the McLaren Applied supplier contract... gives us the necessary time to decide if Formula E is right for McLaren as a future competition platform."
Formula One is introducing a budget cap this year and some teams are looking at shedding staff by redeploying them to other areas.
"McLaren Racing securing an option to join the Formula E grid from Gen3 is testament to the ongoing impact of our sport," said series founder Alejandro Agag in a statement.
The seventh Formula E season is due to start in Saudi Arabia with night races on Feb. 26 and 27. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ken Ferris)
| 2021-01-11T13:54:58Z | true |
|
BioNTech lifts 2021 COVID-19 vaccine output target to 2 bln doses
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134515/BioNTech-lifts-2021-COVID-19-vaccine-output-target-2-bln-doses.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
By Ludwig Burger
FRANKFURT, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Pfizer's partner BioNTech boosted the 2021 delivery target for their COVID-19 vaccine to 2 billion doses, up from 1.3 billion previously, as they bring new production lines on stream and as more doses can be extracted per vial.
Special syringes known as low dead space syringes were instrumental in the increase, which would result in 1 billion people getting the designated two-dose regimen, BioNTech said in a presentation posted on Monday.
The syringes allow the extraction of six doses from a standard vial, instead of the usual five, by avoiding unused liquid left in a syringe.
"We now believe that we can potentially deliver approximately 2 billion doses in total by the end of 2021, which incorporates the updated six-dose label," BioNTech said.
A new site in Marburg, Germany, acquired from Novartis in September, would boost annual capacity by up to 750 million doses when it becomes operational by end-February, it added.
Additional capacity by contractors, who supply ingredients and fill the finished substance into vials, had also helped to lift the target.
The Biotech firm added on its slides that 32.9 million doses had been shipped as per Sunday.
A spokeswoman said that 50 million doses had been produced at the end of 2020, as previously planned, but that deliveries had been held until specific orders are placed to avoid excess storage time. (Additional reporting by Thomas Seythal and Patricia Weiss, editing by Louise Heavens Editing by Riham Alkousaa)
| 2021-01-11T13:54:59Z | true |
|
After an unrelenting year, stressed-out NHS staff deserve more than a clap
|
The Guardian
|
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/11/covid-unrelenting-year-stressed-out-nhs-staff-more-clap-pandemic
|
[
"Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett"
] |
[
"Coronavirus",
"Mental health",
"NHS",
"Health",
"Social care",
"UK news"
] |
Over the course of this pandemic, I have thought a lot about parallel lives. Back in the eerily quiet spring days of the first lockdown, it became apparent that healthcare workers were living a radically different existence from the rest of us. While many of us were safe in our homes, frightened but distanced from the grim realities of death at the hands of Covid-19, health and social care workers were out there in the thick of it. Try as we might, we could never fully understand what they had been through, and continue to go through, every day.
That feeling – that no one truly gets it – has only deepened with time. I started interviewing healthcare staff and the psychologists who have been treating them in March last year, and since then I have seen morale weaken dramatically. I cannot speak for everyone – the NHS is an enormous organisation made up of hundreds of thousands of people – but I feel that I can shed some light on how the ones I have spoken to are feeling. Strict communications rules, combined with a tendency in the medical profession to not want to admit you are struggling, mean that we are not seeing the full picture in terms of morale. On top of that, there’s the feeling that the public don’t want to hear about it. We want to believe that we are in safe hands; that the people who care for us are invulnerable.
At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a sense of everyone pulling together in an extraordinary set of circumstances. Though the weekly applause felt uncomfortable for some, many I spoke to at least felt supported by the public. There was energy there, particularly on the part of junior staff.
But in the intervening months, disillusionment has set in for many health workers, who were not given the respite that they needed after the first “phase” of the pandemic and were expected to do it all over again. Phrases such as “it is what it is” and “the new normal” reappeared, and while many healthcare staff have felt a passionate duty to the public, there’s a feeling of resigned anger, too. Anger at the government, and in some cases at the public, for not observing social distancing and taking too many risks. It is, after all, the medics who bear the brunt, both in terms of seeing the consequences as patients struggle for breath on their wards, and the mental health impact. One psychologist who supports NHS staff told me that, after the announcement that the weekly “clap for carers” was to return, that the workers she spoke to were “raging”. One said: “Fuck your clapping. Wear a fucking mask.”
“Very often it is the small things that break the camel’s back,” says Claire Goodwin-Fee, of the psychological support service Frontline 19, which has been offering free therapy to frontline staff during the crisis. “People will deal with the really difficult things, like seeing multiple people pass away in a ward. They’ll tuck it away. And then they’ll go home and see somebody not wearing a mask on the tube.”
The psychological impact of the Covid crisis on staff will not be fully known until after the pandemic – there is usually a delay between the traumatic experience, or in this case, repeated traumatic experiences, and the onset of symptoms. The NHS is currently on a war footing, without a war. “Things are as bad as I have ever seen them,” one staff member said. Some workers are already being treated for post-traumatic stress, and as the pandemic continues, those numbers will increase, without fully funded services in place to treat them. The word I keep hearing, again and again, is “abandoned”.
I know I am painting a bleak picture, but it is vital that we understand the sacrifices being made. With a rightwing press largely hostile to lockdowns and Covid deniers protesting outside hospitals and in some cases even breaking into them, it feels as if gratitude is at an all-time low.
The chalk rainbows may have been long washed from the pavements, but there are still ways that we can show we care. The acknowledgment of the contribution made by black and minority ethnic staff members – for example the huge numbers of Filipino nurses – is encouraging. There needs to be more understanding, however, of the role that low-paid NHS staff are playing, such as hospital porters who, unlike doctors, may be far less well-equipped to handle so much death and without commensurate remuneration.
I sincerely hope that those in power are already looking at how the country can say thank you. Though some have said they wouldn’t mind a medal that they could one day pass down to their grandchildren, our gratitude must go beyond that. Pay rises, time off that allows staff to reconnect with family and friends,and adequate psychological support – all of these should be considered, as they can make a big difference to the future mental health fallout. The more supported staff feel at work, the less they risk mental health issues later on. Outreach and support for the families of frontline workers is also vital.
We must also be sure not to forget social care staff, who are working tirelessly in care homes and are arguably even more invisible. Goodwin-Fee told me of one social care worker whose home had lost 70% of its residents. That care worker washed and dressed every single body, and then went home to cook tea for the family. It is no wonder that, when such people are asked, “How was your day?” they find themselves unable to speak.
The stories I am hearing suggest that the unwritten psychological contract that staff have with their employers – whether the NHS or the social care system – is under strain. This is far beyond what most signed up for, and many are taking early retirement, changing jobs, or leaving altogether. After years of austerity, an exodus of people who are feeling burned out, scarred and undervalued is the last thing our country needs.
• Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett is a Guardian columnist
| 2021-01-11T14:20:10Z | true |
|
Indonesian baby sea turtles make a break for freedom
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-9117527/Indonesian-baby-sea-turtles-make-break-freedom.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Afp"
] |
[] |
Newly hatched, dozens of baby turtles flipped and flopped their way down a beach towards the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean, under the watchful gaze of conservationists at an Indonesian national park.
Small enough to fit into the palm of a hand, some ended up on their backs, wriggling their tiny flippers helplessly as they tried to get back on track.
But the conservationists did not interfere, as they wanted the creatures to "map" their surroundings and then return to lay eggs decades later.
"Sea turtles mature at 25 years old, so if they're released today, we'll probably meet them again 25 years from now," said Ardhini Estu Wardana, a forest ranger at Meru Betiri National Park on the eastern edge of Java.
Its beaches are nesting grounds for several species of turtle.
The night before, a giant female -- over a metre (3.3 feet) long -- laid more than 160 eggs on the shore, sweeping mounds of sand over them to protect them from predators.
Turtles, under threat from poaching and habitat destruction, are protected under Indonesian law.
Their eggs are considered a delicacy and they are also slaughtered for their meat, skin and shells.
Six of the world's seven turtle species can be found in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands and home to a dizzying array of exotic wildlife.
| 2021-01-06T07:51:56Z | true |
|
Trump team will blame China lab for growing Covid-19
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9140251/Trump-team-blame-China-lab-growing-Covid-19.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490
|
[
"David Rose"
] |
[
"Mike Pompeo",
"Coronavirus"
] |
America is set to present dramatic new evidence that the virus leaked from a Wuhan lab – in the final act of the Trump administration.
Senior officials in Washington say that outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to make a ‘bombshell intervention’.
They say he will reveal evidence that SARS-CoV-2 did not leap naturally from bats, pangolins or other species to humans.
Instead he will claim it was cultured by scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology – where Chinese and foreign experts have warned of poor bio-security for years.
British Foreign Office and security sources confirmed they were expecting the claims from Washington but dismissed them in advance, saying ‘all the credible scientific evidence does not point to a leak from the laboratory’.
They said this view was backed up intelligence agencies on both sides of the Atlantic, adding: ‘The established view of the US intelligence community suggests the pandemic was natural in origin.’
Yesterday Boris Johnson backed the theory the virus first infected humans at the Wuhan wet market, where pangolins were among the live species on offer.
But Mr Pompeo is also set to cite close links between the Institute and the People’s Liberation Army.
He will point out its highest security section has always had a ‘dual use’ military and civilian purpose.
He is also expected to accuse the World Health Organisation of assisting in a Chinese cover-up by refusing to probe the lab’s possible role.
Its ten-person team tasked with investigating the pandemic’s origins will arrive in Wuhan tomorrow – but there is no mention of the lab in its official terms of reference.
Former Brexit Secretary David Davis said it was ‘vital’ the WHO team probe the institute as the possible origin of the pandemic.
He said: ‘We don’t know whether this virus was natural or artificially created, and if it came from the lab, whether this was an accident or deliberate. It would be immoral and foolish to allow any sort of cover-up.
‘If it emerges the virus did come from the lab, China will become the pariah of the world.’
China expert Sam Armstrong of the Henry Jackson Society think-tank said: ‘The global public has a right to know exactly what was going on prior to the emergence of this deadly pandemic. The question cannot be shirked.’
Dr Alina Chan of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, who has been investigating the start of the pandemic, pointed out Beijing had already dismissed the theory that wildlife at the wet market was the source.
She said: ‘It is critically important we do locate the origin if something like this is not to happen again.
'We have to take the necessary steps to do a proper investigation and, based on the available information, I don’t think the WHO is up to the task.’
David Relman, professor of microbiology at Stanford in California, has voiced fears that the Institute was genetically engineering natural viruses in ways that made them more transmissible.
He wrote in an academic article in November: ‘If SARS-CoV-2 escaped from a lab to cause the pandemic, it will become critical to understand the chain of events and prevent this from happening again.’
In 2018, US officials visited the Wuhan lab and warned of ‘a serious shortage of appropriately trained technicians and investigators’.
Chinese reports reveal that in 2019, local Communist leaders warned of lax management and bio-security.
New safety guidelines were issued as late as January last year – when the pandemic was already starting to rage.
The lab’s highest security ‘P4’ section was built with French help in a deal signed off by Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. But after it opened in 2015, the French contingent due to work there were pushed out by China’s military.
A WHO spokesman said of its investigation: ‘We will follow the science.’
Commentary by Edward Lucas
Secrets, lies and thuggery are the hallmark of the Chinese Communist regime. And in the mystery of the devastating Wuhan virus, all three are combined.
The strongest evidence of a crime is a cover-up. And the Chinese authorities have provided that. They have fought ferociously to prevent an international inquiry into the pandemic’s origins. Their repeated obstruction of the World Health Organisation’s fact-finding missions has provoked even that notoriously supine body to protest.
Even now, WHO investigators are being prevented from accessing the vitally important laboratory in Wuhan that is likely to be at the heart of America’s allegations.
Experts have been questioning the Chinese authorities’ account of events for a year. Now, it appears, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to make a direct accusation.
Was it really pure chance the virus first attacked the human race in the only city in China with a research lab specialising in manipulating the world’s most dangerous viruses?
That would be as odd as a new disease emerging in the surroundings of Britain’s top-secret biological defence research establishment of Porton Down in Wiltshire.
To this day, scientists who support the theory that the virus is a mutation that emerged from Wuhan’s ‘wet market’ have not been able to find a convincing candidate for the animal in which this mutation actually occurred.
The official explanation is the new virus was 96 percent identical to a bat virus, RaTG13, found in Yunnan province in southern China.
But as Chinese professor Botao Xiao pointed out in a paper in February, no such bats are sold at the city’s markets. And the caves where they live are hundreds of miles away.
That paper disappeared from the internet. Mr Xiao — perhaps mindful of the fate that awaits those in China who promote inconvenient truths — disavowed it.
Many scientists privately assumed an engineered virus released via a laboratory accident was at least as likely as the idea of a series of stunningly unfortunate chance mutations.
After all, Shi Zhengli, the Chinese scientist nicknamed ‘Bat Woman’ was a regular visitor to those caves. When news of the outbreak broke, she initially feared that a leak from her research institute was to blame.
That thought alone should have prompted a full-scale and searching inquiry. Instead, the Chinese Ministry of Education issued a diktat: ‘Any paper that traces the origin of the virus must be strictly and tightly managed.’
But even the Chinese regime cannot hold back the truth forever. Over the past twelve months independent research, official leaks and news reports have strengthened the lab-leak hypothesis.
In February a Taiwanese professor, Fang Chi-tai, highlighted a curious feature of the virus’s genetic code, which would make it more effective in attacking targeted cells. This was unlikely to be the result of a natural mutation, he suggested.
Much scientific research involves modifying viruses to understand how they function. Many observers have worried for years that the risks of such experiments are not properly thought through.
Lab safety procedures are riddled with potential loopholes and flaws: breakages, animal bites, faulty equipment or simple mis-labelling can all lead to a deadly pathogen reaching its first human victim. If so, such carelessness has now cost tens of millions of lives.
Yet we should be clear. The Chinese authorities are ruthless. But even they would not unleash a global plague.
Only in the fevered imagination of conspiracy theorists is Beijing deliberately waging biological warfare on the West.
Paradoxically, such speculation — promoted by among others President Donald Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon — may have hampered the search for the truth, by making the lab-release theory seem racist and politically toxic.
In February, in Britain’s politically correct medical journal, the Lancet, scientists published an open letter denouncing ‘conspiracy theories and rumours’, urging solidarity with Chinese colleagues.
Yet it was just those colleagues who were bearing the brunt of the regime’s frantic attempts to censor the truth about the outbreak.
The Chinese regime prizes self-preservation above all — certainly over the truth, or the health of its own people, let alone the lives of foreigners.
| 2021-01-12T22:07:53Z | true |
|
Creditors consider action against Air Seychelles in Etihad debt saga
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-9134517/Creditors-consider-action-against-Air-Seychelles-Etihad-debt-saga.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Reuters"
] |
[] |
By Davide Barbuscia
DUBAI, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Holders of around $70 million in troubled bonds issued on behalf of Air Seychelles are considering options including enforcement against the African carrier, according to sources and documents.
The action under consideration is the latest twist in broader creditor efforts to recover $1.2 billion in funds owed by Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways and related airlines including Air Seychelles.
Etihad is state-owned Air Seychelles' second-biggest shareholder.
Air Seychelles, which has been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus crisis, was part of a consortium comprising Etihad and related airlines that borrowed the $1.2 billion through a special purpose vehicle in 2015 and 2016.
Air Seychelles and a steering committee of debtholders have engaged in restructuring talks since last July after the airline said it was struggling to honour its portion of the debt, worth around $70 million, due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Creditors are now considering options including enforcement action against the carrier, sources familiar with the matter said, the latest turn in a debt saga resulting from the unravelling of Etihad's strategy to embark on global partnerships with airlines such as Air Berlin, Jet Airways, and Alitalia, which have since gone bankrupt.
Air Seychelles latest proposal, disclosed last month in a regulatory filing by the special purpose vehicle, EA Partners, sought a writedown of more than 70% of the outstanding debt, with the remaining payment guaranteed by the government of Seychelles. However, that has been rejected by creditors.
"The Noteholder Committee has not observed any urgency or seriousness in the proposals received from Air Seychelles to date," the creditors said in a statement to EA Partners, published in a separate filing last month.
The creditor proposal envisages EA Partners writing off 20% of the debt, with full payment of accrued and unpaid interests. They said their proposal recognises the difficulties faced by the airline and supports adequately its recapitalisation.
Air Seychelles declined to comment and the Seychelles government did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
AIRLINES STAKES
Even before the coronavirus froze most air traffic, the EA Partners notes had lost more than half their value after the bankruptcy of several of the borrowing airlines.
Etihad is not legally obliged to back the bonds as the original $1.2 billion deals envisaged each carrier paying off its own portion of the debt, according to the debt documentation reviewed by Reuters.
Etihad bought a 40% stake in Air Seychelles in 2012, investing $20 million and providing an additional $25 million as a loan to help Air Seychelles meet working capital requirements and support network development.
The Seychelles government now plans to buy the entirety of Etihad´s 40% stake in Air Seychelles at a nominal value, one of the December regulatory filings said. Etihad, which did not respond to a request for comment, has also agreed to a 79% haircut on debt it was owed by the African airline.
Etihad's stake in another airline, Air Serbia, has also recently been cut, after the Serbian government recapitalised the airline, Air Serbia said last month.
Aviation has been one of the industries worst hit by the COVID-19 crisis, forcing airlines to lay off staff and seek government bailouts. Etihad has slashed jobs and salaries.
The Abu Dhabi state carrier was making losses even before the coronavirus outbreak, but its core operating loss deepened to $758 million in the first half of last year as passenger traffic fell by nearly 60% due to the pandemic. (Reporting by Davide Barbuscia; additional reporting by Omar Mohammed Editing by Susan Fenton)
| 2021-01-11T13:54:59Z | true |
|
Barrett eyeing All Blacks fly-half return after Japan stint
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-9117529/Barrett-eyeing-All-Blacks-fly-half-return-Japan-stint.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Afp"
] |
[] |
Beauden Barrett set his sights on reclaiming the All Blacks' number 10 jersey Wednesday as he prepares to begin a stint in Japan, which is battling a coronavirus surge.
The two-time World Rugby player of the year is set to return to his favoured fly-half position for Tokyo-based Suntory Sungoliath, the team he has joined for the upcoming domestic season after exercising an option in his New Zealand Rugby contract.
Barrett has spent most of the past two years playing at full-back for the All Blacks, with Richie Mo'unga preferred at fly-half.
But rocky results at last year's Rugby Championship, which New Zealand won despite successive losses to Australia and Argentina, have heaped pressure on coach Ian Foster.
Barrett, 29, said Wednesday his move to Tokyo was made with a place in the All Blacks' 2023 World Cup squad -- at fly-half -- in mind.
"For two years now I've been playing a lot of time at 15, so I've really enjoyed playing some rugby back at 10," said Barrett.
"I've got a little bit of work to do in slotting back into that role, but it's a role that I enjoy mostly and I'm most passionate about playing. So I'm working really hard on that, getting back into the groove and working on the combinations with my nines and my midfielders.
"I think you would probably expect me to play more at number 10, and that's certainly something that I'm aspiring to do back in New Zealand and for the All Blacks."
- 'Ready to adapt' -
Japan's Top League season is set to kick off on January 16, but the country is battling a wave of infections, with Tokyo reporting a record 1,591 new cases on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to announce a state of emergency on Thursday, which will likely have an effect on the maximum number of spectators allowed at sporting events.
Barrett regularly played in front of full stadiums last year in New Zealand, which has been widely praised for its coronavirus response, but he insisted he had no regrets about coming to Japan.
"Absolutely, I would still come" if given the choice again, he said. "The way that it's been dealt with here, I've been impressed that we're still allowed to do the things that we are."
"We have to be respectful of the rules and be very responsible. I'm hopeful and confident that we can have an uninterrupted season, but if things change, as players we must be ready to adapt," he added.
Barrett will miss the 2021 Super Rugby season but return to New Zealand to resume international duties with the All Blacks, under the terms of a contract he signed in 2019.
Barrett said he had offers to play in France but chose Japan in order to prolong his All Blacks career.
"I was considering all options and ultimately (it) came back to a four-year decision aiming to make the World Cup in 2023," he said.
"It was either completely go overseas or back myself to make the next World Cup. And in doing so, that gave me the opportunity to come here and play in Japan."
| 2021-01-06T07:52:25Z | true |
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Pokemon No: Japan man held for forging competition popsicle sticks
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Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-9117531/Pokemon-No-Japan-man-held-forging-competition-popsicle-sticks.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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[
"Afp"
] |
[] |
Police in Japan have detained a 43-year-old Pokemon fan whose drive to "catch 'em all" saw him allegedly forge ice cream sticks in a competition to win cards featuring the game's characters.
Local media said Takashi Ono is suspected of engraving "You win a Gari-Pokemon card" on at least 25 popsicle sticks in November, hoping to cash in on a competition run by the Garigarikun brand.
The manufacturer contacted police after growing suspicious that a single person had sent them multiple sticks, which were supposed to be rare finds, Kyodo news agency said.
There was no immediate word on whether Ono had managed to secure any of the Pokemon cards, or whether the competition would now be cancelled.
The ice cream manufacturer has warned that "fake lucky popsicle sticks" might now be circulating for sale online.
| 2021-01-06T07:52:30Z | true |
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China to launch carbon emissions trading scheme next month
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Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-9117551/China-launch-carbon-emissions-trading-scheme-month.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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[
"Afp"
] |
[] |
China's delayed carbon trading system will start operating in February, the environment ministry has said, as the world's biggest polluter takes steps towards decarbonising its economy by 2060.
The ministry issued rules on Tuesday allowing provincial governments to set pollution caps for big power businesses for the first time.
Firms can buy the right to pollute from others who have a lower carbon footprint, but the programme is expected to drive down overall emissions by making it more costly to do so.
"This is one of the most exciting developments for the world's largest carbon market in the recent rollercoaster year," said Zhang Jianyu, vice president of the Environmental Defense Fund China, which has consulted with the government on emissions trading.
However, 60 percent of power in China is still provided by coal despite ambitious renewable energy targets, and experts warn the powerful coal lobby will be pressing hard for favourable carbon caps.
Under the new rules, more than 2,200 firms that emit over 26,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases per year can start trading their emission quotas from February 1.
China's nationwide system is expected to eclipse that of the European Union to become the world's largest emissions trading scheme (ETS).
Beijing has pledged to peak emissions before 2030 and become carbon neutral 30 years later. But it pared back initial plans to curb emissions from seven other industries including aviation, steel and petrochemical manufacturing.
"When Europe started its trading scheme in 2005, there were issues in the first phase where members were kind of caving in to lobbying pressure," said Li Shuo from Greenpeace China.
China's greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 were estimated at 13.92 billion tonnes -- about 29 percent of the world's total linked to global warming.
Once fully operational, the ETS will cover about a third of China's national emissions, according to the International Carbon Action Partnership.
It is unclear whether China will include businesses outside the power sector in the system.
| 2021-01-06T08:01:52Z | true |
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Kanye West and Kim Kardashian living separately: report
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Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-9117651/Kanye-West-Kim-Kardashian-living-separately-report.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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[
"Afp"
] |
[] |
Rapper Kanye West and his reality TV star wife Kim Kardashian West are living separately and undergoing marriage counseling, NBC News reported, citing a source close to the family.
For the past few months West, 43, has been living in Wyoming while Kardashian West, 40, and their four children stayed in California, the source said Tuesday.
The mega-celebrity couple, who married in a lavish ceremony in Italy in May 2014, have been repeatedly dogged by gossip-press speculation that their marriage was on the rocks.
The couple were going through counseling dealing with "regular relationship issues" and no one else was involved, the source said.
"Kanye loves his extended family. They are super close. They have been going to therapy. They are working on their marriage," the source told NBC News.
They had discussed divorce, but Kardashian West had not filed for divorce.
"They are working through it... (and) trying to work through things," the source said.
People magazine, Page Six and other celebrity gossip outlets, however, said Kardashian West was preparing to file for divorce.
West has opened up about his struggles with bipolar disorder.
In July last year the mercurial entertainment mogul launched a bid for the US presidency with a rambling speech that saw him rant incoherently, reveal he had wanted to abort his daughter, and break down in tears.
He also posted a series of tweets, later deleted, that accused his wife and mother-in-law of trying to lock him up, and suggested he was seeking a divorce.
Kardashian West called on the media and public to show "compassion and empathy" following her husband's erratic behavior.
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness characterized by extreme mood swings.
Patients experience both mania, where they feel euphoric and often act recklessly, and bouts of severe depression that can leave them unable to function and fixated on suicide.
"Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behavior know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor," Kardashian West said in her lengthy Instagram post in July.
"People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try."
Kardashian West has a huge following on social media, but her husband has been absent from her posts in recent weeks.
The couple have four children: seven-year-old daughter North, son Saint, five, daughter Chicago, two, and 19-month old son Psalm.
It is the first marriage for West and the third for Kardashian West, who came to fame with the US reality TV series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" which followed the lives of her family in Los Angeles.
| 2021-01-06T08:41:45Z | true |
|
Impasse over WHO virus mission 'not just a visa issue': China
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-9117653/Impasse-WHO-virus-mission-not-just-visa-issue-China.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Afp"
] |
[] |
Delays to a long-planned mission by WHO experts to China to investigate the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic are "not just a visa issue", Beijing said Wednesday.
A year after the outbreak started, international health experts were expected to arrive in China this week for a highly politicised visit to explore the beginnings of the virus, which first emerged late last year in the city of Wuhan.
The sensitive mission has been beset by delays and politics, with fears of a whitewash by Beijing.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters Wednesday that talks were continuing between the two sides over "the specific date and specific arrangement of the expert group's visit".
"The issue of origin-tracing is incredibly complicated. To ensure the work of the international expert team in China goes smoothly, we have to carry out necessary procedures and make relevant arrangements," said Hua.
She said the country is "doing its best to create good conditions for the international expert group to come to China".
On Tuesday the head of the World Health Organization told reporters Beijing had not yet finalised permission for the team's arrival, saying he was "very disappointed with this news" -- in a rare rebuke of Beijing from the UN body.
Earlier this week Chinese authorities refused to confirm the exact dates and details of the visit, a sign of the enduring sensitivity of the mission.
The WHO had previously said China has granted permission for a visit by a 10-person team.
Hua said China was "placing great importance and is actively communicating with the WHO".
| 2021-01-06T08:41:50Z | true |
|
Dutch begin COVID-19 vaccinations; last EU nation to do so
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-9117561/Dutch-begin-COVID-19-vaccinations-EU-nation-so.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Associated"
] |
[] |
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - Nearly two weeks after most other European Union nations, the Netherlands on Wednesday began its COVID-19 vaccination program, with nursing home staff and frontline workers in hospitals first in line for the shot.
Sanna Elkadiri, a nurse at a nursing home for people with dementia, was the first to receive a shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at a mass vaccination center in Veghel, 120 kilometers (75 miles) southeast of the capital, Amsterdam.
The Dutch government has come under fierce criticism for its late start to vaccinations. Prime Minister Mark Rutte told lawmakers in a debate Tuesday that authorities had focused preparations on the easy-to-handle vaccine made by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, which has not yet been cleared for use in the EU, and not the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge did not comment on the criticism as he spoke before Elkadiri rolled up the left sleeve of her purple nurse's uniform to receive the first shot. Instead, he looked forward to a future with the virus under control.
"Finally, after 10 months of crisis, today we are starting to end this crisis," De Jonge said. But he warned that, "it will take a while before we have all the misery behind us. "
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which requires ultra-cold storage before it is used, is the only shot that has been approved so far by the EU´s medicines agency. The European Medicines Agency on Wednesday was considering approving another coronavirus vaccine, one made by Moderna.
"I´m very disappointed that we are two weeks behind other countries," Rutte said in the Dutch parliament.
The Netherlands is in the midst of a five-week tough lockdown imposed when infection rates were spiking across the country. In recent days, infection rates have been edging lower, but the country's public health institute said Tuesday that the lockdown has not yet produced a clear effect on infection rates.
Nearly 12,000 people are confirmed to have died of COVID-19 in the Netherlands since the pandemic started, though the true number is higher because not all people who died with symptoms were tested.
Andre Rouvoet, chairman of the umbrella organization of local health authorities, welcomed the first vaccinations, which were aired live on Dutch television.
"It is symbolic of the hundreds of thousands - millions - of vaccinations that will be administered in the Netherlands in coming months," he said.
__
Follow AP´s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
| 2021-01-06T08:05:50Z | true |
|
EXPLAINER: Lives at stake in tense Ugandan presidential vote
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-9117585/EXPLAINER-Lives-stake-tense-Ugandan-presidential-vote.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Associated"
] |
[] |
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - Deadly violence and repressive measures have alarmed observers as Uganda prepares to vote on Jan. 14, with longtime President Yoweri Museveni challenged by young singer and lawmaker Bobi Wine, who has captured the imagination of many across Africa in a generational clash.
Authorities have used the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason to ban rallies in urban areas where Wine has strong support, including the capital, Kampala. In recent days Wine has been arrested and blocked from staying in hotels while campaigning, and one bodyguard was killed. Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, fears for his life as well.
Critics allege that Museveni, who successfully oversaw the removal of a constitutional age limit on the presidency, is taking advantage of the pandemic to militarize the election in which he almost certainly will be declared the winner. Here's what's at stake:
A GENERATIONAL CLASH
Museveni, a former rebel leader who took power in 1986 and brought stability after years of horrific upheaval, faces 10 challengers. His main opponent is Wine and his "People Power" movement that is so popular that authorities have banned its distinctive red beret. Wine has been detained many times on charges ranging from treason to violating virus restrictions, but he has never been convicted and supporters call his treatment politically motivated.
The 76-year-old Museveni, long a U.S. regional security ally, asserts a "popular mandate" in ordering security forces to crack down on people he calls criminals bent on undermining his government's authority. His campaign theme is "securing the future" of the East African nation of over 44 million people. At least 17 million are registered voters.
The 38-year-old Wine asserts that Museveni is part of the old guard that has presided over rampant corruption and dimmed the hopes of millions of jobless Ugandans. The country's population is one of the youngest in the world, with a median age under 18. Wine has urged Museveni to retire peacefully, saying he would guarantee his safety.
There has been no reliable polling ahead of the vote. Museveni is thought to enjoy solid support among older Ugandans in some rural areas, but Wine has surprised authorities by drawing huge crowds in rural areas and dispelling the idea that he represents only the urban poor.
VIOLENCE ON THE RISE
Although Uganda's recent elections have been marred by violence, it's more intense this time. Security forces have been deployed to break up opposition rallies, and at least 54 people were killed in November amid protests after one arrest of Wine in the country's worst unrest in years.
"Let Museveni know that we are not slaves and we shall not accept to be slaves," Wine said at the time. "We shall be free."
Fears are growing that violence will be even worse if the election results are disputed amid allegations of repression or fraud. A candidate must win more than 50% to avoid a runoff vote.
Museveni has accused Wine of being an agent of "outsiders, homosexuals and others who don´t like the stability and independence of Uganda." That language is meant to hurt Wine in a country where homosexuality is illegal. Meanwhile, some officials point to international statements in support of Wine - and objecting to his treatment - as evidence of alleged collaboration with foreigners. He denies it.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Museveni has never groomed a credible successor to protect his legacy and keep the ruling party in power. This election is widely seen as his last chance to do so, possibly with his vice-presidential pick.
A win for Wine would shake up the long-established order. Many in Uganda believe that regime change is unlikely without the involvement of the military. In response to the November unrest, Museveni responded by changing the leadership of security forces.
The president's son, Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, was named the commandant of Uganda's special forces, whose core role is to protect the president. And a military man whose last major assignment was to battle Islamic extremists in Somalia has been assigned to coordinate security forces in the capital during the election period.
Scrutiny of the vote faces challenges. The European Union is not deploying a team of observers, reportedly because of concerns about previous recommendations that have been ignored. Some journalists have been injured by police during opposition campaign events, and authorities are accused of trying to restrict reporting by requiring journalists to be accredited by a government agency.
The United States, Human Rights Watch and others have urged authorities to respect human rights. The U.S. Embassy has said group detentions and other abuses "are not the sign of security forces who care about democracy and the future of the Ugandan people."
SOME CALL FOR NO ELECTION
Some dismayed Ugandans have called for the vote to be cancelled, questioning the point in a country where the president criticizes election officials and speaks with the confidence of a leader who believes he's not going anywhere.
"I have been elected by the people of Uganda repeatedly to look after their affairs, and I cannot allow their affairs to be messed up by criminals and traitors," Museveni said in his final national address of 2020. "We cannot allow the revolution of the people to be destroyed by crooks."
Wine has said his party will try to protect the vote, including by deploying technology such as an app they say can track voting. They also will attempt to run a tally center whose results would be checked against official counting. That could lead to a confrontation with security forces, who previously have broken up attempts to track election results.
| 2021-01-06T08:10:16Z | true |
|
DC mayor extends ban on indoor dining, activities before Inauguration Day
|
Fox News
|
https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/dc-extends-ban-indoor-dining-activities-inauguration-day
|
[
"Cortney Moore"
] |
[
"travel",
"fooddrink",
"lifestyle",
"coronavirus"
] |
The nation’s capital will have to wait a little longer to dine indoors.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser informed residents and visitors on Monday that the district’s Phase 2 reopening plans will be paused until Jan. 22. Bowser’s announcement came in the form a tweet, which linked to the pause extension.
"Today, I issued Mayor’s Order 2021-004 to extend a pause of various activities in the District until Friday, January 22, 2021, at 5:00 a.m." said the mayor’s tweet.
The Phase 2 pause includes a ban on indoor dining, closed museums and libraries and more, according to the initial Mayor’s Order 2020-127 that halted reopening plans in December due to a rising number of coronavirus cases.
There is an exception for outdoor dining, carryout and delivery services for restaurants, however.
The Office of the Mayor reports that its Phase 2 pause extension is being done because the nation and district have not succeeded in flattening the curve.
"More than 22 million Americans have been infected with COVID-19 and more than 373,000 have died from the disease," the mayor’s Jan. 11 order reads. "We have hit a new record in the District, with transmission at 41.22 new cases per 100,000 persons; total infections in the District have risen to 31,993, and tragically, 821 District residents have lose their lives due to COVID-19."
The mayor’s latest order is set to expire two days after the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
It is not immediately clear if the Phase 2 pause will be extended again.
Other Phase 2 activities that are paused include a suspended D.C. Circulator National Mall route and telework for non-essential businesses that don’t require in-person staff. The Department of Parks and Recreation are only offering reservations for individual swim and fitness room sessions while libraries can operate with pickup and drop-off services if the indoors remain closed.
Meanwhile, museum staff and contractors may enter facilities if they work on "minimum business operations."
Washington, D.C. began Phase 2 on June 22, 2020.
| 2021-01-12T21:45:23Z | true |
|
Indonesian police kill 2 suspected militants in raid
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-9117607/Indonesian-police-kill-2-suspected-militants-raid.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Associated"
] |
[] |
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Members of Indonesia's anti-terrorism police squad on Wednesday shot and killed two suspected militants who they believe were connected to a deadly suicide attack at a Roman Catholic cathedral in the southern Philippines, and arrested 18 others, officials said.
The two men, Muhammad Rizaldy, 46, and his son-in-law, Sanjai Ajis, 23, were fatally shot by police after they resisted arrest by wielding a machete and an air-rifle during a raid at a house in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi province, said National Police spokesperson Ahmad Ramadhan.
The suspects were linked to a banned militant organization responsible for a series of attacks in Indonesia, a local affiliate of the Islamic State group known as Jemaah Anshorut Daulah, Ramadhan said.
He said members of the counterterrorism squad were initially to arrest the two men for their alleged role in the Jan. 27, 2019, suicide bombing at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo town in the Philippine province of Sulu that killed 23 people and wounded nearly 100.
Authorities in Indonesia and the Philippines believe the attack was carried out by an Indonesian couple, Rullie Rian Zeke and Ulfah Handayani Saleh.
"The two slain suspects were involved in sending funds to the suicide bombers for the attack at a cathedral in the southern Philippines´ Jolo town," Ramadhan said of Rizaldy and Ajis, adding that police were still conducting an investigation at their house in Makassar.
Ramadhan said the two men were also accused of harboring Andi Baso, another suspected militant who was involved in a 2016 church attack in Samarinda city on Indonesia´s Borneo island that killed a 3-year-old girl and wounded several other children. He said Indonesian authorities believe that Baso has fled to the southern Philippines and joined with a militant group there.
The two are believed to have been members of a militant Jemaah Anshorut Daulah cell who pledged allegiance to Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2015. They tried to go to Syria in 2016 but police foiled their attempt at the airport.
Ramadhan said police also arrested 18 other members of the cell during Wednesday's raid, and one of them was hospitalized with gunshot wounds after resisting arrest.
Indonesia has been battling militants since the 2002 bombings on the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. Attacks aimed at foreigners have been largely replaced in recent years by smaller, less deadly strikes targeting the government, police and anti-terrorism forces, inspired by Islamic State group attacks abroad.
Indonesian police have been criticized for shooting suspects rather than trying to arrest them. Authorities say they are forced to defend themselves.
| 2021-01-06T08:20:15Z | true |
|
Twitter video shows McDonald's worker preparing massive number of to-go orders
|
Fox News
|
https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/twitter-video-shows-mcdonalds-worker-preparing-massive-number-of-to-go-orders
|
[
"Michael Hollan"
] |
[
"fastfood",
"restaurants",
"coronavirus"
] |
The pandemic has been hard on a lot of people.
A McDonald’s customer in England shared a video of one of the franchise's employees working alone to fill a large number of to-go orders. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many restaurants have seen an increase in to-go orders.
Video of the employee working on the massive number of orders by herself was shared to Twitter by a McDonald’s customer, Yahoo News reports. The footage was recorded at a McDonald’s in West London.
According to the Twitter caption, the girl was preparing the orders while a group of delivery drivers waited outside. In the video, she can be seen adding bags to an already large number of orders and then running back to the kitchen. She is the only worker visible in the video, although it's unclear if other employees are busy in other areas of the restaurant.
The man who posted the video said that at one point, the girl was working so hard that she seemed to be "close to tears."
The Twitter video was captioned, "About 15 drivers outside waiting to pick up their Uber Eats orders, and they had one woman alone running back and forth between the kitchen and handing out the orders. She was so overwhelmed she was close to tears."
The post continued, "It got to a point where she was frozen to the spot not knowing what to do. Shameful display of management from a billion-dollar company - can't afford to pay £9 an hour for at least one more person to help her."
| 2021-01-12T22:17:18Z | true |
|
Balkans feel abandoned as vaccinations kick off in Europe
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-9117611/Balkans-feel-abandoned-vaccinations-kick-Europe.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Associated"
] |
[] |
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) - When thousands of people across the European Union began rolling up their sleeves last month to get a coronavirus vaccination shot, one corner of the continent was left behind, feeling isolated and abandoned: the Balkans.
Balkan nations have struggled to get access to COVID-19 vaccines from multiple companies and programs, but most of the nations on Europe's southeastern periphery are still waiting for their first vaccines to arrive, with no firm timeline for the start of their national inoculation drives.
What is already clear is that Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia - home to some 20 million people - will lag far behind the EU's 27 nations and Britain in efforts to reach herd immunity by quickly vaccinating a large number of their people.
North Macedonian epidemiologist Dragan Danilovski compared the current vaccine situation in the Western Balkans to the inequalities seen during the 1911 sinking of the Titanic.
"The rich have grabbed all the available lifeboats, leaving the less fortunate behind," Danilovski told broadcaster TV 24.
Such sentiment as the world faces its gravest health crisis in a century has gained traction in the Western Balkans - a term used to identify the Balkan states which want to join but still are not part of the EU. It is actively being stoked by pro-Russian politicians in a region sandwiched between Western and Russian spheres of influence.
"I felt as if the bottom fell out of my hopes for a return to a normal life," 50-year-old Belma Djonko said in Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital, describing the emotional fallout of hearing that thousands of doctors, nurses and the elderly across the EU had received the first doses of a vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany´s BioNTech while her war-ravaged country is kept waiting.
Many Balkan nations are pinning their hopes on COVAX, a global vaccine procurement agency set up by the World Health Organization and global charity groups to address rising inequities of vaccine distribution. COVAX has secured deals for several promising COVID-19 vaccines but, for now, it will only cover doses to inoculate 20% of a country´s population.
Alongside other politically unstable post-communist Balkan nations that have long professed their desire to join the EU but keep failing to fulfil conditions to achieve that goal, Bosnia has reserved vaccines through COVAX and expects to start receiving its first doses in April at the earliest.
That seems like an eternity from now.
"Meanwhile, I must continue depriving my 83-year-old father of the company and love of his grandchildren," Djonko said, referring to the low-tech but heartbreaking defense against the virus, keeping the elderly isolated from potential sources of infection.
Serbia is the only Western Balkan nation to receive vaccine shots so far, getting deliveries from Pfizer-BioNTech and the Russian-developed Sputnik V vaccine. However, Serbia does not have enough doses to begin mass vaccinations, as only 25,000 shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 2,400 of the Russian vaccine have arrived.
Serbia's vaccination program began on Dec. 24, three days before the EU, when Prime Minister Ana Brnabic received a dose in a bid to increase public trust in the vaccine, as many Balkan governments also struggle to counter a strong anti-vaccination movement.
The EU´s executive arm, the European Commission, recently agreed upon a 70 million-euro ($86 million) package to help Balkan nations get access to the vaccines, on top of 500 million euros ($616 million) the bloc has already contributed to COVAX.
"Throughout the pandemic, the EU has shown that we treat the Western Balkans as privileged partners," said EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi.
Ursula von der Leyen, head of the Executive Commission, says the EU will have more vaccines than necessary for its residents in 2021 and indicated the bloc could share its extra supplies with the Western Balkans and countries in Africa.
Yet in the Balkans, the dominant impression is that the bloc has once again failed the underdeveloped European region. In the words of Albanian political analyst Skender Minxhozi, the EU has reached its "put up or shut up" moment.
"Either show us that you care about us, or don´t be surprised if some of us follow the call of Russian or Chinese pied pipers who are traversing the world with pockets full of their vaccines," Minxhozi said.
The apparent lack of Western solidarity amid the pandemic is being exploited by local pro-Russian politicians to portray the EU as solely profit-oriented. Russia and China, meanwhile, are vying for political and economic influence.
"I trust (the Russian vaccine), I don´t trust the commercial narratives that are coming from the West," Milorad Dodik, Bosnian Serb's leader, declared before he was hospitalized with coronavirus.
In the Albanian capital of Tirana, Prime Minister Edi Rama demanded an apology from the Russian embassy after it published a message on social media that Moscow stood ready to immediately supply Albania with the Sputnik V vaccine, although that shot is not certified in the EU.
"As a person I felt indignant and as a European I felt ashamed, while as Albania´s prime minister I felt more motivated than ever not to allow Albanians from being excluded from the possibility of being protected simultaneously with other Europeans," Rama said while announcing a contract to buy 500,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Some believe the vaccination delay might prove to be a blessing in disguise in a region where years of declining trust in government and public institutions have amplified the voices of virus deniers and vaccine skeptics.
"I cannot wait for life to return to normal and for that to happen we need a successful vaccine," said Belma Gazibara, an infectious disease specialist working in Sarajevo's COVID-19 hospital.
Gazibara says watching the coronavirus vaccine rollout elsewhere in Europe will increase Bosnians' desire to have the shots too.
"If, as I strongly hope, the approved vaccines keep their promise elsewhere in Europe, I expect the uptake to be much higher than it would have been right now," she said.
___
Stojanovic reported from Belgrade, Serbia. Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania, and Konstantin Testorides, in Skopje, Macedonia, contributed.
| 2021-01-06T08:20:16Z | true |
|
Missing cat found 3 years after California mudslide
|
Fox News
|
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/missing-cat-found-3-years-after-california-mudslide
|
[
"James Leggate"
] |
[
"pets",
"oddnews",
"california"
] |
A pet cat that was believed to have been killed in a mudslide three years ago was found alive and has been reunited with one of the people from her old life.
Patches the calico cat went missing on the night that debris flows tore through Montecito, Calif., in January 2018, according to ASAP, an animal shelter based in nearby Santa Barbara. Her owner, who the group identified just as Josie, was killed in the mudslides.
Heavy rain on hills where wildfires had burned caused mudslides that killed 23 people and resulted in widespread damage on Jan. 9, 2018. More than 1,400 Montecito homes were damaged and 107 were destroyed, the Associated Press previously reported.
"It was assumed that Patches had passed away along with her owner Josie who was, tragically, a victim of the mudslides," ASAP wrote in a Facebook post.
However, someone found Patches as a stray cat last month and brought her into the shelter. Thanks to Patches’ microchip, ASAP was able to identify her owner as Josie, who had been a longtime supporter of ASAP, along with her partner, Norm, who survived the mudslide.
The group arranged a reunion between Patches and Norm, who "had no idea that she was still alive," according to ASAP.
"He was overwhelmed when he came to pick her up on New Year’s Eve, as though he’d seen a ghost," ASAP wrote. "And in a way, it was almost like he had."
It turns out that Patches was found just a quarter-mile away from her old home.
"Though we don’t know exactly what she’s been doing with her life for the past three years, we can see that both Patches and Norm are thrilled to be reunited," ASAP wrote in its post.
The case goes to show the importance of microchipping pets, according to the group.
"As we see time and time again, a lost cat with a microchip has a much greater chance of being reunited with their family … no matter how, or for how long, they’ve been separated," ASAP wrote.
| 2021-01-12T21:40:44Z | true |
|
EXPLAINER: Hong Kong mass arrests chill democracy movement
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-9117649/EXPLAINER-Hong-Kong-mass-arrests-chill-democracy-movement.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Associated"
] |
[] |
HONG KONG (AP) - The sudden arrest of dozens of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, in the most sweeping use of a new national security law to date, is a clear sign of Beijing's determination to rein in political opposition in the former British colony.
The Wednesday morning roundup, widely condemned by Western government officials and human rights groups, will likely further chill an already dwindling protest movement in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Police detained about 50 people, far more than in previous cases under the 6-month-old national security law. Those targeted appeared to include all candidates who had run in an unofficial opposition primary last year ahead of an expected election for Hong Kong´s legislature. City leader Carrie Lam later scrapped the election, citing the coronavirus pandemic. Activists called her move a thinly veiled attempt to thwart expected opposition gains.
HOW CAN A PRIMARY BE A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY?
Security Secretary John Lee said those arrested were suspected of trying to gain control of the legislature to paralyze government business. The subversion section of the national security law criminalizes "seriously interfering in, disrupting, or undermining the performance of duties and functions" of the Chinese or Hong Kong governments.
Lam said at the time of the primary that if its purpose was to resist every government initiative, it could amount to subverting state power. The central government labeled the primary illegal and a "serious provocation" to Hong Kong´s electoral system.
WHAT´S THE LIKELY IMPACT?
The arrests will remove more activists from the scene, reducing the possibility of renewed protests and eliminating many as future candidates for office. They warn a younger generation that formed the backbone of protests in 2014 and 2019 that even holding an unofficial primary can result in legal action that can seriously impact their futures.
Human Rights Watch said of the move that repression generates resistance, but the tightening restrictions on opposition activity and the lingering effects of the coronavirus on public life and the economy could delay or permanently discourage the emergence of a new generation willing to take on Beijing.
WHY NOW?
Beijing has been unrelenting in its efforts to prevent any repeat of the 2019 protests, which grew increasingly violent in response to the government's refusal to entertain the protesters' demands. They plunged Hong Kong into its biggest political crisis since its return to Chinese rule in 1997.
China is also determined to drive out what it sees as unwarranted foreign government interference in its domestic affairs. The nation's newfound military, economic and political clout is emboldening it to take on the West, and it can take advantage of distractions resulting from pandemic and political disruptions in the U.S. and Europe.
___
This story has been corrected to show that the age of the security law is six months, not seven months.
| 2021-01-06T08:40:15Z | true |
|
Clay Travis mocks 'progressive' alternative to OutKick: 'Sports fans definitely want more woke programming'
|
Fox News
|
https://www.foxnews.com/media/clay-travis-mocks-progressive-alternative-outkick-sports-fans-woke-programming
|
[
"David Rutz"
] |
[
"fox-news-media",
"fox-news-flash",
"sports"
] |
Sports journalist Clay Travis mocked reports Tuesday that a progressive sports media company is being developed as the strategic opposite of his popular website OutKick.
Front Office Sports reported former ESPN president John Skipper and radio host Dan Le Batard, who recently left ESPN and went on an expletive-laden rant against Travis last week, were partnering on the project. They have also reached out to former ESPN reporter Jemele Hill, as part of an effort to "build a diverse lineup of progressive sports voices."
"This is definitely what the sports marketplace needs, voices that are so left wing even ESPN won’t employ them," Travis tweeted sarcastically. "Sports fans definitely want more woke programming. They don’t get it enough currently."
Other sports sites that feature liberal commentary include Deadspin and The Undefeated, the latter of which is owned by ESPN.
Travis, a FOX Sports radio host, wished the start-up luck, though he predicted it would make his outlet even more successful "because it pushes the rest of the sports media industry even farther left."
OutKick has gained an avid following for its heavy focus on college football and its mantra "Don't be a p---y." In addition to typical sports website fixtures like predictions for upcoming games and blog posts on breaking news, the site also features a beloved "Anonymous Mailbag" where readers write Travis for advice on embarrassing or humorous personal issues.
Skipper led ESPN from 2012 to 2017 and currently runs the sports streaming service DAZN. Le Batard left ESPN last week. Their venture will reportedly sell "various types of original content," such as radio, TV, and streaming sports events.
Hill, who now writes for The Atlantic and co-hosts the Vice TV show "Cari & Jemele (won't) Stick to Sports" with fellow former ESPNer Cari Champion, confirmed to Front Office Sports they had contacted her to work on the project. She attracted controversy for inflammatory comments such as joking about President Trump's assassination and declaring the United States to nearly be as bad as "Nazi Germany."
Travis and OutKick have been frequently critical of the strong liberal slant of most sports media outlets, as well as their fawning coverage of outspoken progressive athletes like LeBron James and Colin Kaepernick.
Over the past year, Travis poked fun at liberal "coronabros" in the media who pushed for sports like college football to be suspended during the coronavirus pandemic, although critics noted he often underestimated the severity of COVID-19's impact. For example, Travis noted a CBS Sports article that predicted multiple player deaths stemming from holding a college football season, which concluded on Monday with no fatalities.
Travis voted for President Trump in 2020 after previously supporting Democratic presidential candidates for the White House, including twice voting for Barack Obama. Le Batard unloaded on Travis last week, calling him a "s--tstain" for having Trump on his podcast.
Front Office Sports reported the venture between Skipper and Le Batard is still unnamed.
| 2021-01-12T22:03:29Z | true |
|
The Latest: Thailand to expand virus testing at factories
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-9117677/The-Latest-Thailand-expand-virus-testing-factories.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Associated"
] |
[] |
BANGKOK - Authorities in Thailand say they plan to expand coronavirus testing to thousands of factories in a province near Bangkok as they reported 365 new cases around the country and one new death.
Authorities have focused their efforts on migrant workers in Samut Sakhon, a province next to the capital that has been the epicenter of a new outbreak and where thousands work in its mainly seafood processing factories and markets.
They have has also focused on trying to trace itinerant gamblers who travel widely around the country and are blamed for a second major hotspot outside Bangkok.
Thailand´s COVID-19 coordinating center said Wednesday that of the 365 new cases, 250 were local transmissions among Thais, 99 were migrant workers and 16 were arrivals to the country isolated in quarantine centers.
That brought the total since the pandemic began to 9,331, including 66 deaths.
Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesperson for the COVID-19 coordinating center, said there were plans to test workers at more than 10,000 factories in Samut Sakhon, 100 of which have more than 500 employees each.
___
THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
- Pandemic haunts new year as virus growth outpaces vaccines
- Fauci: U.S. could soon give 1 million vaccinations a day
- California orders surgery delays as virus swamps hospitals
- Thailand scrambles to contain outbreak, secure vaccines
- Netanyahu re-election hopes hinge on vaccination campaign
- Follow AP´s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
___
HERE´S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
PRAGUE - Coronavirus infections in the Czech Republic are continuing to surge, hitting a new all-time high.
The Health Ministry says the day-to-day increase reached 17,278 cases on Tuesday. The previous record of 17,045 was set on Dec 30.
New infections started to surge again this week after slowing down during the New Year holidays.
A total of 7,001 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized, with 1,004 in serious condition, putting the heath system under pressure. Hospitals are banned from providing any non-vital care to be able to focus on those infected.
A lockdown imposed by the government to contain the surge will be in place at least until Jan 10.
The country of 10.7 million has 776,967 confirmed cases, including 12,436 deaths.
___
TOKYO - The U.S. Navy in the Pacific has started administering COVID-19 vaccinations to thousands of sailors.
It comes a week after medical personnel and strategic forces were given their initial shots at Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan, the 7th Fleet said.
The fleet includes about 20,000 sailors operating 50-70 ships and submarines and 140 aircraft. The vaccinations are part of a "prioritized, phased approach" adopted by the Department of Defense to "protect our people, maintain readiness, and support the national COVID-19 response," the fleet said.
Vaccinations are being provided on a voluntary basis. Among those vaccinated were sailors aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, the fleet´s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier.
The Navy has battled COVID-19, most notably in March aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, where more than 1,200 personnel were infected. After a memo from the ship´s captain warning of the threat was leaked, he was fired by the then-acting navy secretary, who himself was then fired amid the controversy.
___
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Police have begun conducting compulsory tests on people who fail to wear masks and maintain social distancing at public places, in the latest move to contain the coronavirus.
Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said the tests are in addition to legal action against those violating the quarantine laws.
On Tuesday, police arrested 1,060 people in Colombo and suburbs and 14 of them tested positive for the virus.
A fresh outbreak came in October when two clusters - one centered on a garment factory and the other on a fish market - emerged in and around Colombo. The confirmed cases from the two clusters have reached 41,955 by Wednesday. Sri Lanka has reported a total of 45,728 cases with 217 fatalities.
___
TOKYO - Tokyo has reported a daily record of 1,591 coronavirus cases as the national government prepares to declare a state of emergency this week to cope with a new wave of infections.
Those needing critical care in the capital also reached a record 113 people, according to the metropolitan government.
Toshio Nakagawa, head of the Japan Medical Association, called the situation "extremely serious" but stopped short of criticizing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga for acting too slow to contain the latest outbreak, as some have suggested.
Japan has confirmed more than 250,000 cases, including over 3,700 deaths.
___
BEIJING - China´s Hebei province is enforcing stricter control measures following a further rise in coronavirus cases in the province, which is adjacent to the capital Beijing and is due to host events for next year´s Winter Olympics.
The National Health Commission on Wednesday reported 20 more cases had been detected in Hebei, bringing the province´s total to 39 since Sunday.
The province´s top official said Tuesday that residents of areas classified as medium or high risk, primarily neighborhoods in the cities of Shijiazhuang and Xingtai, were being tested and barred from going out.
People in neighborhoods ranked as medium risk can leave only if they show a negative virus test. Classes are shifting to online learning and school dormitories placed on lockdown.
___
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- Four police officers in Palm Springs, Calif., have been put in quarantine for 10 days after being exposed to the coronavirus by a man who spit on them while being detained.
The four responded Saturday night to a report of a man throwing things at vehicles, running in and out of traffic and breaking the window of a truck.
The Palm Springs Police Department says two sergeants and two officers had to physically subdue the man, who yelled and spit during the entire event as well as in the back of a police car.
The man was taken for a mental evaluation at a hospital, where he tested positive for a coronavirus infection.
___
ATLANTA - Georgia officials say they have confirmed the state´s first case of the coronavirus variant that was first seen in the United Kingdom.
The Georgia Department of Health said Tuesday that lab tests found an 18-year-old Georgia man is infected with the variant. It says he man had no travel history and is in isolation at his home.
Cases of the United Kingdom variant have also been reported in Colorado, California, Florida and New York.
Georgia health officials say preliminary information suggests the variant is significantly more contagious. State health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey urged residents to continue wearing masks, practicing social distancing and washing their hands frequently.
___
HONOLULU -- Hawaii officials splan to have people make online reservations to receive the coronavirus vaccine in order to avoid crowding and long lines at distribution centers.
Health care officials are currently vaccinating health care workers, first responders and those living in long-term care facilities -all people in the highest-priority groups for getting doses.
Next up will be those over age 75, a group estimated to number 109,000 people. The state´s health director says she wants to avoid scenes witnessed in Florida where older adults waited in long lines to receive the vaccine on a first come, first serve basis.
___
SALEM, Ore. - Oregon health officials had a goal of administering 100,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine by the end of 2020, but as of Tuesday had only administered 51,283.
Gov. Kate Brown has now set a new goal of 12,000 vaccinations per day within the next two weeks. Health officials said Tuesday they are confident they can reach the new target if they expand the number of administration sites and adjust prioritization requirements.
In the first phase, priority was given to health care workers and residents and staff at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Effective this week, state officials will offer vaccinations to hospice programs, mobile crisis care, outpatient settings serving specific high-risk groups, in-home care services, non-emergency medical transport workers and public health workers.
___
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says some pandemic restrictions will be eased next week and the state will change its reopening plan to move from a county-based oversight system to one focused on regions.
Inslee said Tuesday that the new guidelines will include "a small resumption of some activities statewide." He says some live entertainment with very tight capacity restrictions and some fitness programs will be allowed.
Also, instead of having each of Washington´s 39 counties treated separately, the state will be divided into eight geographic regions based on health system resources when considering virus oversight.
Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been more than 256,000 confirmed coronavirus infections in Washington and more than 3,480 deaths related to COVID-19.
___
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says the state is taking steps to speed up coronavirus vaccinations.
Some 270,150 doses were distributed to frontline vaccinators over the last three weeks, but as of Tuesday, only 76,916 people had been vaccinated. That is about 1.3% of the state´s population.
The governor says that starting Wednesday, the National Guard will begin sending support teams across the state to help local health departments expand vaccination capacity.
Hogan also is ordering all providers to report data to the state within 24 hours after vaccines have been administered so officials can determine better where help is needed. He says any facility that has not administered at least 75% of its initial vaccine supply may have future allocations reduced until they can speed up vaccinations.
___
SAN FRANCISCO - A hospital in Northern California quickly vaccinated 850 people after a freezer that was holding doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine failed, prompting officials to do an emergency distribution before the shots spoiled.
The Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Medical Center in Mendocino County told the Ukiah Daily Journal that it sent 200 doses to the country that were dispensed to county workers, including sheriff´s deputies and jail staff. Jail inmates also received shots.
Eighty doses were sent to nursing homes.
Hospital spokeswoman Cici Winiger says the rest were distributed at four makeshift clinics on a first-come, first-serve basis after the hospital sent out a social media blast alerting people that vaccinations were available.
| 2021-01-06T08:50:15Z | true |
|
Pakistani Shiites continue sit-in over killing of 11 miners
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-9117687/Pakistani-Shiites-continue-sit-killing-11-miners.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"Associated"
] |
[] |
QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan's minority Shiites continued their sit-in for the fourth straight day on the outskirts of the southwestern city of Quetta to protest the killing of 11 coal miners by the Islamic State group, insisting they will bury their dead only when Prime Minister Imran Khan personally visits them to assure protection.
Residents and relatives of the slain miners, who were members of the minority Shiite Hazara community, began the protest Sunday after IS militants abducted and killed them in southwestern Baluchistan province. The miners were shot. Six died at the scene and five, critically wounded, died on the way to hospital.
Police video of the bodies revealed the miners were blindfolded and had their hands tied behind their backs before being shot. Sunday's attack took place near the Machh coal field, about 48 kilometers (30 miles) east of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan.
Since then, police have been raiding different places to arrest the attackers.
Under Islamic tradition, burials take place as quickly as possible after death. But Shiites were refusing to bury the dead. They also said they would not hold funerals until authorities arrest the killers.
Shiites said Wednesday they wanted a crackdown against the assailants.
"We want a decisive action and arrest of all those who killed our people," said Daud Agha, a Shiite leader. "We are sitting with the bodies of our dear ones here and we will bury them only when Imran Khan comes" and assures their protection.
Mourners have been sitting on a highway amid harsh cold weather after blocking it since Sunday. They included family members of the slain coal miners, who were seen wailing and crying and cursing the attackers.
"My 18-year-old innocent son Ghulam Ali was killed. They ruined my world by killing my son," said Bibi Hameeda, as she cried. "Oh Allah, you are watching what happened to us. What is our mistake? We want to know why our people are killed, " she said.
She said she would have stopped her son from going out if she had known he was in grave danger.
The Sunni militant group has repeatedly targeted Pakistan´s minority Shiites in recent years. IS claimed responsibility quickly after the abduction of the miners.
Pakistan´s Hazara community has been targeted many times in recent years by Sunni militant groups, including the Islamic State group.
| 2021-01-06T08:55:33Z | true |
|
Congress set to confirm Biden´s electoral win over Trump
|
Daily Mail
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-9117555/Congress-set-confirm-Biden-s-electoral-win-Trump.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
|
[
"PA Media"
] |
[] |
President Donald Trump’s extraordinary effort to overturn the US presidential election result is going before Congress as legislators convene for a joint session to confirm the Electoral College vote won by Joe Biden.
The typically routine proceeding will be anything but, a political confrontation unseen since the aftermath of the Civil War as Mr Trump mounts a desperate effort stay in office.
The president’s Republican allies in the House and Senate plan to object to the election results, heeding supporters’ plea to “fight for Trump” as he stages a rally outside the White House.
The longshot effort is all but certain to fail, defeated by bipartisan majorities in Congress prepared to accept the results.
Mr Biden, who won the Electoral College 306-232, is set to be inaugurated on January 20.
The joint session of Congress, required by law, will convene months after the November 3 election, two weeks before the inauguration’s traditional peaceful transfer of power and against the backdrop of a surging Covid-19 pandemic.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who warned his party off this challenge, is expected to deliver early remarks.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, set to gavel proceedings on her side of the Capitol, called it a day of “enormous historic significance”.
It is about “guaranteeing trust in our democratic system”, she said in a letter to colleagues.
But it is vice president Mike Pence who will be closely watched as he presides over the session.
Despite Mr Trump’s repeated claims of voter fraud, election officials and his own former attorney general have said there were no problems on a scale that would change the outcome.
All the states have certified their results as fair and accurate, by Republican and Democratic officials alike.
Mr Pence has a largely ceremonial role, opening the sealed envelopes from the states after they are carried in mahogany boxes used for the occasion, and reading the results aloud.
But he is under growing pressure from Mr Trump to tip it to the president’s favour, despite having no power to affect the outcome.
While other vice presidents, including Al Gore and Richard Nixon, also presided over their own defeats, Mr Pence supports those Republican legislators mounting challenges to the 2020 outcome.
“I hope that our great vice president comes through for us,” Mr Trump said at a rally in Georgia this week.
“He’s a great guy. Of course, if he doesn’t come through, I won’t like him quite as much.”
It is not the first time legislators have challenged results – Democrats did in 2017 and 2005.
But the intensity of Mr Trump’s challenge is like nothing in modern times, and an outpouring of current and elected Republican officials warn the showdown is sowing distrust in government and eroding Americans’ faith in democracy.
“There is no constitutionally viable means for the Congress to overturn an election,” said Senator Tim Scott, announcing his refusal to join the effort on the eve of the session.
Still, more than a dozen Republican senators led by Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, along with as many as 100 House Republicans, are pressing ahead to raise objections to the state results of Mr Biden’s win.
Under the rules of the joint session, any objection to a state’s electoral tally needs to be submitted in writing by at least one member of the House and one of the Senate to be considered.
Each objection will force two hours of deliberations in the House and Senate, ensuring a long day.
House Republican legislators are signing on to objections to the electoral votes in six states – Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Democrats have the majority in the House and the Republican-led Senate is divided over the issue.
Bipartisan majorities in both chambers are expected to soundly reject the objections.
Mr Trump has vowed to “fight like hell” to stay in office.
He said at a rally in Georgia the electors voting for Mr Biden are “not gonna take this White House!”
Many of the Republicans challenging the results said they are trying to give voice to voters back home who do not trust the outcome of the election and want to see the legislators fighting for Mr Trump.
Mr Hawley defended his role, saying his constituents have been “loud and clear” about their distrust of the election.
“It is my responsibility as a senator to raise their concerns,” he wrote to colleagues.
As criticism mounted, Mr Cruz insisted his aim was “not to set aside the election” but to investigate the claims of voting problems.
He has produced no new evidence.
Both Mr Hawley and Mr Cruz are potential 2024 presidential contenders, vying for Mr Trump’s base of supporters.
| 2021-01-06T08:02:18Z | true |
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村田諒太３５歳に「試合したい」 ミドル級スーパー王者
|
Chunichi Shimbun
|
https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/184520/
|
[
"中日新聞Web"
] |
[] |
世界ボクシング協会（ＷＢＡ）ミドル級スーパー王者の村田諒太（帝拳）が３５歳の誕生日を迎えた１２日、東京都内のジムで取材に応じ「率直に試合がしたい。３５歳まで（現役を）やっているというのは不思議な感覚。できるだけ長く、自分を高められる限りはやりたい」と意欲的に語った。
新型コロナウイルスの影響で最後の試合は２０１９年１２月。実戦感覚を鈍らせないよう、外国選手とのスパーリングを重ね「集中力を切らさずに練習できている」という。
スーパー王者昇格が発表されたばかりで「ビッグマッチの実現性は高まった。負けられない気持ちが強くなった」と話す。
| 2021-01-12T21:09:04Z | false |
|
ウーバー株、一部売却 ソフトバンクＧ
|
Chunichi Shimbun
|
https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/184523/
|
[
"中日新聞Web"
] |
[] |
【ニューヨーク共同】ソフトバンクグループ（ＳＢＧ）が、保有する米配車大手ウーバー・テクノロジーズの株式の一部を約２０億ドル（約２１００億円）で売却したことが１２日、明らかになった。米メディアによると、２０１８年の出資以来、ウーバー株の売却は初めてという。
ＳＢＧ関連会社の米当局への届け出によると、今月７日に３８００万株を１株当たり５３・４６ドルで売却した。残りの保有株は約１億８４００万株。
ウーバーは１９年にニューヨーク証券取引所に上場した。新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大に伴う業績悪化懸念から、株価は一時、１０ドル台前半まで落ち込んだが、最近は上昇傾向が続いている。
| 2021-01-12T21:11:27Z | false |
|
英、新疆製品排除へ規制 中国の人権侵害批判
|
Chunichi Shimbun
|
https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/184524/
|
[
"中日新聞Web"
] |
[] |
【ロンドン共同】英政府は１２日、英企業などが中国の新疆ウイグル自治区での人権侵害に加担しないよう、自治区と関連のある製品をサプライチェーン（部品の調達・供給網）から排除するための規制強化に踏み切ると発表した。
英政府は自治区での少数民族ウイグル族に対する弾圧や香港の人権問題に批判的な姿勢を強めている。ロイター通信によると、ラーブ外相は「英国は新疆とのつながりがある製品とは無縁でありたい」と強調した。中国側の反発は必至だ。
英政府の発表によれば、新疆ウイグル自治区での人権侵害に加担しかねない製品の取引規制を強化する。
| 2021-01-12T21:04:40Z | false |
|
仏のゴーン被告聴取延期 レバノンのコロナ規制で
|
Chunichi Shimbun
|
https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/184525/
|
[
"中日新聞Web"
] |
[] |
【パリ共同】元日産自動車会長カルロス・ゴーン被告の弁護団は１２日、逃亡先のレバノンで１８日から予定されていたフランスの捜査当局による被告の事情聴取に関し、レバノンで新型コロナウイルス対策の規制が強化されるため、同当局と延期することで合意したと明らかにした。新たな日程は今後決めるという。
フランスの当局は被告が自動車大手ルノーの会長在任中に会社資金を不正使用したとされる疑惑などを捜査。担当の予審判事がベイルートを訪れ、ルノーから中東オマーンの販売代理店への不審な支払いなどについて事情を聴く予定だった。
| 2021-01-12T21:12:46Z | false |
|
トランプ氏、ツイッター非難 投稿凍結「壊滅的間違い」
|
Chunichi Shimbun
|
https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/184526/
|
[
"中日新聞Web"
] |
[] |
【ワシントン共同】トランプ米大統領は１２日、記者団に対し、米短文投稿サイトのツイッターなどが自身のアカウントを永久凍結したことに関し「壊滅的な間違いだ」と非難した。言論の自由が損なわれることを念頭に「米国にとって非常に悪いことだ。多くの問題と危険を引き起こすだろう」と訴えた。
トランプ氏の支持者による米連邦議会議事堂襲撃を受け、ツイッターや交流サイト大手フェイスブックは不適切投稿が暴動を扇動したとしてアカウントを凍結した。投稿を野放しにした運営会社への批判が強まる一方、ドイツのメルケル首相は意見表明の自由を守ることは重要だと強調した。
| 2021-01-12T21:02:44Z | false |
|
ＮＹ株反発、６０ドル高 米経済対策期待が下支え
|
Chunichi Shimbun
|
https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/184529/
|
[
"中日新聞Web"
] |
[] |
【ニューヨーク共同】１２日のニューヨーク株式市場のダウ工業株３０種平均は反発し、前日比６０・００ドル高の３万１０６８・６９ドルで取引を終えた。ハイテク株主体のナスダック総合指数は３６・００ポイント高の１万３０７２・４３と反発した。
バイデン次期米政権の経済対策や新型コロナウイルスのワクチン普及への期待感が相場を下支えした。政権移行を巡る混乱に対する警戒感などから、ダウ平均は下げに転じる場面もあった。
米主要企業の２０２０年１０～１２月期決算の発表の本格化を控え、様子見気分も強かった。
| 2021-01-12T21:31:01Z | false |
|
米ＧＭが年内に商用電気自動車 脱炭素、ＩＴ企業も続々
|
Chunichi Shimbun
|
https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/184530/
|
[
"中日新聞Web"
] |
[] |
【ニューヨーク共同】米自動車大手ゼネラル・モーターズ（ＧＭ）は１２日、商用の電気自動車（ＥＶ）を年内に発売すると発表した。ガソリン車からＥＶに事業の軸足を移す戦略の一環。オンラインで開催中の世界最大級の家電ＩＴ見本市「ＣＥＳ」で打ち出した。
環境分野への投資強化を掲げるバイデン米政権が近く発足予定で、今年のＣＥＳは「脱炭素」が重要なテーマだ。ＩＴ企業によるＥＶや自動運転の取り組みも相次いだ。
ＧＭのバーラ最高経営責任者（ＣＥＯ）は環境負荷の低減に向け、商用ＥＶ導入の意義を強調。最初の車両となる「ＥＶ６００」をまず米物流大手フェデックスに納入する方針だ。
| 2021-01-12T21:55:55Z | false |
|
米、「第１列島線」内側も死守 尖閣や台湾巡り内部文書
|
Chunichi Shimbun
|
https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/184531/
|
[
"中日新聞Web"
] |
[] |
【ワシントン共同】オーストラリアの公共放送オーストラリア放送協会（ＡＢＣ）は１２日、米政府が対中国を念頭に、沖縄県・尖閣諸島や台湾が位置する「第１列島線」の内側を死守する考えを明記したトランプ米政権のインド太平洋戦略に関する内部文書を入手したと伝えた。
第１列島線は中国が設定した沖縄、台湾、フィリピンを結ぶ海上の防衛ライン。ＡＢＣによると、文書は（１）紛争時に第１列島線内での中国の制空・制海権を認めない（２）台湾を含む第１列島線に位置する国・地域を防衛す（３）第１列島線外側の全ての領域で優位に立つ―ことを目標に掲げている。
| 2021-01-12T21:50:17Z | false |
|
2 Dope Queens review – podcast duo make a right royal TV hit
|
The Guardian
|
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jan/12/2-dope-queens-review-podcast-duo-make-a-right-royal-tv-hit
|
[
"Stuart Jeffries"
] |
[
"Television",
"Culture",
"Television & radio",
"TV comedy",
"Comedy"
] |
What do you do when you’re in the middle of a smear test and the doctor pops up from the business end with his little ET head and tells you he voted for Trump? In 2 Dope Queens (Sky Comedy) Michelle Buteau has the right answer: “I farted a little bit. Even my fart sounded like a cry for help. Like: ‘Why? Why?’ I’m like: ‘Sorry doc, but this is what democracy smells like.’”
For the uninitiated, 2 Dope Queens is the creation of the US comics Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson, who brought their hit podcast of the same name to the stage of the Kings theatre in Brooklyn for the first of four HBO specials. As well as showcasing their double act, they feature standup routines from the likes of Buteau, who is a comedian and the host of the US reality series The Circle.
You may know Williams not just from the podcast but from her work as Daily Show correspondent with Jon Stewart and for her role in Lena Dunham’s Girls, if not for her tame 2017 romcom The Incredible Jessica James. As for Robinson, she made the superb podcast Sooo Many White Guys, premised on having people of colour as guests.As for the TV series, not all the gags are gynaecological but most are bracing – especially if, as I am, you’re pale, male and increasingly stale. 2 Dope Queens resembles Live at the Apollo, if Michael McIntyre were replaced by two clever, foul-mouthed blerds. Foul-mouthed what now? “Blerds” means black nerds, which is how Williams and Robinson self-identify. They call themselves Coco Khaleesis, in homage to the dragon queen from Game of Thrones.
They’re like Eric and Ernie, daffy and adorable, but with the kind of material that would make Morecambe and Wise’s writers reach for the smelling salts and Urban Dictionary.
“You know what really burns my toast?” Robinson asks Williams. The dope queens are listing things white men need to apologise for. “Your avocado toast,” clarifies Jessica (the pair tease each other endlessly about which one is the more bourgeois). What burns Phoebe’s toast is drunk guys on 2am subway trains. They look like they’re sleeping but are actually masturbating. “This has happened to you multiple times?” says Jessica, working her mock incredulity.
White women need to apologise, too. “White girls, they’re like: ‘Wish I could say to someone ‘Kiss my black ass’,” complains Robinson. ‘But that’s like 0.00001% of black experience.”
Both are knowing about the fact that they are performing their banter for an overwhelmingly white audience. When Williams complains about living in a West Village apartment big enough only for a queen-sized bed, Robinson calls her out for privileged whining. “How dare yo’ ass drag me in front of a majority white people situation,” Williams retorts.
That disjunction between audience and performers reminded me of Lenny Henry’s show at the Birmingham Hippodrome, in which the comedian flattered his white audience’s embrace of diversity before diving into more difficult material. He did a bit about how racists pasted human excrement on his door knocker when he was married to a white woman (Dawn French) and managed brilliantly to transmute his outrage into comedy.
The dope queens don’t get down like that. There is a moment when they might. Phoebe suggests Thomas Jefferson should apologise. “Sally was not his lover,” agrees Jessica. But this was slightly too gnomic to make much sense. (The slave-owning president was known for taking one of his plantation slaves, Sally Hemings, as his mistress. But that didn’t make her a lover, rather a sexually violated slave.)
Each of the four episodes of 2 Dope Queens is constructed around a theme. The first is called New York, which is why Jon Stewart was given a blind tasting of cold pizza from Queens and Brooklyn. Of upcoming episodes, my favourite is called Hair and includes a strangely likable Sarah Jessica Parker asking questions about black hair, and Black Panther star Lupita Nyong’o showing the hosts how to do box braids. Not since the salon sequences in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah have I learned so much.
It has taken this show three years to hit British screens, which is a shame. But it’s worth catching up with, especially at the moments when funny, clever women such as Michelle Buteau stick it to The Man. The right to fart in Trump voters’ faces isn’t protected speech under the first amendment, but it should be.
| 2021-01-12T22:15:51Z | true |
|
ＮＹ株式 １２日終値
|
Chunichi Shimbun
|
https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/184532/
|
[
"中日新聞Web"
] |
[] |
＜ダウ工業３０種平均＞
３１０６８．６９
前日比 ＋６０．００
| 2021-01-12T21:41:32Z | false |
|
ゴルフ 畑岡ら強化指定 五輪へ男女各８人
|
Chunichi Shimbun
|
https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/184534/
|
[
"中日新聞Web"
] |
[] |
日本ゴルフ協会の五輪競技対策本部は１２日、今年の男女各８人の強化指定選手を発表し、女子は畑岡奈紗、古江彩佳、渋野日向子ら、男子は松山英樹、今平周吾、石川遼らが名を連ねた。昨年の国内ツアー終了時の世界ランキングを基に申請のあった上位選手が指定を受けた。
東京五輪に向けて国立スポーツ科学センターや味の素ナショナルトレーニングセンターでメディカルチェックなどのサポートが受けられるほか、強化拠点のフェニックス・シーガイア・リゾート（宮崎市）をほぼ自己負担なしで利用できる。
| 2021-01-12T22:00:27Z | true |
|
森・組織委会長「五輪再延期は絶対不可能」
|
Chunichi Shimbun
|
https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/184537/
|
[
"中日新聞Web"
] |
[] |
東京五輪・パラリンピック組織委員会の森喜朗会長は十二日、共同通信きさらぎ会でインターネットを通じて講演し、新型コロナウイルス感染症で今夏に延期された東京大会を、さらに一年延期することについては「絶対不可能だ」と述べた。理由としては、開催準備で中心的な役割を担う組織委の職員の多くが、東京都や関係省庁からの出向者で、出向期間をさらに引き延ばすのは困難だと指摘。「お金の問題ではない」と語った。
コロナ禍で焦点の一つとなる海外からの観客受け入れの可否については、感染状況を慎重に見極め「二～三月にかけて非常に難しい判断を求められると思う」との見通しを示した。
共同通信が九、十日に実施した全国電話世論調査では、五輪・パラを「今夏に開催するべきだ」が１４・１％で、「再延期するべきだ」が４４・８％、「中止するべきだ」が３５・３％だった。今夏開催と再延期を合わせると５８・９％で、森氏は「だいたい六割の方は、（再度）延期しようと、五輪をやるべきだというご判断だ」と説明し、この点については「心強く感じた」と述べた。
| 2021-01-12T22:09:01Z | true |
|
Parler CEO says platform will ‘come back strong’ with changes to keep users safe while respecting free speech
|
Fox News
|
https://www.foxnews.com/media/parler-ceo-platform-strong-changes-free-speech
|
[
"Brian Flood"
] |
[
"big-tech-backlash"
] |
Parler CEO John Matze vowed that his now-banned social media platform will be back in the near future with an upper hand on competitors and slammed the "crazy" double standard between treatment of his company and Twitter.
"We want to come back and not only come back strong, but we want to do it and show that we have a better system for handling our own terms-of-service violations than our competitors. We want to make a bold statement when we come back and we want to do it strong. That’s my intention," Matze told Fox News.
In the wake of last week's deadly Capitol riot by a pro-Trump mob, Google dropped Parler's app from its Google Play Store on Friday. Apple followed suit Saturday by removing the app from the App store, while Amazon Web Services cut off Parler from its web hosting services on Sunday.
Matze plans to bring the platform back in anywhere from "a few days to a few weeks" but intends to make tweaks necessary to keep users safe.
"We’re going to be doing things a bit differently. The platform will be free speech first, and we will abide by and we will be promoting free speech, but we will be taking more algorithmic approaches to content but doing it to respect people’s privacy, too. We want people to have privacy and free speech, so we don’t want to track people. We don’t want to use their history and things of that nature to predict possible violations, but we will be having algorithms look at all the content … to try and predict whether it’s a terms-of-service violation so we can adjust quicker and the most egregious things can get taken down," Matze said. "So calls for violence, incitements, things of that nature, can be taken down immediately."
Matze said some of the changes were already in place by Sunday evening, adding Parler made Amazon aware that steps were taken to create a safer platform but it didn’t matter to the tech giant.
"We even offered to Amazon to have our engineers immediately use Amazon services – Amazon Rekognition and other tools – to find that content and get rid of it quickly and Amazon said, ‘That’s not enough,’ so apparently they don’t believe their own tools can be good enough to meet their own standards," he said.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Parler filed a lawsuit against Amazon on Monday. It is seeking a temporary restraining order to keep Amazon Web Services (AWS) from blacklisting Parler and claims Amazon Web Services is violating the Sherman Antitrust Act in the filing.
While a nonpartisan company, Parler has become a refuge for Trump supporters and others who have been either kicked off Facebook and Twitter or have those social networks in protest.
Matze feels that critics of Parler who assume that platform is essentially the Wild West of social media platforms have no idea that the company previously had a points-based system to weed out bad actors. The system penalized things such as calls for violence with "points" and accounts were automatically deleted once they accumulated a certain number.
"We don’t have a suspension period or anything like that, you just get deleted," Matze said. "They will get banned if they’re breaking the rules. It seems most people who are critical of Parler … know very little to nothing about what we stand for."
He feels that Parler being shunned has started an important conversation about how big of a threat Big Tech is to the "sovereignty" of any nation.
"I think Twitter banning the president was a real shock to the world, that’s for sure, at the power that social media companies hold. And then combine that with banning of Parler, which shows the power in which these tech companies have to solidify Twitter and Facebook’s monopoly and shield them," Matze said.
Now that Trump has been removed from Twitter and Parler is banned for the time being, many liberal activists have turned their attention to attempting to get other conservative voices silenced. Among the culprits is liberal network CNN, whose staffers have taken to Twitter to badger cable providers such as Comcast, Verizon and AT&T to stop offering conservative channels. Matze sees undeniable similarities between CNN staffers working to de-platform conservative news networks and Twitter allowing users to bring down Parler.
"CNN is leveraging its power to kill its competitors, not in the marketplace, but through pressure that can be viewed as anti-competitive. That is very similar to what Twitter has done with Parler, there is a large cancel culture mob of very vocal minorities on Twitter that has been spreading viral misinformation about what Parler stands for and viral misinformation about fake hacks that never occurred and things of that nature to tarnish our brand," Matze said.
"They weaponized this by tagging companies like Amazon, like Apple, Google … all of our vendors, and that can be viewed an anti-competitive, as well, because Twitter is essentially a publisher and they are kind of letting a cancel culture mob go wild, purposely targeting Twitter’s competitors," Matze continued. "It’s effective and it’s working."
The term "Hang Mike Pence" was allowed to trend on Twitter recently, indicating a double standard between how the two social media platforms are treated.
"Within 24 hours of us getting kicked off of Apple and Google, ‘Hang Mike Pence’ trended to the top. Which, to trend to the top of Twitter, you need hundreds of thousands of tweets to do it. So hundreds of thousands of people were threatening to hang the vice president of the United States and inciting violence against the vice president the same day Parler was kicked off for 90 examples of content – that’s what Amazon provided, 90 examples of content that was already mostly deleted for violating our rules," Matze said.
Matze said Apple's examples were not links to actual Parler content, but rather links to Twitter posts that had "screenshots" of violent content on Parler.
"The double standard is really crazy," he said.
| 2021-01-12T22:20:23Z | true |
|
Barbara Boxer ‘deregisters’ as foreign agent for Chinese surveillance company that targeted Uyghurs
|
Fox News
|
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/barbara-boxer-deregisters-as-foreign-agent-on-behalf-of-chinese-surveillance-company
|
[
"Caitlin McFall"
] |
[
"california",
"china",
"techs"
] |
Former California Sen. Barbara Boxer raised eyebrows this week after first registering as a foreign agent with the Chinese surveillance company Hikvision, then later "deregistering" Tuesday.
Hikvision was barred by the Commerce Department in 2019 over its involvement in the Chinese government’s suppression of the Uyghurs -- an ethnic minority population in the Xinjiang province located in northwest China.
Boxer, who registered with the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act Friday, was expected to serve as a "Strategic consultant," on behalf of the surveillance company for Mercury Public Affairs, a prominent lobbying firm where Boxer was recently named co-chair, the Daily Caller first reported.
While it is not unusual for former politicians to enter the lobbying world and register as foreign agents when working with another government, President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration committee threw a flag on Boxer consulting with Hikvison -- whose largest stakeholder is the Chinese government.
First reported by Axios, the committee said it would be returning Boxer’s inauguration donation of $500 to the former senator following her decision to work in coordination with the massive tech company.
Boxer told the online publication that the decision was an "opportunity" to "help a company operate in a more responsible and humane manner consistent with U.S. law in spirit and letter."
But she seemed to reverse her decision by Tuesday afternoon, announcing in a tweet that she "deregistered."
"Due to the intense response to my registration I have determined that my continued work has become a negative distraction from my effort to preserve American jobs and make the company better," Boxer wrote. "Therefore I have deregistered."
Hikvison is reportedly the world’s leading surveillance equipment supplier and signed a $272 million contract with Xinjiang police between 2016-2017, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
China’s campaign against the Uyghurs is thought to have started as early as 2013, when the government started using malware to track Uyghur populations.
The People’s Republic of China has since been accused of erecting mass internment camps that hold an estimated 1 million or more Uyghurs and taking other measures against the Xinjiang population with the assistance of technology companies like Hikvision.
Boxer served as a senator from 1993 until her retirement in 2017. She was replaced by then-Sen. Kamala Harris.
Boxer will still serve as co-chair for the lobbying group, which described her as a "trailblazer for women, a progressive crusader, and a consensus builder across party lines" in a January announcement.
Fox News could not immediately reach Biden’s transition team or Boxer for this report.
| 2021-01-12T22:27:12Z | true |
|
McConnell believes Trump committed impeachable offenses, supports Democrats' impeachment efforts: Report
|
Fox News
|
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mcconnell-believes-trump-committed-impeachable-offenses-supports-democrats-impeachment-efforts-report
|
[
"Brooke Singman"
] |
[] |
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly believes that President Trump committed impeachable offenses and supports Democrats’ move to impeach him for a second time after last week’s Capitol riot.
The New York Times first reported that McConnell was pleased that House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment against Trump.
McConnell’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
Last week, after the Capitol riot, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, McConnell’s wife, resigned from her post, citing the president’s conduct.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., vowed to bring articles of impeachment to the House floor for consideration on Wednesday morning.
Democratic Reps. Ted Lieu, David Cicilline, Jamie Raskin and Jerrold Nadler this week introduced the articles of impeachment against Trump, charging the president with violating his oath of office. Democrats on Tuesday are also pushing a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to use the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.
"In his conduct while President of the United States -- and in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States, and to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, Donald John Trump engaged in high Crimes and Misdemeanors by inciting violence against the Government of the United States," the article reads.
The article alleges that before Jan. 6, the joint session of Congress to certify the presidential election results, Trump "repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the presidential election results were the product of widespread fraud and should not be accepted by the American people or certified by State or Federal officials."
The article claims that before the Jan. 6 joint session the president addressed a crowd in Washington where he "reiterated false claims that 'we won this election, and we won it by a landslide,' and "willfully made statements that, in context, encouraged -- and foreseeably resulted in --lawless action at the Capitol."
The article refers to Trump's statement: "If you don't fight like hell you're not going to have a country anymore."
"Thus incited by President Trump, members of the crowd he had addressed, in an attempt to, among other objectives, interfere with the Joint Session's solemn constitutional duty to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, unlawfully breached and vandalized the Capitol, injured and killed law enforcement personnel, menaced Members of Congress, the Vice President and Congressional personnel, and engaged in other violent, deadly, destructive, and seditious acts," the article states.
The article adds that Trump's conduct "followed his prior efforts to subvert and obstruct the certification of the 2020 Presidential election," referring to his phone call earlier this month with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, where he pressured him to "find" enough votes to overturn the state's election results.
"In all this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government," the article states. "He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government."
The article adds that he "betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States."
"Donald John Trump thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States," it said.
The calls for Trump’s removal come after the president spoke at a rally Wednesday, telling supporters that he would "never concede," and repeated unsubstantiated claims that the election was "stolen" from him and that he won in a "landslide."
During Trump's remarks, he renewed pressure on Pence to swing the vote back toward himself. He claimed that Pence should decertify the results of the presidential election and send it "back to the states," claiming that if he did that, Trump would be president for another four years.
Trump’s remarks came ahead of a joint session of Congress to certify the results of the presidential election. As members of the House and Senate raised objections to certain electoral votes, both chambers called for a recess and left their chambers as pro-Trump protesters breached the Capitol building.
Washington Metro police said the security breach at the Capitol resulted in four deaths – including a woman who had been shot inside the building – and at least 70 arrests.
Congress later returned and certified the Electoral College vote early Thursday, in favor of President-elect Joe Biden.
White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino posted a statement from the president on Twitter early Thursday morning: "Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th."
"I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted," Trump said. "While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again!"
Meanwhile, President Trump acknowledged that he bears some blame for the Capitol riot last week during a conversation with House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, a source familiar told Fox News.
Two sources say McCarthy, R-Calif., relayed the president’s sentiment on a call Monday with the House GOP Conference.
McCarthy, on the call Monday with Republicans, agreed that Trump bore blame for the unrest, which sent Congress into lockdown as they tried to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election last week.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The House voted to impeach Trump in December 2019, but the Senate acquitted him on both articles of impeachment – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress – in February 2020.
The House impeachment inquiry began after the president pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a phone call in July 2019 to look into Biden’s role pressing for the ouster of a Ukrainian prosecutor who had been investigating the founder of Burisma Holdings – a Ukrainian natural gas firm where his son, Hunter, sat on the board.
Trump's pressure campaign against Ukraine prompted a whistleblower complaint which resulted in the impeachment inquiry.
The president’s request came after millions in U.S. military aid to Ukraine had been frozen, which Democrats cited as a quid pro quo arrangement.
| 2021-01-12T22:19:55Z | true |
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