tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41260306566092248152024-03-21T04:47:20.947-07:00Domini RadioAsta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.comBlogger285125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-23642801922362491742021-11-15T05:24:00.001-08:002021-11-15T05:24:07.436-08:00US journalist is freed from Myanmar prison with ex-diplomat Richardsons help <img src="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/11/15/ap21319359869703_wide-9392575192e3e016017cd707be9cd9a2104b6831-s1100-c50.jpg" class="img" alt loading="lazy"> Enlarge this image <p> In this photo provided by the Richardson Center, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson, right, poses with journalist Danny Fenster in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Monday. Richardson said in a statement that Fenster had been released from prison and handed over to him in Myanmar and would be soon on his way home via Qatar. AP </p> AP <p>BANGKOK â" American journalist Danny Fenster, sentenced only days ago to 11 years hard labor in Myanmar, has been freed and is on his way home, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson said Monday.</p> <p>Richardson said in a statement that Fenster had been handed over to him in Myanmar and would return to the U.S. via Qatar over the next day and a half.</p> <p>"This is the day that you hope will come when you do this work," Richardson said in a statement emailed from his office. "We are so grateful that Danny will finally be able to reconnect with his loved ones, who have been advocating for him all this time, against immense odds."</p> <p>Fenster, the managing editor of the online magazine Frontier Myanmar, was convicted Friday of spreading false or inflammatory information, contacting illegal organizations and violating visa regulations.</p> <p>Fenster's sentence was the harshest punishment yet among the seven journalists known to have been convicted since the military took power.</p> <p>U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price condemned the decision, saying in a statement that it was "an unjust conviction of an innocent person."</p> <p>Richardson says he negotiated Fenster's release during a recent visit to Myanmar when he held face-to-face meetings with Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the military leader who ousted the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in February.</p> <p>Richardson, who also served as governor of New Mexico and secretary of energy in the Clinton administration, has a record of acting as a sort of freelance diplomat.</p> <p>He is best known for traveling to nations with which Washington has poor, if any relations â" such as North Korea â" to obtain the freedom of detained Americans.</p> <p>Recently he has been involved in seeking freedom for U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela, another country with which Washington has strained ties.</p> <p>Richardson has a long history of involvement with Myanmar, starting in 1994 when as a member of U.S. Congress he met Suu Kyi at her home, where she had been under house arrest since 1989 under a previous military government.</p> <p>He last visited Myanmar in 2018 to advise on the crisis involving the country's Muslim Rohingya minority. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to refugee camps in Bangladesh after Myanmar's military in 2017 launched a brutal crackdown.</p> <p>In an interview with The Associated Press after his most recent visit to Myanmar, Richardson had said his talks there had focused on facilitating humanitarian assistance to the country, particularly the provision of COVID-19 vaccines,</p> <p>He said his staff had been in touch with Fenster's family, and when asked if there was hope for Danny Fenster's release, he replied: "There's always hope. Don't ask any more."</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-81888922687627196832021-11-15T03:03:00.001-08:002021-11-15T03:03:50.974-08:00US journalist Danny Fenster freed from Myanmar prison on way home<p>Bangkok â" American journalist Danny Fenster, sentenced only days ago to 11 years hard labor in Myanmar, has been freed and is on his way home, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson said Monday. Richardson said in a statement that Fenster had been handed over to him in Myanmar and would return to the U.S. via Qatar over the next day and a half.</p><p>"This is the day that you hope will come when you do this work," Richardson said in a statement emailed from his office. "We are so grateful that Danny will finally be able to reconnect with his loved ones, who have been advocating for him all this time, against immense odds."</p><img src="https://cbsnews2.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2021/11/15/a4862f82-113b-4ef3-bf7f-d4780f7042ec/thumbnail/620x417/97628a837313a0a629895123fbc1f850/danny-fenster-bill-richardson-ap21319363831916.jpg#" alt="danny-fenster-bill-richardson-ap21319363831916.jpg " height="417" width="620" class=" lazyload" data-srcset="https://cbsnews2.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2021/11/15/a4862f82-113b-4ef3-bf7f-d4780f7042ec/thumbnail/620x417/97628a837313a0a629895123fbc1f850/danny-fenster-bill-richardson-ap21319363831916.jpg 1x, https://cbsnews3.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2021/11/15/a4862f82-113b-4ef3-bf7f-d4780f7042ec/thumbnail/1240x834/df3dccb6c460b439edbcf852cca2eba7/danny-fenster-bill-richardson-ap21319363831916.jpg 2x" srcset="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20viewBox%3D'0%200%20620%20417'%2F%3E"> In this photo provided by the Richardson Center, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson, right, poses with American journalist Danny Fenster in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, November 15, 2021. The Richardson Center via AP <p>Fenster, the managing editor of the online magazine Frontier Myanmar, was convicted Friday of spreading false or inflammatory information, contacting illegal organizations and violating visa regulations. </p> <p>Fenster's sentence was the harshest punishment yet among the seven journalists known to have been convicted since the military took power. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price condemned the decision, saying in a statement that it was "an unjust conviction of an innocent person."</p><p>Richardson says he negotiated Fenster's release during a recent visit to Myanmar when he held face-to-face meetings with Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the military leader who ousted the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in February.</p> Detained U.S. journalist's family speaks out 08:28 <p>Richardson, who also served as governor of New Mexico and secretary of energy in the Clinton administration, has a record of acting as a sort of freelance diplomat.<br> <br>He is best known for traveling to nations with which Washington has poor, if any relations â" such as North Korea â" to obtain the freedom of detained Americans.<br> <br>Recently he has been involved in seeking freedom for U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela, another country with which Washington has strained ties.<br> <br>Richardson has a long history of involvement with Myanmar, starting in 1994 when as a member of U.S. Congress he met Suu Kyi at her home, where she had been under house arrest since 1989 under a previous military government.</p> Deadly fire tears through Rohingya refugee ca... 01:52 <p>He last visited Myanmar in 2018 to advise on the crisis involving the country's Muslim Rohingya minority. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to refugee camps in Bangladesh after Myanmar's military in 2017 launched a brutal crackdown.</p> <p>In an interview with The Associated Press after his most recent visit to Myanmar, Richardson had said his talks there had focused on facilitating humanitarian assistance to the country, particularly the provision of COVID-19 vaccines,</p><p>He said his staff had been in touch with Fenster's family, and when asked if there was hope for Danny Fenster's release, he replied: "There's always hope. Don't ask any more."</p> <p> Trending News </p> Download our Free App <p class="item__dek">For Breaking News & Analysis Download the Free CBS News app</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-82670381288399309962021-11-15T00:38:00.001-08:002021-11-15T00:38:53.958-08:00How four speakers can rival a dedicated 12-channel home theatre setup<p>Getting big home theatre sound without the complexity and space required for a fully wired system has long been the goal for all-in-one solutions like soundbars. Yet while they might be a big step up from TV speakers, they often fail to deliver an immersive surround sound experience.</p><p>The HT-A9 from Sony has even loftier ambitions. Using just four small wireless units placed anywhere in your room, it aims to deliver all the scale and sound of a dedicated 12-channel speaker system. And not only does it succeed, outperforming every soundbar for engrossing audio, it even rivals my wired 7.1.4 system (thatâs seven speakers at ear level, one sub woofer and four speakers in the ceiling).</p><img alt="The four units that make up Sonyâs HT-A9 can be placed just about anywhere." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.401%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_197%2C$y_194/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/99ae8aa0b5a7dbb1bcf8d9f4a2c4497792babe85" height="224" width="335" srcset="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.401%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_197%2C$y_194/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/99ae8aa0b5a7dbb1bcf8d9f4a2c4497792babe85, https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.401%2C$multiply_0.8862%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_197%2C$y_194/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/99ae8aa0b5a7dbb1bcf8d9f4a2c4497792babe85 2x"><p>The four units that make up Sonyâs HT-A9 can be placed just about anywhere.</p><p>The HT-A9âs units each house one upwards-firing driver for bouncing sound off the ceiling and back down to your ears, one front-firing driver and one tweeter, delivering 4.0.4 channel audio. That means thereâs no centre speaker and no subwoofer included, though you can buy the latter separately (more on that later).</p><p>All four units require a power outlet, and connect wirelessly to a control box which looks a lot like an Apple TV. The control box sports a HDMI 2.1 input for connecting extra devices like a games console, as well as a HDMI output for connecting to the TVâs eARC port.</p><p>At 30 centimetres in height and around half the depth of traditional bookshelf speakers, the wireless units are remarkably compact, while the gray fabric grilles are designed to blend in with the rest of your living room.</p><img alt="The wireless units do a great job directing the sound, but youâll want to invest in a subwoofer as well." loading="lazy" src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.451%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_388%2C$y_212/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/41d97aed93641364be17e436be90e75054e0cfe4" height="224" width="335" srcset="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.451%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_388%2C$y_212/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/41d97aed93641364be17e436be90e75054e0cfe4, https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.451%2C$multiply_0.8862%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_388%2C$y_212/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/41d97aed93641364be17e436be90e75054e0cfe4 2x"><p>The wireless units do a great job directing the sound, but youâll want to invest in a subwoofer as well.</p><p>The magic is how the setup uses psychoacoustic techniques and sound optimisation to create 12 âphantomâ speakers for sound that resembles a 7.1.4 system.</p><p>When first firing up the speakers you will need to step through a minute-long auto calibration process which uses the dual microphones built into each unit to map out the dimensions of the room, including the distance between each speaker and the height of the ceiling. From those calculations, the system creates its own virtual dome of sound using Sonyâs 360 Spatial Sound Mapping.</p><p>Unlike traditional soundbars, which sound front heavy and boxed in, the enveloping sound of the HT-A9 actually sounds like you have 12 physical speakers carefully positioned throughout the room. Regardless of whether I was watching movies or playing games, the clarity of the imaging and separation of different objects in the soundscape was crystal clear and well defined. It didnât sound like objects were travelling from one speaker to the next, instead they panned smoothly around and above the room.</p><p>The sheer resolution and detail retrieval of the HT-A9, particularly in content that sports a spatial audio mix such as The Matrix and The Quiet Place Part II, meant I heard little details that I missed entirely on my 7.1.4 speaker system.</p><p>Without a centre speaker, Sony relies on its phantom speaker tech to deliver dialogue and, once again, it sounded clear and intelligible throughout. In many ways the centre fill sounded better, as it was less directional and more dispersed than what you would normally get with a dedicated centre channel.</p><p>The HT-A9âs mapping is so accurate in fact that, unlike traditional home theatre speakers, you can put the speakers just about anywhere and donât need to worry about having them orientated at the same height and distance.</p><p>I put mine on a tall bookshelf, a side table behind the couch, a media cabinet below the television and a coffee table closer to the ground. To my surprise, I didnât notice any dropoff in audio quality when compared to having them in their ideal speaker positions. Just keep in mind that you will need to run through the calibration process every time you move any of the speakers.</p><p>The HT-A9 equally shined with music, particularly 360 Audio supported tracks on services like Tidal, boasting plenty of clarity and a wide soundstage. Home theatre systems rarely sound great with music, so this is a big win for the HT-A9.</p><p>However, the HT-A9âs attempt to replicate a phantom subwoofer was far from convincing, making the âoptionalâ wireless subwoofer that Sony sells separately a mandatory purchase.</p><p>At $2299 plus $999 for the optional sub, the HT-A9 wonât be for everyone. But when you consider that it delivers a level of immersive sound that other soundbars canât while also taking up less space and offering flexible placement, the HT-A9 is hard to beat.</p><p>Get news and reviews on technology, gadgets and gaming in our Technology newsletter every Friday. Sign up here.</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-51717631901704762642021-11-14T22:17:00.001-08:002021-11-14T22:17:39.217-08:00Australia Win Their First T20 World Cup<img src="https://editorialge.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Australia-win-T20-World-Cup.jpg" class="ff-og-image-inserted">Spread the love<br> <p>The new T20 World Cup champions are Australia. Australia defeated New Zealand by 8 wickets to win their first T20 World Cup in the final in Dubai. Mitchell Marsh (77*) and David Warner (53*) lead the team to victory.</p> <p>The Aussies chase down the target of 173 in 18.5 overs, thanks to David Warnerâs 53 and Mitchell Marshâs 77 not out, to win their first global title in the shortest format.</p> <p>Trent Boult removed Aaron Finch in the third over as the Black Caps took first blood.<br>Mitchell Marsh, on the other hand, took on Adam Milne in his first over and smashed him for two fours and a six.</p> <p>After the first six overs, he and Warner had taken Australia to 43/1. The duo kept going in the same direction, putting off another 50-run outing. They gave Australia the upper hand in the chase by reducing Australia to 82/1 after ten overs. Warner reached 50 before Trent Boult cleaned him up on 53.<br>Marsh followed up with a 50 off 31 balls, the fastest in a T20 WC final, to help Australia reach 136/2 in 15 overs.</p> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">Men's T20 World Champions for the very first time! ð#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/sRlIlGLLeZ</p> <p>â" Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) November 14, 2021</p> <p>He and Glenn Maxwell put on an unbroken 67-run third-wicket stand to get the team home with 1.1 overs to spare. To win the T20 World Cup final, New Zealand set Australia a target of 173 in 20 overs in the first innings. After three overs, the Black Caps were 23/0 thanks to some early boundaries from Martin Guptill and Daryl Mitchell. Matthew Wade snatched Guptill from Glenn Maxwell.</p> <p>Josh Hazlewood removed Mitchell in the next over, reducing New Zealand to 37/1 after seven overs.<br>After that, Kane Williamson smacked a couple of boundaries to help New Zealand reach 57/1 after 10 overs.</p> <p>He reached 50 in 31 balls, bringing New Zealand to 102/2 after 14 overs. After 17 overs, Williamson hammered Mitchell Starc for 22 runs in an over to lift New Zealand to 117/2. Hazlewood scalped the huge finish after dismissing Glenn Phillips in the same over, bringing his attack to a conclusion on 85 off 48 balls.</p> <p>In 20 overs, Tim Seifer and Jimmy Neesham took New Zealand to 172/4.</p> <p>Apart from this, you can also read Entertainment, Tech, and Health-related articles here: Twitch Error 2000, Alyson Hannigan, Brent Rivera net worth, Emma Watson net worth, 444 angel number, 666 angel number, 1616 angel number, 777 angel number, 333 angel number, Dave Portnoy net worth, Lionel Messi net worth, Keanu Reeves net worth, The Equalizer 3, The 100 Season 8, Gina Carano net worth, Bruno Mars net worth, KissAnime, Jim Carrey net worth, PDF Drive, Youtbe, Bailey Sarian Net Worth, Bollyshare, Afdah, Moviezwap, Y8, Jalshamoviez, Project Free TV, Kissasian, Mangago, Jio Rockers, M4uHD, Hip dips, M4ufree, NBAstreams XYZ, CCleaner Browser review, Avocado Calories, Bear Grylls net worth, Highest Paid CEO, The 100 season 8, Sundar Pichai net worth, Grimes net worth, and, F95Zone.</p> <br>Spread the love Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-73584771487308368692021-11-14T05:32:00.001-08:002021-11-14T05:32:35.776-08:00CarGurus Instant Max Cash Offer Extends to New York<p align="left">CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) â" CarGurus (Nasdaq: CARG), a multinational, online automotive platform for buying and selling vehicles, announced today it is bringing its seamless, convenient, and 100%-online car selling experience to more states as consumers look to trade in their vehicles for the best possible offer and hassle-free experience. CarGurus has added New York, Maryland and Minnesota as the latest locations to its phased national rollout of CarGurus Instant Max Cash Offer.</p> <p>Launched in late July, CarGurus Instant Max Cash Offer is based on the powerful synergies of the CarOffer-CarGurus partnership. Leveraging CarGurusâ leading online marketplace of approximately 29M unique monthly car shoppers in the U.S.1 with CarOfferâs Buying Matrix network of thousands of dealers across the country, CarGurus Instant Max Cash Offer brings consumers and dealers together as no other platform can do. The solution gives dealers access to much-needed inventory supply, and consumers looking to sell their car receive the highest buy order instantly from thousands of dealers throughout the U.S. In addition, the companiesâ expertise in auto retail ensures the experience extends with a white-glove pickup and payment service. For more information on how it works, visit here.</p> <p>âWe are thrilled with the early success of CarGurus Instant Max Cash Offer and weâre only halfway through our rollout across the U.S.,â said Sam Zales, President and Chief Operating Officer at CarGurus. âWe are delivering a solution that simply hasnât been done before â" one that benefits dealers faced with a scarcity of inventory, and one that meets the demands of consumers for convenience, transparency, simplicity and a premium buy offer. Our rollout of CarGurus Instant Max Cash Offer is being done in a thoughtful, deliberately staggered way to ensure seamless scalability and reliability for everyone involved. The response so far has been outstanding and we are only at the tip of the spear in realizing the potential of our reach and capabilities.â</p> <p>One recent consumer shared his CarGurus Instant Max Cash Offer experience: âThe offer was better than any offer I was getting from dealerships or people in general and it was just an offer I couldnât turn down. It was a smooth and easy process for me to go through to get the car sold. I would definitely recommend CarGurus to friends and family,â said Daylan from Texas.</p> <p>âThe struggle to find quality, retail-ready inventory is a real issue for the industry, and the CarGurus-CarOffer consumer-to-dealer approach is a huge win for us,â said Aaron Sanchez, General Manager of Principle Auto, BMW of Corpus Christi. âOnce we adapted to the automation of the buy orders, we were able to see inventory flow effortlessly. Plus, buying directly from consumers in our market and elsewhere keeps us close to the car buyer and seller for future opportunity in sales and service.â</p> <p>As of September 30th, there were approximately 7,000 dealer rooftops2 enrolled on the CarOffer Buying Matrix⢠platform and itâs consistently growing. The vast dealer-to-dealer network breaks away from traditional methods of sourcing inventory and allows for automated buying and selling opportunities that extend well beyond the standard 500-mile trading radius to markets across the country. Dealers interested in learning more about this program can contact their CarGurus sales representative, and read more information on the CarGurusâ Dealer Resource Center.</p> <p>For the latest information on and availability of CarGurus Instant Max Cash Offer, please visit CarGurus.com.</p> <p>About CarGurus</p> <p>CarGurus (Nasdaq: CARG) is a multinational, online automotive platform for buying and selling vehicles that is building upon its industry-leading listings marketplace with both digital retail solutions and the CarOffer online wholesale platform. The CarGurus marketplace gives consumers the confidence to purchase or sell a vehicle either online or in-person; and gives dealerships the power to accurately price, effectively market, instantly acquire and quickly sell vehicles, all with a nationwide reach. The company uses proprietary technology, search algorithms and data analytics to bring trust, transparency, and competitive pricing to the automotive shopping experience. CarGurus is the most visited automotive shopping site in the U.S. (source: Comscore Media Metrix® Multi-Platform, Automotive â" Information/Resources, Total Visits, Q3 2021, U.S.).</p> <p>CarGurus also operates online marketplaces under the CarGurus brand in Canada and the United Kingdom. In the United States and the United Kingdom, CarGurus also operates the Autolist and PistonHeads online marketplaces, respectively, as independent brands.</p> <p>To learn more about CarGurus, visit www.cargurus.com and for more information about CarOffer, visit www.caroffer.com.</p> <p>CarGurus® is a registered trademark of CarGurus, Inc., and CarOffer® is a registered trademark of CarOffer, LLC. All other product names, trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.</p> <p>© 2021 CarGurus, Inc., All Rights Reserved.</p> <p>Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements</p> <p>This press release includes forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical facts, including, without limitation, statements regarding our expectations for CarGurus Instant Max Cash Offer, including expansion plans and the value proposition for both consumers and dealers, CarOffer dealer rooftop enrollment growth, and our business and strategy are forward-looking statements. The words âanticipate,â âbelieve,â âcontinue,â âestimate,â âexpect,â âguide,â âintend,â âlikely,â âmay,â âwillâ and similar expressions and their negatives are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks related to our growth and ability to grow our revenue, our relationships with dealers, competition in the markets in which we operate, market growth, our ability to innovate, our ability to realize benefits from our acquisitions and successfully implement the integration strategies in connection therewith, natural disasters, epidemics or pandemics, like COVID-19 that has negatively impacted our business, our ability to operate in compliance with applicable laws, as well as other risks and uncertainties as may be detailed from time to time in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Moreover, we operate in very competitive and rapidly changing environments. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity, performance, achievements or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will occur. We are under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform these statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.</p> <p>Contact:<br>Brian Kramer, Director of Public Relations<br>pr@cargurus.com</p> <p>Investor Contact:<br>Kirndeep Singh, Vice President of Investor Relations<br>investors@cargurus.com</p> <p>1 As of September 30, 2021; represents average monthly unique users in the U.S. for the third quarter of 2021.<br>2 Defined as those for which CarOffer and the applicable dealer have signed an enrollment agreement to participate on the CarOffer platform and CarOffer has entered such dealerâs rooftops in its sales management system. Includes dealers that have signed an enrollment agreement but have not yet completed CarOfferâs onboarding process.</p> <p><img src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/OThmMmRhMzEtMzk1MC00ODFlLTkxMDYtNWZjMTg3ZGViZjA4LTEwOTI2NTQ=/tiny/CarGurus-Inc-.png" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" alt="CarGurus Inc" title="CarGurus⢠Instant Max Cash Offer Extends to New York, 1"></p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-48565407020222290982021-11-14T03:08:00.001-08:002021-11-14T03:08:13.846-08:00Cops probe school board head over eerie dossier on parents<img src="https://cdni.rt.com/files/2021.11/article/6190a602203027619f331d80.JPG" class="ff-og-image-inserted"><p> Scottsdale, Arizona Police are investigating a school board president after he was found to have access to a digital dossier which included social security numbers and divorce records of parents who held opposing views. </p><p>Jann-Michael Greenburg, the president of the Scottsdale Unified School District board, made headlines this week after he was allegedly found to have access to an eerie dossier on school parents who had criticized the board and protested mask mandates.</p><p>[embedded content]</p><p>Social security numbers, divorce records, financial data, Facebook comments, and photos of children were just some of the items allegedly contained in the dossier, which appeared to target parents who opposed mask mandates and Critical Race Theory (CRT) being taught in schools.</p><p>On Saturday, the Scottsdale Police Department said it was âaware of the allegationsâ against Greenburg and is investigating.</p><p>We are conducting an investigation into the matter and will report our findings once it is complete</p><p>The dossier â" which was allegedly created by Greenburgâs father, Mark Greenburg â" was uncovered after the school board president accidentally shared a Google Drive link with a mother who he accused of being âanti-Semitic,â after she criticized left-wing billionaire George Soros.</p><p>Though the dossier has since been pulled offline, it reportedly contained files on several parents and referred to them as âwackos,â âpsychos,â and âanti-mask lunatics.â</p><p>On Wednesday, the Scottsdale Unified School District wrote a letter to parents distancing itself from the dossier, which it dismissed as âunrelatedâ to the districtâs work.</p><p>Though the district cited Greenburgâs father as the creator of the dossier, Greenburg himself allegedly had editing access, and one of the parents, Amanda Wray, noted that he âhad the drive open on his computerâ in a screenshot that he emailed.</p><p>Greenburgâs social media accounts and website were taken down amid the controversy.</p><p>Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-24850800997838500192021-11-14T00:46:00.001-08:002021-11-14T00:46:51.983-08:00Glasgow Summit Ends Amidst Climate of Disappointment<img data-src-lazy="https://static.globalissues.org/ips/2021/11/a-5.jpg" alt>One of the family photos taken after the laborious end of the 26th climate summit in Glasgow, which closed a day later than scheduled with a Climate Pact described as falling short by even the most optimistic, lacking important decisions to combat the crisis and without directly confronting fossil fuels, the cause of the emergency. CREDIT: UNFCCC<li class="author">by Emilio Godoy (glasgow)</li><li>Sunday, November 14, 2021</li><li class="news-source">Inter Press Service</li><p>GLASGOW, Nov 14 (IPS) - Developing countries will surely remember the Glasgow climate summit, the most important since 2015, as a fiasco that left them as an afterthought.</p><p>That was the prevailing sentiment among delegates from the developing South during the closing ceremony on the night of Saturday Nov. 13, one day after the scheduled end of the conference.</p><p>Bolivia's chief negotiator, Diego Pacheco, questioned the outcome of the summit. "It is not fair to pass the responsibility to developing countries. Developed countries do not want to acknowledge their responsibility for the crisis. They have systematically broken their funding pledges and emission reduction commitments," he told IPS minutes after the end of the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) on climate change in Glasgow.</p><p>The 196 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ignored the public clamor, which took shape in the demands of indigenous peoples, young people, women, scientists and social movements around the world for substantive measures to combat the climate crisis, even though the goal of containing global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is barely surviving on life support.</p><p>The Glasgow Climate Pact that came out of the summit finally mentions the need to move away from the use of coal. But it had to water down the stronger recommendation to "phase out" in order to overcome the last stumbling block.</p><p>In addition, COP26 broke a taboo, albeit very tepidly, after arduous marches and counter-marches in the negotiating room and in the three drafts of the Glasgow Pact: there was a mention of fossil fuels as part of the climate emergency. And it also stated the need to reduce "inefficient" subsidies for fossil fuels.</p><p>But the summit, where decisions are made by consensus, avoided a strong stance in this regard. It also avoided moving from recommendations to obligations for the next edition, to be held in Egypt, and those that follow, while the climate crisis continues causing severe droughts, devastating storms, melting of the polar ice caps and warming of the oceans.</p><p>In a plenary session that was delayed by several minutes, the final declaration underwent a last-minute change when India, one of the villains of the meeting - along with Saudi Arabia, Australia and Russia - asked for the phrase "phasing out" of coal to be replaced by "phasing down", a change questioned by countries such as Mexico, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.</p><p>A paradoxical fact at the close of COP26, where civil society organizations complained that they were left out, was the decision of several countries to endorse the final text even though they differed on several points, including the fossil energy face-lifts.</p><p>âToday, we can say with credibility that we have kept 1.5 degrees within reach. But its pulse is weak. And it will only survive if we keep our promises. If we translate commitments into rapid action,â said conference chairman Alok Sharma, choking back tears after a pact - albeit a minimal one â" was reached by negotiating three drafts and holding arduous discussions on the fossil fuel question, right up to the final plenary.</p><img data-src-lazy="https://static.globalissues.org/ips/2021/11/aa-5.jpg" class="wp-image-173798" alt="COP26 chair Alok Sharma blinked back tears during his closing speech at the climate summit, expressing the tension of negotiating the Glasgow Climate Pact, due to the hurdles thrown in the way of a consensus by the big coal and oil producers. CREDIT: UNFCCC-Twitter" width="640" height="696"> COP26 chair Alok Sharma blinked back tears during his closing speech at the climate summit, expressing the tension of negotiating the Glasgow Climate Pact, due to the hurdles thrown in the way of a consensus by the big coal and oil producers. CREDIT: UNFCCC-Twitter<p>The South is still waiting</p><p>Lost amidst the impacts of the climate emergency and forgotten by the industrialized countries, the global South failed to obtain something vital for many of its nations: a clear plan and funding for loss and damage, an issue that was deferred to COP27 in Egypt.</p><p>Mohamed Adow, director of the non-governmental Power Shift Africa, said the pact is "not good enoughâ¦There is no mention of solidarity and justice. We need a clear process to face loss and damage. There should be a link between emission reduction, financing and adaptation.â</p><p>The final decision by China, the United States, India and the European Union to turn their backs on a global fossil fuel exit and deny climate support to the most vulnerable nations left the developing world high and dry.</p><p>"There are things that cannot wait to COP27 or 2025. To face loss and damage, the most vulnerable countries need financing to battle the impacts on their territories,â Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, global climate and energy leader for the non-governmental World Wildlife Fund, told IPS.</p><p>Climate policies were, at least on the agenda, the focus of COP26.</p><p>The summit focused on carbon market rules, climate finance of at least 100 billion dollars per year, gaps between emission reduction targets and needed reductions, strategies for carbon neutrality by 2050, adaptation plans, and the working platform for local communities and indigenous peoples.</p><p>But the goal of hundreds of billions of dollars per year has been postponed, a reflection of the fact that financing for climate mitigation and adaptation is a touchy issue, especially for developed countries.</p><img data-src-lazy="https://static.globalissues.org/ips/2021/11/aaa-4.jpg" class="wp-image-173799" alt="The corridors of the Blue Zone of the Scottish Events Campus, where the official part of the 26th Climate Conference was held in the city of Glasgow, were emptying on Saturday Nov. 13, at the end of the summit, which lasted a day longer than scheduled and ended with a negative balance according to civil society organizations. CREDIT: Emilio Godoy/IPS" width="640" height="480"> The corridors of the Blue Zone of the Scottish Events Campus, where the official part of the 26th Climate Conference was held in the city of Glasgow, were emptying on Saturday Nov. 13, at the end of the summit, which lasted a day longer than scheduled and ended with a negative balance according to civil society organizations. CREDIT: Emilio Godoy/IPS<p>Offers and promises - on paper</p><p>One breakthrough at COP26 was the approval of the rules of the Paris Agreement, signed in the French capital in December 2015, at COP21, to form the basis on which subsequent summits have revolved. By 2024, all countries will have to report detailed data on emissions, which will form a baseline to assess future greenhouse gas reductions.</p><p>The agreement on the functioning of carbon markets creates a trading system between countries, but does not remove the possibility of countries and companies skirting the rules.</p><p>Industrialized countries committed to doubling adaptation finance by 2025 based on 2019 amounts. In addition, COP26 approved a new work program to increase greenhouse gas cuts, with reports due in 2022.</p><p>It also asked the UNFCCC to evaluate climate plans that year and its final declaration calls on countries to switch from coal and hydrocarbons to renewable energy.</p><p>Apart from the Climate Pact, the summit produced voluntary commitments against deforestation, emissions of methane, a gas more polluting than carbon dioxide, and the phasing out of gasoline and diesel vehicles.</p><p>In addition, at least 10 countries agreed to put an end to the issuing of new hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation licenses in their territories.</p><p>Furthermore, some thirty nations agreed to suspend public funding for coal, gas and oil by 2022.</p><img data-src-lazy="https://static.globalissues.org/ips/2021/11/aaaa-2.jpg" class="wp-image-173801" alt=" Demonstrations demanding ambitious, substantive and equitable measures to address the climate crisis continued throughout the 14-day climate summit in Glasgow, which ended on the night of Saturday Nov. 13 with disappointing results for the global South. CREDIT: Emilio Godoy/IPS" width="640" height="480"> Demonstrations demanding ambitious, substantive and equitable measures to address the climate crisis continued throughout the 14-day climate summit in Glasgow, which ended on the night of Saturday Nov. 13 with disappointing results for the global South. CREDIT: Emilio Godoy/IPS<p>Finally, more than 100 stakeholders, including countries and companies, signed up to the elimination of cars with internal combustion engines by 2030, without the major automobile manufacturers such as Germany, Spain and France joining in, and a hundred nations signed a pact to promote sustainable agriculture.</p><p>All of the 2030 pledges, which still need concrete plans for implementation, imply a temperature rise of 2.8 degrees C by the end of this century, according to the independent Climate Action Tracker.</p><p>The climate plans of the 48 least developed countries (LDCs) would cost more than 93 billion dollars annually, the non-governmental International Institute for Environment and Development said in Glasgow.</p><p>In addition, annual adaptation costs in developing countries would be about 70 billion dollars, reaching a total of 140 to 300 billion dollars by 2030, according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).</p><p>But the largest disbursements are related to loss and damage, which would range between 290 billion and 580 billion dollars by 2030, and hence the enormous concern of these nations to obtain essential financing, according to a 2019 study. And their disappointment with the results of the Oct. 31-Nov.13 conference.</p><p>During his presentation at the closing plenary, Seve Paeniu, a climate envoy from Tuvalu, an island nation whose very existence is threatened by the rising sea level, showed a photo of his three grandchildren and said he had been thinking about what to say to them when he got home.</p><p>"Glasgow has made a promise to guarantee their future. It will be the best Christmas gift that I can bring home,â he said. But judging by the Climate Pact, Paeniu may have to look for another present.</p><p>IPS produced this article with the support of Iniciativa Climática of Mexico and the European Climate Foundation.</p><p>© Inter Press Service (2021) â" All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-84123267791093109572021-11-13T20:00:00.001-08:002021-11-13T20:00:59.727-08:00Battle among Ecuador prison gangs kills at least 68 inmatesBy Gonzalo Solano November 14, 2021 â" 2.06pmNormal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text size<p>Quito, Ecuador: A prolonged gunbattle between rival gangs inside Ecuadorâs largest prison killed at least 68 inmates and wounded 25, while authorities said clashes were still uncontrolled hours later at the Litoral Penitentiary, which recently saw the countryâs worst prison bloodbath.</p><p>The killing erupted before dawn on Saturday (local time) at the prison in the coastal city of Guayaquil in what officials said was the latest outbreak of fighting among prison gangs linked to international drug cartels. Videos circulating on social media showed bodies, some burned, lying on the ground inside the prison.</p><img alt="A relative of an inmate in the Litoral penitentiary demands information after dozens were killed." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.178%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/17c7bb86d922dae555013303fadb1d0b5d73a461" height="224" width="335" srcset="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.178%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/17c7bb86d922dae555013303fadb1d0b5d73a461, https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.178%2C$multiply_0.8862%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/17c7bb86d922dae555013303fadb1d0b5d73a461 2x"><p>A relative of an inmate in the Litoral penitentiary demands information after dozens were killed.Credit:AP</p><p>In the initial fighting, which lasted eight hours, inmates âtried to dynamite a wall to get into Pavilion 2 to carry out a massacre. They also burned mattresses to try to drown [their rivals] in smoke,â said the governor of Guayas province, Pablo Arosemena.</p><p>âWe are fighting against drug trafficking,â Arosemena said. âIt is very hard.â</p><p>Presidential spokesman Carlos Jijón said late in the afternoon that âwe have information that new clashes are reported in the Litoral Penitentiary ... the inmates of Hall 12 attacked those of Hall 7, attempting to take control.â</p><p>He said about 700 police officers were trying to control the situation, with a contingent inside the prison. He did not clarify whether authorities had regain control of the compound or say whether there had been any more casualties.</p><p>The bloodshed came less than two months after fighting among gangs killed 119 people at the prison, which houses more than 8000 inmates.</p><p>Police commander Gen Tanya Varela said early in the day that drones flown over the chaos revealed that inmates in three pavilions were armed with guns and explosives. Authorities have said that weapons and ammunition are smuggled into prisoners through vehicles that deliver supplies and sometimes by drones.</p><p>The prison violence comes amid a national state of emergency decreed by President Guillermo Lasso in October that empowers security forces to fight drug trafficking and other crimes.</p><p>On Saturday, Lasso tweeted that âthe first right that we should guarantee should be the right to life and liberty, which isnât possible if security forces canât act to protect.â He was referring to the Constitutional Courtâs recent refusal to allow the military into prisons despite the state of emergency. Soldiers are currently outside the Litoral.</p><p>AP</p>Most Viewed in World Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-52492472975414789872021-11-13T05:33:00.001-08:002021-11-13T05:33:14.936-08:00Axeman spared jail after gardening claim<img src="https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/resources/images/13196906/" class="ff-og-image-inserted"><p> A MAN has been spared jail after a court accepted his claim that the axe he was carrying was to be used for gardening. </p><p> At Wigan Magistratesâ Court Denis Conway, aged 53, of Parkfield Avenue, Farnworth, pleaded guilty to possessing a bladed article in Market Street, Farnworth, on October 1. </p> <p> Conway was sentenced to 146 days in prison, suspended for 12 months after magistrates heard how he has stayed out of trouble for 21 years and he did not use the axe to threaten anyone or behave aggressively. </p> <p> He was ordered to pay a total of £213 in costs and charges. </p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-21099800321515544122021-11-13T03:12:00.001-08:002021-11-13T03:12:41.209-08:00Unstoppable Bellators Cyborg terminates McGregor training partner Kavanagh with one-punch KO VIDEO<img src="https://cdni.rt.com/files/2021.11/article/618f9a322030272362791dfe.jpg" class="ff-og-image-inserted"><p> Cris Cyborg continued her path of destruction through Bellator's women's featherweight division with a one-punch knockout of Conor McGregor's training partner Sinead Kavanagh in Florida late on Friday. </p><p>The Brazilian knockout artist was heavily favored heading into the Bellator 271 headliner against Kavanagh, the tough-nosed Irishwoman who emerged from the same amateur boxing team as Katie Taylor and recent Olympic gold medalist Kellie Harrington, but even a fighter of her pedigree on the feet appeared outmatched by the vicious KO queen as she ended the fight just 90 seconds into the first round after connecting flush with a concussive overhand right.</p><p>Cyborg threw caution to the win early and engaged in the slugfest that Kavanagh called for â" a move which might have backfired had a slick left-hook landed by Kavanagh had just a little bit more mustard on it, but the fight quickly fell into the blueprint of so many others when Cyborg's right hand connected and crumpled the SBG Ireland fighter to the canvas.</p><p>The win was the 20th knockout victory of Cyborg's impressive career and came after she admitted that she disregarded her coach's gameplan and opted to slug it out with Kavanagh. While that particular approach led to her only defeat in the past 15 years against Amanda Nunes, it paid off this time.</p><p>"I didnât do anything my team planned, so sorry," Cyborg said afterwards. "But I feel great about it."</p><p>The Brazilian then suggested that former UFC star Cat Zingano could be up next â" but also noted the attendance of PFL champ Kayla Harrison at ringside, a fighter who is currently among the most high-profile free agents in mixed martial arts.</p><p>"Kayla, thank you for coming to the fights," Cyborg said. "I really appreciate you here.</p><p>"If you want to fight me one day, itâs going to be a great fight, but [Harrison manager] Ali Abdelaziz will have to talk to all the promotions to make this happen."</p><p>Whoever ends up being next for Cyborg, be it Zingano, Harrison or another, it is clear that the legendary female fighter hasn't yet come close to finding her equal in Bellator after moving to the promotion following a five-fight stint in the UFC.</p><p>Nunes, the unquestioned queen of female mixed martial arts, has appeared to be the only fighter capable of causing her significant trouble. With those two fighters separated by the divide between Bellator and the UFC, it remains to be seen if Bellator's matchmaking can provide her with the type of test to challenge her.</p><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Would you look at that Cyborg looks unstoppable.</p>â" Paulie G (@PaulieGMMA) November 13, 2021<p lang="en" dir="ltr">She got a little wild but damn another one bites the dust.</p>â" DarkSagan (@darksagan) November 13, 2021<p>And on social media, the reaction was effusive in its praise for Cyborg.</p><p>"Would you look at that Cyborg â" looks unstoppable," said one.</p><p>"Was there really ever any doubt?" added another.</p><p>"She got a little wild but damn, another one bites the dust," wrote a a third.</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-86707685329818595272021-11-13T00:48:00.001-08:002021-11-13T00:48:44.247-08:00New conservation area created near Lithgow<img src="https://sl.sbs.com.au/public/image/file/86be0029-b74a-48b0-a0c8-1c65d3f82993/crop/16x9" class="ff-og-image-inserted"><p>Its declaration as a protected area nine decades later is the culmination of possibly the longest conservation campaign in the state's history, advocates say.</p><p>"It has been a long time coming but it was definitely worth the wait," Nature Conservation Council chief executive Chris Gambian said.</p><p>"This is a very significant addition to the state's conservation reserve system ... (and) one of the conservation movement's proudest days - it shows what people can achieve when they work together and stay focused and optimistic in the face of many setbacks."</p><p>The area is home to internationally significant rock formations and more than 80 threatened plant and animal species, including the giant dragonfly.</p><p>"It's got amazing mazes filled with turrets of sandstone that look like natural sculptures," former director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness Keith Muir said.</p><p>"They're about castle size and you walk through them, and then you discover a field of wildflowers or you discover a trickling stream or a valley of amazing gnarled gum trees."</p><p>The protection announced on Saturday ends decades of heavy use of the area by the coal industry.</p><p>Some of the damage done to the wilderness can't be reversed, but the government's funding pledge will go a long way to make sure is accessible and in top shape for travellers to enjoy, Mr Muir said.</p><p>"There's nothing else like it in Australia."</p><p>"It is a jewel in the crown. It should have been protected long ago."</p><p>Premier Dominic Perrottet is also keen for the state's residents to enjoy the new park, promising upgraded lookouts, walking trails, a 4WD circuit and a mountain bike network on the cards.</p><p>"We're investing record amounts in our national parks to protect our natural gems while also generating new industries in our regions to support jobs and creating new iconic experiences so more people can enjoy our natural wonders," Mr Perrottet said.</p><p>However the "centrepiece of the investment" will be the Lost City Adventure Experience, which will include Australia's longest zipline, an elevated canyon walk, and a rock climbing course.</p><p>Mr Gambian says the new facilities will bolster the local economy and create jobs, but will also unlock a new ecotourism hub for the state.</p><p>"This part of the Blue Mountains has been largely unexplored by tourists - both those from Sydney and internationally - but the potential is enormous," he said.</p><p>"Many people have no idea there is scenery on the edge of Lithgow that rivals the best that Katoomba and Blackheath have to offer.</p><p>"Today's announcement will hopefully change that forever."</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-25345817357298656382021-11-12T22:29:00.001-08:002021-11-12T22:29:52.486-08:00We celebrated how lucky we are Olivia Newton-John on Physical turning 40<p>On a recent afternoon in southern California, three Australians responsible for one of the most wildly successful projects in music history gathered for lunch to raise a glass to the 40th anniversary of their greatest triumph.</p><img alt="Olivia Newton-John live in concert in Las Vegas." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.67%2C$multiply_0.3541%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_45/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/171983965b7baf5b50a7174c47622e5b5dd69bc1" height="212" width="375" srcset="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.67%2C$multiply_0.3541%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_45/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/171983965b7baf5b50a7174c47622e5b5dd69bc1, https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.67%2C$multiply_0.7082%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_45/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/171983965b7baf5b50a7174c47622e5b5dd69bc1 2x"><p>Olivia Newton-John live in concert in Las Vegas.Credit:Denise Truscello</p><p>One guest was more famous than the others â" a dame, no less, the title recently added to her long-standing household name credentials: Olivia Newton-John. With her were long-time friend John Farrar, the lad from Moonee Ponds, who found moderate international success as a musician and then spectacular success as Newton-Johnâs songwriter and producer; and Steve Kipner, a journeyman musician from Brisbane who in 1981 was trying to crack it big in LA â" and who then penned a perfect pop song that conquered the world.</p><img alt="Olivia Newton-John with Pat and John Farrar, and Kerry Armstrong in 2015" loading="lazy" src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.224%2C$multiply_0.3541%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/7cc08a5900e27f6ee371b6eda7d397fdb6e27f6d" height="212" width="375" srcset="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.224%2C$multiply_0.3541%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/7cc08a5900e27f6ee371b6eda7d397fdb6e27f6d, https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.224%2C$multiply_0.7082%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/7cc08a5900e27f6ee371b6eda7d397fdb6e27f6d 2x"><p>Olivia Newton-John with Pat and John Farrar, and Kerry Armstrong in 2015Credit: </p><p>Physical hit No. 1 in many countries including Australia and became a cultural phenomenon that notched a record 10 straight weeks atop the American charts, making it the decadeâs most successful song. Sales were north of 10 million copies. Then there was the Physical album, which went multi-platinum, and the accompanying video album, the first of its kind, which was a ratings blockbuster off the back of an iconic film clip. Before Jane Fondaâs â80s workout tapes, it was Physical that inspired the decadeâs headband-and-lycra fitness craze.</p><p>âI had lunch with Stevie and John a few days ago, and we celebrated how lucky we are,â says Newton-John, on the phone from her ranch in Santa Barbara, where she is once again the focus of a global marketing campaign for the Physical album, which has been given the full remaster treatment and re-release in a deluxe edition.</p><p>Kipner, who 40 years later can still scarcely believe his luck with the song, says: âWe got together and talked about something weâd done together so long ago. Itâs pretty fantastic. It was really exciting just to sit there and celebrate.â</p><p>Alongside Grease, Physical was the biggest moment in Newton-Johnâs near six-decade career, a peak in a catalogue of achievement that spans music and movies and much else besides. At 73, she continues to pile up the gongs. Last year brought that damehood from the Queen. Just this month, Japan awarded her the Order of the Rising Sun, its highest civilian honour. Of these and her earlier honours â" Grammys, American Music Awards, ARIAs and more â" she remains disarmingly modest.</p><p>Of that pioneering release of the entire Physical album on video â" which preceded MTV by two years â" she is reminded that she won the first ever Grammy for music video in 1983. âDid I?â she laughs. âI have no idea of some of the things Iâve been awarded but Iâm happy to have that.â</p><p>Happy indeed. And happy also for another gong about to come her way: joining the honour roll of the Australian Women In Music Awards. The AMWAs were inaugurated in 2018, when Helen Reddy was the first legend on the honour roll. Judith Durham of The Seekers got the nod the following year. Newton-Johnâs planned induction in 2020 was derailed by the pandemic. It will be officially presented at the AMWA ceremony in Brisbane next May. âA no-brainer,â says AMWA boss Vicki Gordon of the choice of Newton-John. âHer contributions to the industry have been extraordinary.â</p><p>Joining Reddy and Durham atop the honour roll is fitting, as Newton-John notes her history with both women. Growing up in Melbourne, Durham was an inspiration. âJudith has the most amazingly beautiful voice and incredible pitch. I used to go to school at Christ Church Grammar [in South Yarra], and, I donât know if itâs still there, but they used to have a hall where people would sing on Friday and Saturday nights. I used to watch her there and she was such an incredible singer.â</p><img alt="Helen Reddy in Nashville, 1973, accepting a Grammy for I Am Woman." loading="lazy" src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.251%2C$multiply_0.4233%2C$ratio_1%2C$width_378%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/38fff6174aa76d668c751b909ad35b1de6df3d5c" height="160" width="160" srcset="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.251%2C$multiply_0.4233%2C$ratio_1%2C$width_378%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/38fff6174aa76d668c751b909ad35b1de6df3d5c, https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.251%2C$multiply_0.8466%2C$ratio_1%2C$width_378%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/38fff6174aa76d668c751b909ad35b1de6df3d5c 2x"><p>Helen Reddy in Nashville, 1973, accepting a Grammy for I Am Woman.Credit:UPI</p><p>Reddy played an even more pivotal role in Newton-Johnâs life. After she had her first country hits in the early 1970s, it was Reddy â" by then a huge star in the US â" who told her that if she wanted to make it in America, she needed to move there. Newton-John heeded the advice, and it was at Reddyâs Los Angeles home that the most consequential meeting of her career occurred. âHelen used to have Sunday night movie nights and sheâd invite people to come. [Film producer] Allan Carr wanted to meet me and so she invited me. And thatâs how it all started with Grease. Helen and I did some duets together on TV and of course I admired her because sheâs a powerful woman, and a great singer.â</p><p>It was the phenomenal success of Grease that made Newton-John a household name around the world in the 70s; it was Physical that propelled pop music and music video in the 1980s. Kipner remembers he and songwriting partner Terry Shaddick starting out with fairly modest ambitions. âWe wanted to write a song about the physical side of love, not the falling in love part. And that was literally the idea. It wasnât like it was going to be a big thing. I sang the demo and we thought it would be a song for someone like Rod Stewart or another male singer. Never imagined Olivia would do it.â</p><p>Newton-John remembers it initially being offered to her friend Tina Turner, at the time still a few years away from her spectacular comeback. The two women shared a manager, Australian Roger Davies, who had cut his teeth managing Sherbet in Australia. âTina said she liked it but she thought it might be more in line for me than her,â Newton-John recalls. âIâve always thanked Tina for that decision not to record it.â</p><p>What no one expected was the global phenomenon that followed. After recording the song, Newton-John on her own admission âpanickedâ about the risque lyrics, a far cry from the gentle ballads and country songs that had defined her early career. The solution: a video clip set it in a gym. Physical may have been all about sex; the video was all about muscles and sweat. It was all done with a nudge and a wink. Then the song was banned in some markets. As Kipner says, they could hardly have asked for anything more. âThat was the best thing that could have ever happened. All of a sudden, people had to go take another listen and it really took off.â</p><img alt="Olivia Newton-John in the Physical film clip. " loading="lazy" src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.435%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_11/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/c7942d5fe99492670f3afb6cd7a5d89620832652" height="224" width="335" srcset="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.435%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_11/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/c7942d5fe99492670f3afb6cd7a5d89620832652, https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.435%2C$multiply_0.8862%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_11/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/c7942d5fe99492670f3afb6cd7a5d89620832652 2x"><p>Olivia Newton-John in the Physical film clip. Credit:YouTube</p><p>Forty years on, they still canât believe their luck. The song has had a long life â" sampled last year by Dua Lipa for a song of the same name, and charting this year for Newton-John. In recent weeks, the Amazon pop music charts have featured the Physical re-release, competing for top 10 space with new releases from Elton John and ABBA.</p><p>Just like old times. Or as Newton-John says, itâs like capturing lightning in a bottle â" twice. âIf we knew the real answer to why that is, weâd keep doing it,â she laughs. âI always think itâs all about the songs. ABBA, who Iâm lucky enough to call friends, are just amazing songwriters and producers. And Elton, too. Brilliant. Itâs really all about great songs.â</p><p>TINA ARENA AND ONJ </p><p>WHEN Olivia Newton-John is presented with the third Australian Women in Music Honour Roll award next May, another Australian superstar, Tina Arena, will be leading the official tribute. Long before she came to know Newton-John as a friend and peer, Arena was singing her songs in her Melbourne lounge room as a kid, and later on Young Talent Time.</p><p>âOlivia for me goes back to my early childhood, probably as early as six or seven,â Arena says, recalling the âpinch myselfâ moment when she got to record with her mentor for a duets album in 2002.</p><img alt="Olivia Newton-John, Vanessa Amorosi and Tina Arena before the Sydney 2000 Olympics." loading="lazy" src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.424%2C$multiply_0.3541%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_70/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/9cc389f345c527dcd68f8db6a5cb701728699105" height="212" width="375" srcset="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.424%2C$multiply_0.3541%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_70/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/9cc389f345c527dcd68f8db6a5cb701728699105, https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.424%2C$multiply_0.7082%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_70/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/9cc389f345c527dcd68f8db6a5cb701728699105 2x"><p>Olivia Newton-John, Vanessa Amorosi and Tina Arena before the Sydney 2000 Olympics.Credit:Darrin Braybrook/ALLSPORT</p><p>âSheâs an extraordinary human being, somebody that has always just been herself,â Arena says.</p><p>âSheâs never pretended to be anything other than herself. Thatâs something that is extraordinary in our industry. And sheâs just a very, very kind, empathetic, massively intelligent woman.â</p><p>Arena heralds the support Newton-John has shown younger Australian artists, and says the AWMAs are an important means of celebrating the history of women in music.</p><p>âIt is really important that women support one another ⦠because itâs been such a male-dominated industry for a long time. I always found it really comforting to know that [Olivia] was there, and that she could understand what I was going through.â</p><p>AMWA boss Vicki Gordon says the honour roll is an important way of honouring Australiaâs musical pioneers.</p><p>âItâs vitally important historically to acknowledge our elders,â Gordon says.</p><p>âWe do have two posthumous patrons â" Chrissy Amphlett and Ruby Hunter ⦠and we were unable to acknowledge either of them when they were alive. Itâs just a really important thing to remember the contributions that these women have made.â</p><p>Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox every Monday.</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-13054571366481456332021-11-12T20:05:00.001-08:002021-11-12T20:05:39.744-08:00Russias first IV anti-Covid drug registered manufacturer says<p> Russian authorities have registered an intravenous solution to treat Covid-19, TASS news agency reports, citing the developers. The manufacturer says the remedy is designed to directly fight the coronavirus. </p><p>Dubbed Areplivir, the âfirst direct-acting intravenous solution for treatment of Covid-19 in Russiaâ has been registered by the authorities, its developer Promomed told TASS on Friday. The company added that the drug would be available for use in hospitals before yearâs end. </p><p>The solution is a new form of the drug that has been used in Russia as pills since September 2020. It is based on the synthetic drug favipiravir, registered in neighboring Japan to treat influenza, and being actively studied as potential anti-Covid medication.</p> <p>Read more</p> <img alt="Drug to calm cytokine storm: Life-saving Russian discovery could be key to stopping bodyâs âsuicide attackâ in severe Covid cases" src="https://cdni.rt.com/files/2021.10/xxs/6164b5ec20302757a16bf69b.jpg" data-sizes="auto" class="read-more__cover lazyload"> <img src="https://cdni.rt.com/files/2021.10/xxs/6164b5ec20302757a16bf69b.jpg" alt="Drug to calm cytokine storm: Life-saving Russian discovery could be key to stopping bodyâs âsuicide attackâ in severe Covid cases"> <p>Promomed says it's the first company in the world to create an injectable form of favipiravir, which is normally a non-soluble powder.</p><p>Areplivir is one of the three favipiravir-based drugs currently touted as promising treatments for Covid-19 in Russia. Promomed published the results of clinical trials of the pill form of the drug in October 2020. The paper was published in the Russian peer-reviewed medical journal âInfectious Diseases.â</p><p>Promomed asserts that Areplivir therapy has led to a speedier recovery in comparison to traditional treatment methods, pointing to the results of the study that showed few to no side effects. The company has not presented any data on the clinical trials of the drugâs injection form. </p><p>Areplivir is the latest medication registered around the world for Covid treatment. There are other experimental drugs administered intravenously, including remdesivir. Debates about the effectiveness and safety of these anti-viral drugs are ongoing, as more patient data pours in.</p><p>Like this story? Share it with a friend!</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-6673322883136498712021-11-12T08:12:00.001-08:002021-11-12T08:12:24.539-08:00US When will the Delta Variant outbreak dissipate<img width="696" height="392" class="entry-thumb td-modal-image" src="https://i0.wp.com/kwttoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/3-33.jpg?resize=696%2C392&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/kwttoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/3-33.jpg?resize=696%2C392&ssl=1 696w, https://i0.wp.com/kwttoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/3-33.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&ssl=1 1392w" sizes="(-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) 1392px, (min-resolution: 192dpi) 1392px, 696px" alt="U.S. - When will the Delta Variant outbreak dissipate?" title="U.S. - When will the Delta Variant outbreak dissipate?"> U.S. â" When will the Delta Variant outbreak dissipate? <p>The United States has entered the fourth wave of the pandemic or fifth, depending on which expert you ask. As the vaccination campaign lags and the contagious delta variant spreads, cases and hospitalisations are at their highest since last winter. COVID-19 deaths, too, are on a steady incline.</p> <p>While trends are improving in Florida, Texas and other Southern States that bore the worst of the summer surge, itâs clear that delta isnât done with the United States. Covid-19 is moving north and west for the winter as people head indoors, close their windows and breathe stagnant air.</p> <p>Children have accounted for nearly 17 percent of cases since the pandemic first began. To control the spread of Covid among children, regulators authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech in children aged five to 11 last week â" the first vaccine available to children that young.</p> <p>Walgreens Boots Alliance said in a statement that it has immunised more than 200,000 children against COVID-19 and booked hundreds of thousands of appointments over the next few weeks. Childrenâs Hospital Los Angeles has inoculated 425 children since Nov. 3 and expects to soon be vaccinating around 90 children daily as it books more appointments.</p> <p>Progress on vaccination continues, yet nearly 60 million Americans age 12 and older remain unvaccinated. Thatâs an improvement since July, when 100 million were unvaccinated, said White House Covid-19 coordinator Jeff Zients.</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-27558362906423177462021-11-12T00:56:00.001-08:002021-11-12T00:56:37.660-08:00Travis Scott concert death toll rises to 9<p>A 22-year-old college senior who was critically injured at the Astroworld music festival in Houston last week has died, the family's lawyer said Thursday, making her the ninth person to die in a crowd surge after fans pushed toward the stage during a performance by headliner Travis Scott.</p><p>Bharti Shahani, who was set to graduate from Texas A&M University in the spring, died Wednesday night, attorney James Lassiter said during a news conference.</p> <p>"For the first time in her life she just wanted to have fun, and that was taken from her," said Namrata Shahani, Bharti's sister, who also attended the concert. </p> <p>She said her sister's last words to her were, "Are you OK?"</p> <p>All the concertgoers who died following last Friday's show were between the ages of 14 and 27, underscoring how the tragedy unfolded in a mostly younger crowd.</p> WATCH | Investigations underway into Astroworld deaths: <img srcset="https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/468/823/mpx-ghebreslassie-astroworld.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=1130px:* 1130w, https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/468/823/mpx-ghebreslassie-astroworld.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=880px:* 880w, https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/468/823/mpx-ghebreslassie-astroworld.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=630px:* 630w, https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/468/823/mpx-ghebreslassie-astroworld.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=510px:* 510w, https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/468/823/mpx-ghebreslassie-astroworld.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=260px:* 260w" sizes="(max-width: 260px) 4vw, (max-width: 510px) 50vw, (max-width: 630px) 66vw, (max-width: 880px) 88vw" src="https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/468/823/mpx-ghebreslassie-astroworld.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=510px:* 510w"" alt class="thumbnail" loading="lazy">Investigations underway into deaths at Houston music festival4 days agoMultiple investigations are underway after at least eight people were killed at the Astroworld music festival in Houston. Witnesses say fans rushed the stage, squeezing people so tightly they could not breathe. 2:04 <p>A nine-year-old boy who was also injured at the sold-out festival of 50,000 people remained in a medically induced coma, according to his family.</p> <p>Concertgoers have described the packed crowd growing dangerous even before Scott appeared on stage, and said they saw people collapse while the rapper performed.</p> <p>Scott's attorneys have said the rapper did not know about the deaths and injuries until after the show.</p> <p>On Thursday, Scott's representatives said he is "distraught by the situation" and has been trying to connect with the affected families to share condolences and provide them aid.</p> <p>Hundreds of others were injured in the melee on Nov. 5 as Scott took to the stage. A criminal investigation into the deaths at Astroworld is underway.</p> Police radio recordings obtained <p>Scott was only minutes into his headlining show when at least one Houston police officer radioed over a police channel that the main stage had been compromised by a massive crowd surge.</p> <p>Recordings of police radio traffic, obtained by the Houston Chronicle, reveal how quickly law enforcement became aware of the rising danger in the throng of concertgoers shortly after the rap star began performing at the sold-out music festival, which drew about 50,000 people.</p> <p>Scott took the stage in his hometown of Houston shortly after 9 p.m.</p> <img loading="lazy" alt srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/1.6240676.1636671125!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_300/texas-security.JPG 300w, https://i.cbc.ca/1.6240676.1636671125!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_460/texas-security.JPG 460w, https://i.cbc.ca/1.6240676.1636671125!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_620/texas-security.JPG 620w, https://i.cbc.ca/1.6240676.1636671125!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_780/texas-security.JPG 780w, https://i.cbc.ca/1.6240676.1636671125!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_1180/texas-security.JPG 1180w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.6240676.1636671125!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_780/texas-security.JPG">Travis Scott is seen performing at Astroworld on Nov. 5. Scott was only minutes into his headlining show when at least one Houston police officer radioed over a police channel that the main stage had been compromised by a massive crowd surge. (@Tre5pix/Twitter/Reuters) <p>"Looks like folks are coming out of the crowd complaining of difficulty breathing, crushing-type injuries," one official said over the police radio at about 9:21 p.m., according to the audio obtained by the newspaper. "Seems like the crowd is compressing on itself."</p> <p>Scott continued performing his set, which lasted about an hour. The newspaper reported that police officers spotted people leaving the crowd but that their voices remained calm on the recordings through the first half hour.</p> <p>"I'm at the medical tent," one officer radioed in at about 9:30 p.m. "There's a lot of people trampled and they're passed out at the front stage."</p> <p>Later, another officer says: "We're getting multiple reports of people getting injured. We have another report of cardiac situation with CPR by the stage."</p> Performances continued after order to shut down <p>Houston police Chief Troy Finner said Wednesday that police told organizers to shut down the performance when fans in the crowd were administered CPR.</p> <p>Authorities gave word at about 10:03 p.m. that the concert was in the process of shutting down, but witnesses say Scott and Drake, the Canadian superstar rapper who came on toward the end of Scott's set as a special guest, kept performing.</p> <p>Finner repeatedly refused to provide timelines on Wednesday in what was just his second press briefing since the tragedy, saying the case was still under investigation. He said over 500 officers were working the festival, more than double the number assigned in 2019, the last time the festival was held.</p> WATCH | Travis Scott, Drake sued for negligence: <img srcset="https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/788/143/astroworld-scott-drake-lawsuits-ghebreslassie-081121.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=1130px:* 1130w, https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/788/143/astroworld-scott-drake-lawsuits-ghebreslassie-081121.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=880px:* 880w, https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/788/143/astroworld-scott-drake-lawsuits-ghebreslassie-081121.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=630px:* 630w, https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/788/143/astroworld-scott-drake-lawsuits-ghebreslassie-081121.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=510px:* 510w, https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/788/143/astroworld-scott-drake-lawsuits-ghebreslassie-081121.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=260px:* 260w" sizes="(max-width: 260px) 4vw, (max-width: 510px) 50vw, (max-width: 630px) 66vw, (max-width: 880px) 88vw" src="https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/788/143/astroworld-scott-drake-lawsuits-ghebreslassie-081121.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=510px:* 510w"" alt class="thumbnail" loading="lazy">Travis Scott, Drake sued for negligence over Astroworld festival deaths3 days agoTravis Scott and Drake are being sued for negligence after a crowd surge at Houston's Astroworld music festival left eight people dead. One of the lawsuits accuses both rappers of âinciting a riot.â 3:24 <p>But Finner said festival organizers had not provided clear records of how many private security guards were working the show, describing what they turned over as "just not good."</p> <p>It was up to Live Nation Entertainment, the show's promoter, to secure two mosh pits in front of the stage, he said.</p> <p>Scott's lawyers on Wednesday pointed to an operational plan for the event that states only the festival director and executive producers have the authority to stop the show, "neither of which is part of Travis's crew."</p> <p>"Investigations should start proceeding over finger-pointing so that together, we can identify exactly what transpired and how we can prevent anything like this from happening again," Scott's lawyer, Edwin F. McPherson, said in a statement.</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-89891827670556321112021-11-11T20:13:00.001-08:002021-11-11T20:13:22.600-08:00Rich countries still dont want to pay their climate change tab<img src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Yyp6XUW8DvkQU1fJYtOWEaYSfMs=/0x635:4975x3240/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23005603/AP21312465931933.jpg" class="ff-og-image-inserted"><p id="lR3RYO">Climate change has a central injustice: The parts of the world that contribute the least to global warming stand to suffer the most as temperatures climb.</p> <p id="h966BZ">Rising sea levels, hotter heat waves, and more frequent torrential downpours disproportionately hammer low-lying coastal areas, islands, tropics, and deserts that are home to people who historically havenât burned that much coal, oil, or natural gas. The slow and acute impacts of climate change are already destroying homes, forcing migrations, and taking lives, particularly in countries that have few resources to begin with. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the most vulnerable countries to climate change include Haiti, Myanmar, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and the Bahamas.</p> <p id="DptNN4">Meanwhile, major producers and consumers of fossil energy, like the United States, have become the wealthiest countries in the world. That wealth also means more government and private resources to respond to a warming world, whether by building infrastructure to withstand higher tides, managing forests to reduce severe wildfires, or compensating citizens for their flood-ruined homes.</p> <p id="YVeBNn">That inequity is the undercurrent of the United Nationsâ ongoing COP26 climate negotiations in Glasgow, Scotland. The meeting is an opportunity for major polluters and those suffering from the effects to sit across from one another â" and the countries bearing the brunt of global warming say that addressing this central injustice must be at the core of any climate agreement. Otherwise, hopes of reaching concordance on other key climate issues could fall apart.</p> <p id="m3xJMW">âThe largest share of the historical emissions originated in developed countries,â Diego Pacheco Balanza, head of the Bolivian delegation to COP26, told reporters Thursday. âSo there is a historical responsibility of developed countries and [industrialized] countries to deal with the climate crisis.â</p> <p id="6gUUe7">The most concrete way to fulfill this responsibility is to pay for it. And some wealthy countries at COP26 have said they will â" to an extent, at least, and in principle.</p> <p id="rPX4oG">âThe countries most responsible for historic[al] and present-day emissions are not yet doing their fair share of the work,â British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at the start of the summit.</p> <p id="A2LSqA">The actions so far, however, are still lacking. âThere were a lot of very positive statements,â said Janine Felson, deputy head of the Belize delegation and an adviser to the Alliance of Small Island States, a negotiating bloc of 39 island and low-lying countries. âWhat we are seeing, though, in the [negotiating] room is very different. Itâs more business as usual, so rhetoric and deed are far apart.â</p> <p id="1wFgiB">At COP26, several governments â" including the US and the UK â" have announced additional funding to aid low-income countries in transitioning toward clean energy, as well as more cash to help them cope with the unavoidable losses from climate change.</p> <p id="P2bvvM">But the amount of money on the table still doesnât meet past commitments, and itâs not enough to cover the enormous changes that are needed, negotiators from developing countries say.</p> <p id="ZXKz4w">Without settling the money issue, COP26 negotiations on other matters â" trading carbon credits, phasing out fossil fuels, timelines for reducing greenhouse gas emissions â" could stall or fall apart. âClimate finance is the glue that brings a package together at the end of a COP,â Richie Merzian, director of the climate and energy program at the Australia Institute, told reporters Thursday.</p> <p id="5mZ3fr">With the talks heading into their final day, the pressure is on wealthy governments to contribute more money toward global efforts to lower emissions. âMy message to donor countries is very, very clear: Without adequate finance, the task ahead is nigh impossible,â said Alok Sharma, president of COP26.</p> <p id="qzejIr">At the 2009 COP15 meeting in Copenhagen, wealthy countries set a target of pooling $100 billion by 2020 to help less wealthy countries adapt to changes in the climate already underway as well as to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The money, from public institutions like governments rather than private banks, would be deployed as a mix of loans, investments, and grants across initiatives from decarbonizing power generation to building seawalls.</p> <p id="HoutpE">The target was missed. The last tally shows that $79.6 billion in international climate financing was awarded in 2019. Now the goal post is 2023 for the $100 billion goal, given the current pace of commitments.</p> <p id="MhNjUe">Negotiators in developing countries have been pushing to close that gap even faster and want the final agreement from the COP26 meeting to highlight their âserious concernâ that the amount of financing available is not enough to cope with whatâs needed to cope with climate change. They also want the text to emphasize that wealthy countries are required to contribute more money to climate financing programs.</p> <p id="Q1icpA">âFinance is not the charity of developed countries to the developing world,â Pacheco Balanza said. âFinance is an obligation.â</p> <p id="EoMr7C">At the same time, there are immense financial to mitigating climate change. One estimate found that shifting the global economy toward sustainable energy would save the world $26 trillion by 2030. But the costs of mitigating climate change and the benefits often accrue to different people, and itâs proven difficult to leverage that in negotiations.</p> <p id="VJbv4r">Now, some developing countries now say they need vastly more money to meet their goals. India, the worldâs third-largest greenhouse gas emitter, committed at COP26 to reaching net-zero emissions by 2070. But it says it wants $1 trillion in international climate financing by 2030 to meet its goal. African governments have said that climate finance funding should reach $1.3 trillion per year by 2030.</p> <p id="hf82Ne">Itâs likely that the $100 billion funding target will be solidified at COP26 with the momentum underway. However, itâs unlikely these far greater demands will be considered, given that parties to the Paris agreement failed to meet a much smaller objective on time.</p> <p id="xUzyWj">Many of the talks at COP26 focus on climate change mitigation â" what countries will do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, what their targets should be, when they should reach them, and what tactics count toward their goals.</p> <p id="KcZSML">But the world has already warmed up by 1.1 degrees Celsius compared to global average temperatures before the industrial revolution, and that warming is already having effects. Global sea levels, for instance, have already risen 8 to 9 inches, leading to more devastating storm surges.</p> <p id="awOlfB">Dealing with the changes in climate already underway is a high priority for countries like island nations seeing their land swallowed up by rising seas and seeing disasters amplified with more rainfall and higher heat.</p> <p id="ZV487z">In COP-speak, this is known as loss and damage. There is a mechanism for dealing with this under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, building on an earlier framework known as the Warsaw International Mechanism. One estimate found that loss and damage from climate change would cost the world between $290 and $580 billion a year by 2030. And losses can go beyond those that are easily priced, like cultural heritage and ecosystems degraded by rising average temperatures.</p> <p id="bqrcc0">The trouble is, there isnât a set goal for how much money should be allocated to loss and damage, who is required to chip in and by when, and how that money should be distributed. And crucially, loss and damage has been largely excluded from discussions around climate finance.</p> <p id="hjK3et">âWe heard a lot of about solidarity [from wealthy countries] for the losses and damages in our experiences,â said Felson. âBut if, in the finance room, I raise loss and damage, I hear that itâs a red line. We canât talk about life and damage in finance [discussions].â</p> <p id="JKFooJ">For countries like Belize, the goal is to have a system that doesnât respond to climate-related disasters and damages on a one-off basis like an emergency relief fund. Rather, they want a systematic approach that delivers consistent money not only in wake of hurricanes and wildfires, but for slow-moving problems like the decline of barrier reefs and falling crop yields.</p> <p id="Ifjn5j">On Thursday, Scotland announce that it would contribute £2 million to a loss and damage fund, making it the first country to chip in.</p> <p id="z7eoKX">Money has also been allocated at COP26 to indirect measures that relate to loss and damage. Twelve donor governments pledged $413 million in new funding for the Least Developed Countries Fund, which helps countries like Gambia and Togo cope with the effects of climate change. The UNâs Adaptation Fund also announced it raised $351.6 in new pledges.</p> <p id="JFPbcI">One of the big obstacles though is that wealthy countries do not want any language in a loss and damage agreement that hints that they are liable for climate change. Some are already pushing back against the loss and damage language in the draft agreement.</p> <p id="C8SdSF">âWith wealthy countries, itâs always a fear of some kind of reparations framework coming out which will impose higher and higher costs,â said Rachel Kyte, an advisor to the climate negotiations and dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University. âTheyâre prepared to talk about today and tomorrow. They donât want to talk about yesterday.â</p> <p id="4HUg8m">Negotiators for countries facing the brunt of climate impacts now say they at least want to get the ball rolling on paying for current climate destruction. They are calling for language in the COP26 agreement to create a dedicated funding mechanism for loss and damage and give it long-term stability.</p> <p id="MQadci">But as the negotiations head into their final day with so many outstanding issues, loss and damage may once again end up shelved until the next COP.</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-54958541919514599352021-11-11T05:57:00.001-08:002021-11-11T05:57:52.110-08:00Ollie who Rookie prop to make Wallabies debut as Beale named at fullback<p>The Wallabiesâ worst fears have been confirmed with props Taniela Tupou and Allan Alaalatoa ruled out of the weekendâs clash against England due to concussion, leaving coach Dave Rennie with no option but to shift James Slipper to the tight-head side and debut a rookie who wasnât even in the squad at the beginning of the week.</p><p>A nasty head clash in the loss to Scotland last weekend meant Tupou was little chance of playing against the English, but Alaalatoaâs scratching, despite passing a HIA and playing out the match, has left the Wallabies scrambling ahead of the biggest game of their northern tour.</p><img alt="Ollie Hoskins will make his Test debut on Saturday (Sunday AEDT) against England. " src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.517%2C$multiply_0.3541%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_39/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/9e1989eecf98dd09ba2810fcb0f0ed9afcfab85e" height="212" width="375" srcset="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.517%2C$multiply_0.3541%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_39/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/9e1989eecf98dd09ba2810fcb0f0ed9afcfab85e, https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.517%2C$multiply_0.7082%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_39/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/9e1989eecf98dd09ba2810fcb0f0ed9afcfab85e 2x"><p>Ollie Hoskins will make his Test debut on Saturday (Sunday AEDT) against England. Credit:Andrew Phan/Wallabies Media</p><p>It means Ollie Hoskins, the former Western Force prop who hasnât played on Australian shores for five years, will come off a Wallabies bench that also features Tom Robertson and returning France-based hooker Tolu Latu.</p><p>Hoskins has played more than 100 games for London Irish in the English Premiership and is now on the cusp of a maiden outing in a gold jersey.</p><p>âWeâve had a bit of a setback around tight-head, but we know Slips will bear up,â Rennie said. âWe know whatâs coming. It was based on need. Slips has got the most experience around tight-head. Tom Robertson has played a bit of tighthead. We prefer him as a loosehead.</p><p>âWe played Sunday and they needed to be right [on] Monday. We planned if we lost one or both of them we needed a bit of cover, and so we bought Ollie in on Monday.â</p>Wallabies team to face England<p>(1-15): Angus Bell, Folau Faingaâa, James Slipper, Rory Arnold, Izack Rodda, Rob Leota, Michael Hooper, Rob Valetini, Nic White, James OâConnor, Tom Wright, Hunter Paisami, Len Ikitau, Andrew Kellaway, Kurtley Beale.</p><p>Bench: Tolu Latu, Tom Robertson, Oliver Hoskins, Will Skelton, Pete Samu, Tate McDermott, Noah Lolesio, Izaia Perese</p><p>The absence of Tupou in particular leaves a gaping hole in the Wallabiesâ pack against an England side looking to make it eight wins on the trot against Australia - the team they dumped out of the 2019 World Cup quarter-finals.</p><p>Meanwhile, Jordan Petaiaâs hamstring injury has prompted Rennie to tweak his back three and name Kurtley Beale at fullback instead of Andrew Kellaway, who will back shift to the wing where he has been so devastating this year.</p><p>It caps a remarkable return to the Wallabies starting XV for Beale, whose bench cameo in last weekâs narrow loss and Test experience in the No.15 jersey convinced Rennie he was the best man for the job.</p><p>âWe expect England to put a lot of ball in the air. Both Tom [Wright] and Kells are strong in the air and so is Kurtley,â Rennie said. âWe felt those three in the back field would be perfect for what we expect. Youâve just got to deal with it. The mood in the group is really good. Weâve prepared well.â</p><p>Despite calls for Izaia Perese to start after a strong debut, the Waratahs utility back will bide his time again on the bench.</p><p>Rennie confirmed Petaia would take no further part in the tour, therefore missing next weekâs final match of the year against Wales.</p><p>âItâs not real bad but he wonât recover in time,â Rennie said of Petaia.</p><p>Despite a below-par showing against Scotland, where Australiaâs five-Test streak was ended, halfback Nic White and No.10 James OâConnor have been given the nod again, while Hunter Paisami and Len Ikitau will link up in the centres.</p><p>âI think James [OâConnor] was mixed last week ⦠heâll make the adjustments,â Rennie said. âItâs more around connection ... making sure weâre connected to the forwards and the quality of communication coming from outside. I think weâll be better for it.â</p><p>Rennie has resisted the temptation to start Will Skelton and will continue with last weekâs starting second row pair of Rory Arnold and Izack Rodda.</p><p>âHappy with how Rodda has been going,â Rennie said. âWe have a vigorous discussion around selection and we think Willâs best value is off the bench.â</p><p>It will be 757 days since the Wallabies were thumped 40-16 by England at the World Cup, which was Michael Cheikaâs last match in charge. Eight of 23 players who featured in that fixture will run out at Twickenham with revenge on their mind.</p><p>âWe donât look at history,â Rennie said. âWhatâs happened in previous years is irrelevant really.â</p><p>Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.</p><p>Watch every match of the Wallabies, All Blacks & Springboks Spring Tours on the Home of Rugby, Stan Sport. Continues this weekend featuring Scotland v South Africa (Saturday, 11:50pm AEDT), Ireland v New Zealand (Sunday, 2:05am AEDT) and England v Australia (Sunday, 4:00am AEDT).</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-14999016782146373252021-11-11T03:35:00.001-08:002021-11-11T03:35:40.255-08:00South Africas last apartheid president FW de Klerk dies<img src="https://onecms-res.cloudinary.com/image/upload/s--qGCQwPXL--/c_crop%2Ch_432%2Cw_768%2Cx_0%2Cy_0/fl_relative%2Cg_south_east%2Cl_one-cms:core:watermark:afp_watermark%2Cw_0.1/f_auto%2Cq_auto/c_fill%2Cg_auto%2Ch_676%2Cw_1200/v1/one-cms/core/60848bbfa893a646b909426205edbd57411d02d6.jpg?itok=4PZA0uN4" class="ff-og-image-inserted"><p>JOHANNESBURG: FW de Klerk, South Africa's last white president, died on Thursday (Nov 11) aged 85, his foundation announced.</p><p>De Klerk and South Africa's first black president Nelson Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for leading the "miracle" transition from white rule in the country.</p> <p>He died after a battle with cancer, his foundation said in a statement.</p> <p>De Klerk had announced his diagnosis on his 85th birthday, on Mar 18 this year.</p> <p>"It is with the deepest sadness that the FW de Klerk Foundation must announce that former president FW de Klerk died peacefully at his home in Fresnaye earlier this morning following his struggle against mesothelioma cancer," it said.</p> <p>He is survived by his wife Elita, children Jan and Susan, and grandchildren.</p> <p>"The family will, in due course, make an announcement regarding funeral arrangements," it added.</p> <p>He is most remembered for his famous speech delivered on February 2, 1990, announcing the lifting of a ban on the African National Congress (ANC) and other liberation movements.</p> <p>In the same speech he ordered the release from prison of anti-apartheid icon Mandela after 27 years in jail.</p> <p>Born in the economic hub of Johannesburg, into a family of Afrikaners, a white ethnic group descended mainly from Dutch colonisers, his father was a leading apartheid senator who served briefly as interim president.</p> <p>He studied law, before being elected to parliament as a member of the National Party that instituted apartheid.</p> <p>De Klerk then held several ministerial positions before he became present in 1989, a position he held until he handed over the reigns to Mandela after the first democratic elections in 1994.</p> <p>De Klerk, who had been treated for a lung ailment called pneumothorax in 2018, stirred up anger in 2020 when he told a national broadcaster that he did not believe apartheid was a crime against humanity, as declared by the United Nations.</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-62449845457670895082021-11-11T01:06:00.001-08:002021-11-11T01:06:32.814-08:00US diplomat flees after hit-and-run hides at military base police<p> An American diplomat in Seoul has fled the scene after a suspected hit-and-run incident and is now hiding from the police at a US military base, South Korean law enforcement has complained. </p><p>An unnamed member of the US diplomatic mission had allegedly been behind the wheel of a car that collided with a taxi in the center of the Korean capital on Wednesday.</p><p>The crash is said to have happened when the vehicle was changing lanes, damaging the cabâs rear bumper.</p><p>The accident was minor, but the diplomat didnât stop to deal with it. He hit the gas instead and tried to flee the scene, prompting a chase.</p> <p>Read more</p> <img alt="Woman killed, 5 injured as speeding US embassy car rams into their vehicle in Islamabad" src="https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.01/xxs/5e2d993e2030272be224a4ee.jpg" data-sizes="auto" class="read-more__cover lazyload"> <img src="https://cdni.rt.com/files/2020.01/xxs/5e2d993e2030272be224a4ee.jpg" alt="Woman killed, 5 injured as speeding US embassy car rams into their vehicle in Islamabad"> <p>The taxi driver followed him all the way to the Yongsan Garrison, an American military and diplomatic facility in Seoul. The police also arrived there, but the diplomat and his three passengers refused to cooperate with the officers.</p><p>The Americans declined to undergo an alcohol test and drove inside the base, which is off limits to Korean law enforcement. The police also couldnât detain the member of the US mission outside the facility due to his diplomatic immunity.</p><p>The suspect has been holed up at the Yongsan Garrison since then. In order to reach him, the police sent a request to the US Embassy, asking for cooperation. âWe plan to decide on the charges after seeing the statement of the US diplomat,â the police said.</p><p>The incident appears to be yet another example of outrageous conduct by foreign diplomats and their family members in Korea in recent months.</p><p>Earlier this month, the husband of a Dutch diplomat prompted a police probe after lightly hitting a Korean man with his car during an argument over a parking spot.</p><p>In June, Belgium had to recall its ambassador Peter Lescouhier from the country over his wifeâs violent behavior. The woman was first filmed slapping a shopkeeper and later started a brawl with a street cleaner after his broom accidentally touched her.</p><p>Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-41033235933378549342021-11-10T22:35:00.001-08:002021-11-10T22:35:50.687-08:00Measles will be back after 22 million babies miss their shots WHOBy Amna Karimi November 11, 2021 â" 5.12pm<p>The risk of measles outbreaks returning is high, the World Health Organisation and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned, after more than 22 million infants missed their first vaccine doses in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.</p><p>Reported measles cases fell by more than 80 per cent last year compared with 2019, but a higher number of children missing their vaccine doses leaves them vulnerable, a joint report by the WHO and the Centres for Disease Control showed on Wednesday.</p><p>About 3 million more children missed the shots in 2020 than the previous year, the largest increase in two decades, threatening global efforts to eventually eradicate the highly infectious viral disease.</p><img alt="The highly infectious disease is especially dangerous for young children who haven't had the MMR vaccination." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.711%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_129/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/2b27a06b3a84842c363bfb433170f5f4f96e87e5" height="224" width="335" srcset="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.711%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_129/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/2b27a06b3a84842c363bfb433170f5f4f96e87e5, https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.711%2C$multiply_0.8862%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_129/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/2b27a06b3a84842c363bfb433170f5f4f96e87e5 2x"><p>The highly infectious disease is especially dangerous for young children who haven't had the MMR vaccination.</p><p>âLarge numbers of unvaccinated children, outbreaks of measles, and disease detection and diagnostics diverted to support COVID responses are factors that increase the likelihood of measles-related deaths and serious complications in children,â the CDCâs immunisation head, Kevin Cain, said.</p><p>Measles is one of the worldâs most contagious diseases, more so than COVID-19, Ebola, tuberculosis or flu. It can be especially dangerous for babies and young children, with pneumonia among the possible complications.</p><p>In 2019, reported cases of measles were at their highest in almost a quarter of a century.</p><p>The latest report said 24 measles vaccination campaigns originally planned for 2020 in 23 countries were postponed, leaving more than 93 million people at risk.</p><p>âItâs critical that countries vaccinate as quickly as possible against COVID-19, but this requires new resources so that it does not come at the cost of essential immunisation programs,â said Dr Kate OâBrien, director of the WHOâs department of immunisation, vaccines and biologicals.</p><p>âRoutine immunisation must be protected and strengthened; otherwise, we risk trading one deadly disease for another,â she said.</p><p>No cases of measles had been reported in Australia for all of 2021, according to state government infectious disease records, after the closure of international borders.</p><p>Reuters</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-47698137360981726242021-11-10T20:15:00.001-08:002021-11-10T20:15:07.202-08:00FG to mandate ownership disclosure of oil assets to curb 1tr losses<img src="https://radarr.africa/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/radarr-africa-logo-300x112-1.png" class="ff-og-image-inserted"><p>The Federal Government, through the recently established Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) yesterday, said it would become compulsory for oil and gas companies operating in the country to disclose their owners under the Beneficial Ownership (BO) Reporting system.</p> <p>The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, said secrecy in the ownership of companies in the country remained a threat to economic growth linking it to money laundering and corruption.</p> <p>According to the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Nigeria and other developing countries record losses in the region of $1 trillion yearly due to secret ownership of companies, especially in the oil, gas and mining sectors.</p> <p>Under the prevailing situation, beneficial owners could run shell companies, charities, and foundations, trust or have nominees, who represent them on board of companies.</p> <p>Ahmed, represented by Minister of State Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, at the official launch of global Opening Extractives in Nigeria, in Abuja, said Nigeria had taken concrete steps through the opening of Beneficial Ownership Register by the NEITI and the amendment to Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).</p> <p>She said: âKnowing the real owners of the companies that bid for, invest in and operate Nigeriaâs extractive assets has practical implications for the economic growth, physical security and human development in our country. The Federal Government is aware and concerned that anonymous companies remain the major obstacle in the fight against money laundering and corruption.â</p> <p>Speaking at the event, Chairman of the NUPRC, Gbenga Komolafe, said while the Nigerian Oil and Gas Asset Beneficial Ownership Register (NOGABOR) portal has been developed by and is life, the commission would engage oil and companies to ensure mandatory compliance.</p> <p>Komolafe insisted that beneficial ownership transparency remained critical to ensuring the revenue generated from natural resources provides maximum benefit to every Nigerian.</p> <p>âTo be successful, it requires the government, industry and civil society to work together,â he stated while adding that the agency would be committed to collaborating on maintaining information on beneficial ownership, maintaining data on companies that own extractive licenses and creating a better and healthy business climate.</p> <p>âThe results of these is that citizens will be aware of who they are doing business with or competing against and will also encourage appropriate stakeholder engagement which is a part of Nigeriaâs Open Government Action Plan,â he said.</p> <p>He stated that the commission would be transparent, cost-efficient, safe, and sustainable towards the management of the nationâs hydrocarbon resources.</p> <p>Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji said the initiative would create a win-win situation for government, citizens and businesses.</p> <p>He stated that while governments and citizens benefit in the form of increased revenues and welfare, legitimate businesses also benefit from the improved business climate, fair and open markets, level playing field, corporate accountability, increased profitability, return on investments, reduced reputational risks and improved trust and confidence between them and their host communities etc.</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-26782789988804838312021-11-10T17:53:00.001-08:002021-11-10T17:53:48.603-08:00Brazen Group Acquires Salesforce Mulesoft Development Firm SaaSTech Solutions Private Limited<p>NEW YORK, Nov. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ â" Brazen Group, a Salesforce consulting partner, has completed its acquisition of SaaSTech Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a multinational consulting company that provides Salesforce implementation and development services for private companies, public agencies, and higher education clients. SaaStech Solutions joins Brazen Groupâs technology solutions team â" the part of Brazen that leverages the strengths of Salesforce cloud platform technologies to drive digital transformations for customer organizations. SaaSTech Solutions Pvt. Ltd. has officially become Brazen Group Pvt. Ltd. </p> <p>With a Global Delivery Center outside New Delhi, India, with 30+ employees who specialize in high-quality software development for Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Mulesoft Implementations, from planning to execution through support. These solutions provide real-time information from sales and service operations, which helps companies react to changes in demand, supply, and customer satisfaction.</p> <p>âSaaSTech Solutions adds expertise to Brazen Group that immediately reinforces our service offering and nurtures our growth heading into 2022 and beyond. Their team strengthens our ability to help clients use Salesforce solutions to efficiently sell and support with a 360-degree view of rapidly evolving customer demands,â said Brendan Heyck, Founder & CEO of Brazen Group.</p> <p>âWe are passionate about transforming companiesâ technology into more flexible, automated, and data-driven parts of a holistic process. Becoming part of Brazen Group realizes the vision of our long-term strategic partnership and is a chance for our team to bring their skills to more clients and larger projects,â said Meenu Kumari, CEO SaaSTech Solutions.</p> <p>About Brazen Group<br>Brazen Group, a âRidgeâ Level, Salesforce implementation partner (ISV), has a fully certified & highly skilled team and a unique approach dedicated solely to Salesforce implementations that ensures every client has a successful outcome. Additionally, our beliefs and convictions, like integrity and hard work, guide our actions to benefit our clients and partners.</p> <li>Our holistic approach to every project ensures that technical requirements align with business objectives and the flexibility to adapt to changing needs. </li> <li>Our size, experience, and expertise allow us to break free from cookie-cutter approaches and design the best custom solution for our clients. </li> <li>Weâve built our business and reputation by providing excellent client service and the undivided and individual attention needed to guarantee success.</li> <p>In 2022, Brazen Group is prioritizing strategic partnerships & capacity building to collect critical skills and capabilities in strategic, high-growth market areas.</p> <p>Contact: Brazen Group<br>press@brazengroup.com </p> <p><img alt src="https://rt.prnewswire.com/rt.gif?NewsItemId=EN72160&Transmission_Id=202111101805PR_NEWS_EURO_ND__EN72160&DateId=20211110"><br>The content is by PR NewsWire. DKODING Media is not responsible for the content provided or any links related to this content. DKODING Media is not responsible for the correctness, topicality or the quality of the content.</p> <img src="https://www.dkoding.in/wp-content/uploads/fogn.jpg" width="100%" height="auto"> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-5254339935640161102021-11-10T05:30:00.001-08:002021-11-10T05:30:24.409-08:00Connecting with family friends a key reason people play video games November 7, 2021 â" 1.45pm<p>If youâre an Australian reading this, thereâs an excellent chance youâre a gamer, whether or not youâve thought about identifying that way.</p><p>See, thereâs three ways to define the term âgamerâ. Firstly, there is someone who intensely and competitively plays a narrow selection of first-person shooters and racing simulators. Secondly, someone who plays a lot of video games. And third, anyone who frequently plays games.</p><img alt="Playing video games is just one form of gaming." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.131%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/5fe0eb9db833295f8aa3decd9a4fe97c8e3f90fe" height="224" width="335" srcset="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.131%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/5fe0eb9db833295f8aa3decd9a4fe97c8e3f90fe, https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.131%2C$multiply_0.8862%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/5fe0eb9db833295f8aa3decd9a4fe97c8e3f90fe 2x"><p>Playing video games is just one form of gaming.Credit:iStock</p><p>I like the third definition because itâs more inclusive and accurate. Hobbies only become better when more people with more life experiences become involved.</p><p>That third definition is so inclusive, in fact, that it covers 17 million Australians, according to research conducted by the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association and Bond University. The latest Digital Australia 22 report gives us a much clearer picture of who plays games, and why.</p><p>The data shows that most of us have been picturing the typical gamer (18-year-old boy mainlining Red Bull in a darkened room) incorrectly. The average gamer is 35 years old; 46 per cent of gamers are female and 11 per cent of gamers are aged 65-84 years old. </p><img alt="Forty six per cent of gamers in Australia are women, according to a recent study." loading="lazy" src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.766%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_4%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/9814021788d573138a5baf064b01f59b19585ee3" height="224" width="335" srcset="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.766%2C$multiply_0.4431%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_4%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/9814021788d573138a5baf064b01f59b19585ee3, https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.766%2C$multiply_0.8862%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_4%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/9814021788d573138a5baf064b01f59b19585ee3 2x"><p>Forty six per cent of gamers in Australia are women, according to a recent study.Credit:Sandy Huffaker / New York Times</p><p>The why is also interesting: the main reason was obvious (have fun), but another big reason was keeping the mind active, showing that more people recognise the health benefits of games.</p><p>We know that more people played games during the lockdowns, judging by the worldwide sell-out of Nintendo Switches, and how itâs still next to impossible to buy a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. Games are now the second most popular entertainment medium in Australia, behind streaming services and ahead of free-to-air TV.</p><p>But itâs so great to see almost all gamers included in the report saying they played more games during the pandemic to stay connected to friends and family. My wife went from playing very rarely, to playing with me for at least an hour every day for the past 19 months, and itâs brought us closer and allowed us to go on adventures, despite not being able to leave the apartment past curfew.</p><p>Even my parents play hours of games each week, although theyâd never think their mobile and browser-based games counted as real video games.</p><p>It makes sense that Australians are so into games, weâre great at making them. The latest Call of Duty was partially made in Melbourne, the brilliant and emotional Unpacking is a worldwide hit and made in Queensland, and The Forgotten City has been winning awards left and right after being made in Melbourne.</p><p>Games are more than just one thing, and if youâve been playing casually on your phone, thinking that itâs somehow separate from ârealâ games, take comfort in knowing that all digital games are real games, and feel free to branch out if you want. Games can be the most immersive storytelling medium around, or just a brief escape.</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-82689726125338913762021-11-10T00:43:00.001-08:002021-11-10T00:43:52.688-08:00India reports 11466 new Covid cases 460 deaths in last 24 hours<img src="https://s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/images.asianage.com/images/aa-Cover-0la9tcfird9js0343avtuqor06-20211110100812.jpeg" class="ff-og-image-inserted"><p>The country's active caseload stands at 1,39,683, which is the lowest in 264 days</p> <p>New Delhi: India recorded a single-day rise of 11,466 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the country's tally of infections to 3,43,88,579, while the count of active cases has declined to 1,39,683, the lowest in 264 days, Union Health Ministry data showed.</p> <p>The death toll due to the disease has climbed to 4,61,849, with 460 more fatalities being recorded, according to the data updated at 8 am.</p> <p>The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 20,000 for 33 straight days. Less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 136 consecutive days now.</p> <p>The tally of active cases has declined to 1,39,683 which comprises 0.41 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.25 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said.</p> <p>A decrease of 955 cases was recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours, the data showed.</p> <p>The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.90 per cent. This has been less than two per cent for 37 days.</p> <p>The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.20 per cent. This figure has been below two per cent for 47 days, according to the ministry.</p> <p>The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 3,37,87,047, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.34 per cent.</p> <p>The cumulative number of doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 109.63 crore.</p> <p>India's COVID-19 infection tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5, 50 lakh on September 16, 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and the one-crore mark on December 19.</p> <p>India crossed the grim milestones of two crore cases on May 4 and three crore on June 23.</p> <p>The 460 new fatalities include 384 from Kerala, and 27 from Maharashtra. Kerala has been reconciling Covid deaths since the past few days, hence the toll of the state is high.</p> <p>A total of 4,61,849 fatalities have been reported so far in the country, including 1,40,430 from Maharashtra, 38,122 from Karnataka, 36,238 from Tamil Nadu, 34,362 from Kerala, 25,091 from Delhi, 22,903 from Uttar Pradesh and 19,252 from West Bengal.</p> <p>The Health Ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to co-morbidities.</p> <p>"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.</p> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4126030656609224815.post-83158622336199337572021-11-09T22:17:00.001-08:002021-11-09T22:17:05.361-08:00Judge Rejects Donald Trumps Request to Block Access to Jan 6 Records <p>(WASHINGTON) â" A federal judge on Tuesday rejected former President Donald Trumpâs request to block the release of documents to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.</p> <p>U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan declined to issue a preliminary injunction sought by Trumpâs lawyers. Chutkan said President Joe Biden was âbest positionedâ to determine whether to waive executive privilege on documents sought by the House.</p> <p>âAt bottom, this is a dispute between a former and incumbent President,â Chutkan wrote. âAnd the Supreme Court has already made clear that in such circumstances, the incumbentâs view is accorded greater weight.â</p> <p>Trump âdoes not acknowledge the deference owedâ to Bidenâs judgment as the current president, Chutkan said. However, she added, âPresidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President.â</p> <p>The National Archives has said it would turn over records by Friday absent a court order stopping it from doing so. Minutes after Chutkanâs order became public, Trump filed notice that he would appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The case is likely to eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.</p> <p>Biden largely waived executive privilege on records that would be given to the committee, which include call logs, drafts of remarks and speeches and handwritten notes from Trumpâs then-chief of staff, Mark Meadows, according to a court filing by the National Archives. There are also copies of talking points from then-press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and âa draft Executive Order on the topic of election integrity,â the National Archives has said.</p> <p>The House committee was formed to investigate the circumstances behind the deadly insurrection in which supporters of the former president sought to overturn his loss in the 2020 election. Trump has repeatedly attacked the committeeâs work and continued to promote unfounded conspiracy theories about the election.</p> <p>In suing to block the National Archives from turning over documents, Trump called the House panelâs request a âvexatious, illegal fishing expeditionâ that was âuntethered from any legitimate legislative purpose.â Allowing the House to get access to his records would damage executive privilege for future presidents, Trumpâs lawyers argued.</p> <p>Chutkan added that âthe public interest lies in permitting â" not enjoining â" the combined will of the legislative and executive branches to study the events that led to and occurred on January 6, and to consider legislation to prevent such events from ever occurring again.â</p> <p>Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who chairs the House committee, told CNN Tuesday that Chutkanâs ruling was âa big dealâ and said Trump should stop behaving like a âspoiled brat.â</p> <p>âI look forward to getting this information,â Thompson said. âI look forward to our investigators going through it with a fine-tooth comb to make sure that our government was not weaponized against its citizens.â</p> More Must-Read Stories From TIME <li>Ahmaud Arbery and America's White Juror Problem</li> <li>Two Rich Men Decided to Fund a Failing City. Some People Say They Made It Worse</li> <li>'Why Can't I Hold His Hand?' The Supreme Court Will Decide What Comforts a Pastor Can Offer During an Execution</li> <li>How Big Business Got Woke and Dumped Trump</li> <li>Watch: A Pet Turtle's Pursuit of Happiness</li> <li>I Panned 'Romeo + Juliet' in 1996. Now I Think It's One of the Best Shakespeare Adaptations</li> <li>How Banks Prepare for Climate Change Could Save More Than Money</li> <img src="https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/TIM211025_NGL.Chalamet.CoverFINAL4.jpg?quality=85&w=1024"> Subscribe to TIME <img class="arrow" src="https://time.com/img/red-arrow.png"> Asta Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07911157898949078341noreply@blogger.com0