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23 fresh COVID-19 cases registered in Kazakhstan last day | Kazakhstan reported 23 fresh daily cases of the coronavirus infection, the Telegram Channel of Coronavirus2020.kz reads, Trend reports citing Kazinform.
1 new case was recorded in Nur-Sultan, 10 in Almaty region, 1 in Akmola region, 1 in East Kazakhstan, 4 in West Kazakhstan, 1 in Karaganda region, 1 in Kostanay region, 2 in North Kazakhstan, bringing the country’ tally to 1,305,040. | general |
Second vaccine booster significantly lowers COVID-19 death rate: Israeli study | JERUSALEM – Senior citizens who received a second booster of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination had a 78% lower mortality rate from the disease than those who got one only, a study from Israel showed on Sunday.
The country’ s largest health care provider, Clalit Health Services, said the 40-day study included more than half a million people aged 60 to 100.
Some 58% of participants had received a second booster — or two shots in addition to the basic two-shot regimen. The remainder had received only one booster. Researchers recorded 92 deaths among the first group and 232 deaths among the second, smaller group.
“ The main conclusion is that the second booster is lifesaving, ” said Ronen Arbel, Health Outcomes Researcher at Clalit and Sapir College.
The report was issued as a preprint and has not been peer-reviewed. The research excluded people who received rival Moderna’ s vaccine and those who had taken oral anti-COVID therapy.
Israeli health officials have put out a number of studies on vaccine efficacy throughout the pandemic that have impacted policymaking in other countries. | tech |
Wakatakakage outlasts Takayasu in playoff thriller to win Osaka Basho | Osaka – Sekiwake Wakatakakage was crowned champion Sunday at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, beating former ozeki Takayasu in a title playoff following losses by both joint overnight leaders on a sensational final day in Osaka.
With No. 7 maegashira Takayasu having fallen to sekiwake Abi ( 8-7), Wakatakakage had a chance to wrap up the Emperor’ s Cup with a win over ozeki Shodai in the last scheduled bout of the 15-day tournament at Edion Arena Osaka.
But Shodai ( 9-6), who started the meet as a demotion-threatened kadoban ozeki, had other ideas, forcing out Wakatakakage a day after defeating Takayasu, leaving the leaders tied at 12-3.
With both men fighting for a maiden championship, Wakatakakage earned a last-gasp victory in a thrilling playoff bout.
After sidestepping Takayasu’ s initial charge, Wakatakakage ceded the momentum to his opponent, who gave pursuit around the ring as the sekiwake backpedaled.
Having driven Wakatakakage back to the edge, Takayasu went in for the kill, but the sekiwake dodged his final shove and executed a pulling overarm throw with both feet just inside the straw.
“ I don’ t really have a sense of having won the championship yet, ” said Wakatakakage, who remembered only snippets of the playoff.
“ I just remember that I kept myself there, that I was at the edge but stayed inside. ”
In his bout against Shodai, Wakatakakage delivered a strong opening hit and secured an inside grip, but after he unsuccessfully attempted a throw, the ozeki was able to knock the new sekiwake off balance and drive him out.
Fighting to avoid an eighth loss and keep his spot at sumo’ s third-highest rank after his recent promotion, Abi ( 8-7) flew out of the blocks and forced Takayasu into a retreat with his favored thrusting attack.
As the maegashira tried to find his footing, Abi spun him around and pushed him over the edge from behind.
For Takayasu, the result marked another disappointing ending to an otherwise strong March tournament. He was in contention for his first top-division crown a year ago before losing four of his last five bouts.
This time around, he held the outright lead entering the penultimate day until Saturday’ s loss to Shodai allowed Wakatakakage to move into a tie for first by beating ozeki Takakeisho.
Ozeki Mitakeumi ( 11-4) capped off a solid debut at sumo’ s second-highest rank by outmuscling Takakeisho ( 8-7), who lost four straight after avoiding demotion with his eighth win on Day 11.
After containing Takakeisho’ s normally powerful opening charge, Mitakeumi slung him to the sandy surface with a pulling overarm throw.
Taking place in front of spectators in Osaka for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the tournament was guaranteed a maiden title winner on the final day.
The other wrestler who started the day in contention, No. 6 Kotonowaka, finished at 11-4 following a loss to another rising star, newly promoted komosubi Hoshoryu ( 8-7), the 22-year-old nephew of Mongolian great Asashoryu.
Needing a win to keep his place among the three elite sanyaku ranks below yokozuna, Hoshoryu broke Kotonowaka’ s grip before sending him to the clay with a pulling underarm throw.
“ I don’ t really remember what I did ( in the bout) but I’ m just glad I won, ” Hoshoryu said. “ There were more negatives than positives this meet, so I know I have a lot of things to work on. ”
Kotonowaka earned his third Fighting Spirit Prize at the tournament, which was thrown wide open by the Day 6 injury withdrawal of sole yokozuna Terunofuji, winner of two of the past three championships.
Former sekiwake Daieisho likely booked his return to the sanyaku ranks by pushing out No. 10 Aoiyama.
The No. 1 maegashira clinched a winning record at 8-7 by quickly overpowering Bulgarian-born Aoiyama, who finished one win short of the all-important eight-win benchmark at 7-8. | tech |
Kamila Valieva returns to competition after Olympics doping saga | Figure skater Kamila Valieva returned to competition on Saturday at an event in Russia, just over a month after a doping scandal tarnished the 15-year-old’ s performance at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Valieva, who turns 16 next month, competed in the short program at the Channel One Cup in Saransk, which clashes with the world championships held in France from which Russians have been banned over Moscow’ s military campaign in Ukraine.
Skating to “ In Memoriam ” by Kirill Richter, Valieva was met with warm cheers from the local fans.
The Olympic Games in China were held without foreign fans due to COVID restrictions.
Valieva, who became the first woman to land a quadruple jump at the Olympics, failed a doping test at her national championships last December but the result was only revealed on Feb. 8, a day after she had already helped the Russian Olympic Committee ( ROC) win the team event.
Valieva, favorite to win Olympic gold, was later cleared to compete in the women’ s single event in Beijing by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but stumbled to fourth place.
Russians at the Beijing Games were already facing increased scrutiny, competing without their flag and anthem for doping offenses. | tech |
Eagles use reinstated extra innings to beat Marines | Sendai – The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles won Japan’ s first extra-inning regular-season game in two years Sunday when Kazuki Tanaka’ s routine fly fell for an 11th-inning RBI double to clinch a 6-5 Pacific League win over the Chiba Lotte Marines.
For the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Nippon Professional Baseball games are allowed to go past 10 innings this season. Last year, games were limited to nine innings.
The Eagles overcame 10 strikeouts from fire-balling Lotte right-hander Roki Sasaki, who threw the fastest pitch of his pro career — 164 kilometers per hour in the first inning — but also allowed three runs over six innings.
The Marines took a 5-3 eighth-inning lead at Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi, but the Eagles responded with single runs in the eighth, off Tayron Guerrero, and ninth, off closer Naoya Masuda to tie it.
Hiroto Kobukata led off the Eagles’ 11th with a single and went to second on a ground-out. With the outfield playing shallow, Tanaka’ s routine fly to right center fell untouched and ended the game.
Rakuten closer Yuki Matsui ( 1-0) struck out four over two scoreless innings to earn the win.
Elsewhere, the Seibu Lions came from six runs down to beat the Orix Buffaloes 7-6, and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks also came from behind to beat the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 6-4.
The Central League champion Tokyo Yakult Swallows completed a three-game sweep of the Hanshin Tigers with a 4-0 win, while the Hiroshima Carp also remained perfect on the young season with a 7-6 win over the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. | tech |
The making of Vladimir Putin | Paris – Speaking in what he called “ the language of Goethe, Schiller and Kant, ” picked up during his time as a KGB officer in Dresden, Germany, President Vladimir Putin of Russia addressed the German Parliament on Sept. 25, 2001. “ Russia is a friendly European nation, ” he declared. “ Stable peace on the continent is a paramount goal for our nation. ”
The Russian leader, elected the previous year at the age of 47 after a meteoric rise from obscurity, went on to describe “ democratic rights and freedoms ” as the “ key goal of Russia’ s domestic policy. ” Members of the Bundestag gave a standing ovation, moved by the reconciliation Putin seemed to embody in a city, Berlin, that long symbolized division between the West and the totalitarian Soviet world.
Norbert Röttgen, a center-right representative who headed the Parliament’ s Foreign Affairs Committee for several years, was among those who rose to their feet. “ Putin captured us, ” he said. “ The voice was quite soft, in German, a voice that tempts you to believe what is said to you. We had some reason to think there was a viable perspective of togetherness. ”
Today, all togetherness shredded, Ukraine burns, bludgeoned by the invading army Putin sent to prove his conviction that Ukrainian nationhood is a myth. More than 3.7 million Ukrainians are refugees, the dead mount up in a month-old war, and that purring voice of Putin has morphed into the angry rant of a hunched man dismissing as “ scum and traitors ” any Russian who resists the violence of his tightening dictatorship.
His opponents, a “ fifth column ” manipulated by the West, will meet an ugly fate, Putin vowed this month, grimacing as his planned blitzkrieg in Ukraine stalled. True Russians, he said, would “ spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths ” and so achieve “ a necessary self-purification of society. ”
This was less the language of Kant than of fascist nationalist exaltation laced with Putin’ s hardscrabble, brawling St. Petersburg youth.
Between these voices of reason and incitation, between these two seemingly different men, lie 22 years of power and five U.S. presidents. As China rose, as the U.S. fought and lost its forever wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as technology networked the world, a Russian enigma took form in the Kremlin.
Did the U.S. and its allies, through excess of optimism or naiveté, simply get Putin wrong from the outset? Or was he transformed over time into the revanchist warmonger of today, whether because of perceived Western provocation, gathering grievance or the giddying intoxication of prolonged and — since COVID-19 — increasingly isolated rule?
Putin is an enigma, but he is also the most public of figures. Seen from the perspective of his reckless gamble in Ukraine, a picture emerges of a man who seized on almost every move by the West as a slight against Russia — and perhaps also himself. As the grievances mounted, piece by piece, year by year, the distinction blurred. In effect, he became the state, he merged with Russia, their fates fused in an increasingly Messianic vision of restored imperial glory.
“ The temptation of the West for Putin was, I think, chiefly that he saw it as instrumental to building a great Russia, ” said Condoleezza Rice, the former secretary of state who met several times with Putin during the first phase of his rule. “ He was always obsessed with the 25 million Russians trapped outside Mother Russia by the breakup of the Soviet Union. Again and again he raised this. That is why, for him, the end of the Soviet empire was the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century. ”
But if irredentist resentment lurked, alongside a Soviet spy’ s suspicion of the U.S., Putin had other initial priorities. He was a patriotic servant of the state. The post-communist Russia of the 1990s, led by Boris Yeltsin, the country’ s first freely elected leader, had sundered.
In 1993, Yeltsin ordered the Parliament shelled to put down an insurgency; 147 people were killed. The West had to provide Russia with humanitarian aid, so dire was its economic collapse, so pervasive its extreme poverty, as large swaths of industry were sold off for a song to an emergent class of oligarchs. All this, to Putin, represented mayhem. It was humiliation.
Then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets then-Finnish President Tarja Halonen in December 2010. | RIA NOVOSTI / POOL / VIA REUTERS
“ He hated what happened to Russia, hated the idea the West had to help it, ” said Christoph Heusgen, the chief diplomatic adviser to former Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany between 2005 and 2017. Putin’ s first political manifesto for the 2000 presidential campaign was all about reversing Western efforts to transfer power from the state to the marketplace. “ For Russians, ” he wrote, “ a strong state is not an anomaly to fight against. ” Quite the contrary, “ it is the source and guarantor of order, the initiator and the main driving force of any change. ”
But Putin was no Marxist, even if he reinstated the Josef Stalin-era national anthem. He had seen the disaster of a centralized planned economy, both in Russia and East Germany, where he served as a KGB agent between 1985 and 1990.
The new president would work with the oligarchs created by chaotic, free-market, crony capitalism — so long as they showed absolute fealty. Failing that, they would be expunged. If this was democracy, it was “ sovereign democracy, ” a phrase embraced by Putin’ s top political strategists, stress on the first word.
Marked, to some degree, by his home city of St. Petersburg, built by Peter the Great in the early 18th century as a “ window to Europe, ” and by his initial political experience there from 1991 working in the mayor’ s office to attract foreign investment, Putin does appear to have been guardedly open to the West early in his rule.
He mentioned the possibility of Russian membership in NATO to former President Bill Clinton in 2000, an idea that never went anywhere. He maintained a Russian partnership agreement signed with the European Union in 1994. A NATO-Russia Council was established in 2002. Petersburg man vied with Homo Sovieticus.
This was a delicate balancing act, for which the disciplined Putin was prepared. “ You should never lose control, ” he told American movie director Oliver Stone in “ The Putin Interviews, ” a 2017 documentary. He once described himself as “ an expert in human relations. ” German lawmakers were not alone in being seduced by this man of impassive features and implacable intent, honed as an intelligence operative.
“ You must understand, he is from the KGB; lying is his profession, it is not a sin, ” said Sylvie Bermann, the French ambassador in Moscow from 2017 to 2020. “ He is like a mirror, adapting to what he sees, in the way he was trained. ”
A few months before the Bundestag speech, Putin famously won over former President George W. Bush, who, after their first meeting in June 2001, said he had looked into the Russian president’ s eyes, gotten “ a sense of his soul ” and found him “ very straightforward and trustworthy. ” Yeltsin, similarly swayed, anointed Putin as his successor just three years after he arrived in Moscow in 1996.
“ Putin orients himself very precisely to a person, ” Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia’ s richest man before he served a decade in a Siberian penal colony and had his company forcibly broken up, said in 2016 in Washington. “ If he wants you to like him, you will like him. ”
The previous time I had seen Khodorkovsky, in Moscow in October 2003, was just days before his arrest by armed agents on embezzlement charges. He had been talking to me then about his bold political ambitions — a lèse-majesté unacceptable to Putin.
The wooded presidential estate outside Moscow was comfortable but not ornate. In 2003, Putin’ s personal tastes did not yet run to palatial grandiosity. Security guards lounged around, gawking at TVs showing fashion models on the runways of Milan and Paris.
Putin, as he likes to do, kept us waiting for many hours. It seemed a small demonstration of one-upmanship, a minor incivility he would inflict even on Rice, similar to bringing his dog into a meeting with Merkel in 2007 when he knew she was scared of dogs.
“ I understand why he has to do this, ” Merkel said. “ To prove he’ s a man. ”
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting via video link in Moscow on Friday. | KREMLIN / VIA REUTERS
When the interview with three New York Times journalists at last began, Putin was cordial and focused, comfortable in his strong command of detail. “ We firmly stand on the path of development of democracy and of a market economy, ” he said. “ By their mentality and culture, the people of Russia are Europeans. ”
He spoke of “ good, close relations ” with the Bush administration, despite the Iraq War, and said “ the main principles of humanism — human rights, freedom of speech — remain fundamental for all countries. ” The greatest lesson of his education, he said, was “ respect for the law. ”
At this time, Putin had already clamped down on independent media; prosecuted a brutal war in Chechnya involving the leveling of Grozny, its capital; and placed security officials — known as siloviki — front and center in his governance. Often, they were old St. Petersburg buddies, like Nikolai Patrushev, now the secretary of Putin’ s security council. The first rule of an intelligence officer is suspicion.
When asked about his methods, the president bristled, suggesting the U.S. could not claim any moral high ground. “ We have a proverb in Russia, ” he said. “ One should not criticize a mirror if you have a crooked face. ”
The overriding impression was of a man divided behind his unflinching gaze. Michel Eltchaninoff, the French author of “ Inside the Mind of Vladimir Putin, ” said there was “ a varnish of liberalism to his discourse in the early 2000s, ” but the pull of restoring Russian imperial might, and so avenging Russia’ s perceived relegation to what former President Barack Obama would call “ a regional power, ” was always Putin’ s deepest urge.
Born in 1952 in a city then called Leningrad, Putin grew up in the shadow of the Soviets’ war with Nazi Germany, known to Russians as the Great Patriotic War. His father was badly wounded, an older brother died during the brutal 872-day German siege of the city, and a grandfather had worked for Stalin as a cook. The immense sacrifices of the Red Army in defeating Nazism were not abstract but palpable within his modest family, as for many Russians of his generation. Putin learned young that, as he put it, “ the weak get beat. ”
“ The West did not take sufficient account of the strength of Soviet myth, military sacrifice and revanchism in him, ” Eltchaninoff, whose grandparents were all Russian, said. “ He believes deeply that Russian man is prepared to sacrifice himself for an idea, whereas Western man likes success and comfort. ”
Putin brought a measure of that comfort to Russia in the first eight years of his presidency. The economy galloped ahead; foreign investment poured in. “ It was perhaps the happiest time in the country’ s life, with a measure of prosperity and level of freedom never matched in Russian history, ” said Alexander Gabuev, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center.
Gabuev, who, like thousands of liberal Russians, has fled to Istanbul since the war in Ukraine began, added that “ there was a lot of corruption and concentration of wealth, but also lots of boats rising. And remember, in the 1990s, everyone had been poor as a church mouse. ” Now the middle class could vacation in Turkey or Vietnam.
The problem for Putin was that to diversify an economy, the rule of law helps. He had studied law at St. Petersburg University and claimed to respect it. In fact, power proved to be his lodestone. He held legal niceties in contempt. “ Why would he share power when he could live off oil, gas, other natural resources and enough redistribution to keep people happy? ” Gabuev said.
Timothy Snyder, the prominent historian of fascism, put it this way: “ Having toyed with an authoritarian rule-of-law state, ” Putin simply became “ the oligarch-in-chief and turned the state into the enforcer mechanism of his oligarchical clan. ”
A member of the Ukraine military stands guard at a checkpoint in Kyiv on March 20. | AFP-JIJI
Still, the biggest country on earth, stretching across 11 time zones, needed more than economic recovery to stand tall once more. Putin had been formed in a Soviet world that held that Russia was not a great power unless it dominated its neighbors. Rumblings at the country’ s doorstep challenged that doctrine.
In November 2003, the Rose Revolution in Georgia set that country firmly on a Western course. In 2004 — the year of NATO’ s second post-Cold War expansion, which brought in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia — massive street protests, known as the Orange Revolution, erupted in Ukraine. They, too, stemmed from a rejection of Moscow and the embrace of a Western future.
Putin’ s turn from cooperation with the West to confrontation began. It would be slow, but the general direction was set. Once, asked by Merkel what his greatest mistake had been, the Russian president replied, “ To trust you. ”
From 2004 onward, a distinct hardening of Putin’ s Russia — what Rice called “ a crackdown where they were starting to spin these tales of vulnerability and democratic contagion ” — became evident.
The president scrapped elections for regional governors in late 2004, turning them into Kremlin appointees. Russian TV increasingly looked like Soviet TV in its undiluted propaganda.
In 2006, Anna Politkovskaya, an investigative journalist critical of rights abuses in Chechnya, was murdered in Moscow on Putin’ s birthday. Another Kremlin critic, Alexander Litvinenko, a former intelligence agent, who had dubbed Russia “ a mafia state, ” was killed in London, poisoned with a radioactive substance by Russian spies.
For Putin, NATO expansion into countries that had been part of the Soviet Union or its postwar East European imperium represented an American betrayal. But the threat of a successful Western democracy on his doorstep appears to have evolved into a more immediate perceived threat to his increasingly repressive system.
“ Putin’ s nightmare is not NATO, but democracy, ” said Joschka Fischer, a former German foreign minister who met with Putin several times. “ It’ s the color revolutions, thousands of people on the streets of Kyiv. Once he embraced an imperial, military ideology as the foundation of Russia as a world power, he was unable to tolerate this. ”
Although Putin has portrayed a West-leaning Ukraine as a threat to Russian security, it was more immediately a threat to Putin’ s authoritarian system itself. Radek Sikorski, the former Polish foreign minister, said, “ Putin is of course right that a democratic Ukraine integrated with Europe and successful is a mortal threat to Putinism. That, more than NATO membership, is the issue. ”
The Russian president does not take well to mortal threats, real or imagined. If anyone had doubted Putin’ s ruthlessness, they stood corrected by 2006. His loathing of weakness dictated a proclivity for violence. Yet Western democracies were slow to absorb this basic lesson.
They needed Russia, and not only for its oil and gas. The Russian president, who was the first to call Bush after 9/11, was an important potential ally in what came to be called the global war on terror. It meshed with his own war in Chechnya and with a tendency to see himself as part of a civilizational battle on behalf of Christianity.
But Putin was far less comfortable with Bush’ s “ freedom agenda, ” announced in his second inaugural of January 2005, a commitment to promote democracy across the world in pursuit of a neoconservative vision. In every stirring for liberty, Putin now saw the hidden hand of the U.S. And why would Bush not include Russia in his ambitious program?
Arriving in Moscow as the U.S. ambassador in 2005, William Burns, now the CIA director, sent a sober cable, all post-Cold War optimism dispelled. “ Russia is too big, too proud and too self-conscious of its own history to fit neatly into a ‘ Europe whole and free,’ ” he wrote. As he relates in his memoir, “ The Back Channel, ” Burns added that Russian “ interest in playing a distinctive Great Power role ” would “ sometimes cause significant problems. ”
When François Hollande, the former French president, met Putin several years later, he was surprised to find him referring to Americans as “ Yankees ” — and in scathing terms. These Yankees had “ humiliated us, put us in second position, ” Putin told him. NATO was an organization “ aggressive by its nature, ” used by the U.S. to put Russia under pressure, even to stir democracy movements.
“ He expressed himself in a cold and calculating way, ” Hollande said. “ He is a man who always wants to demonstrate a kind of implacable determination, but also in the form of seduction, almost gentleness. An agreeable tone alternates with brutal outbursts, which are thereby made more effective. ”
A man holds a portrait depicting Russia’ s President Vladimir Putin as flags of Russia and Serbia are waved during a rally organized by a rightwing Serbian group in Belgrade on Thursday. | AFP-JIJI
The more assured he grew in his power, the more Putin appears to have reverted to the hostility toward the U.S. in which he was formed. The NATO bombing of Belgrade, Serbia, in 1999 during the Kosovo War, and the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 had already given him a healthy distrust of the U.S.’ invocations of the United Nations Charter and international law. Convinced of the exceptionalism of Russia, its inevitable fate to be a great power, he could not abide American exceptionalism, the perception of the U.S. throwing its power around in the name of some unique destiny, an inherent mission to spread freedom in a world where the U.S. was the sole hegemon.
These grudges came to a head in Putin’ s ferocious speech in 2007 to the Munich Security Conference. “ One state, and, of course, first and foremost, the United States, has overstepped its national borders in every way, ” he declared to a shocked audience. A “ unipolar world ” had been imposed after the Cold War with “ one center of authority, one center of force, one center of decision-making. ”
The result was a world “ in which there is one master, one sovereign, and at the end of the day, this is pernicious. ” More than pernicious, it was “ extremely dangerous, ” resulting “ in the fact that nobody feels safe. ”
After the Munich speech, Germany still had hopes for Putin. Merkel, raised in East Germany, a Russian speaker, had formed a relationship with him. Putin put his two children in Moscow’ s German school after his return from Dresden. He liked to quote from German poems. “ There was an affinity, ” said Heusgen. “ An understanding. ”
Working with Putin could not mean dictating to him, however. “ We deeply believed it would not be good to bring Georgia and Ukraine into NATO, ” Heusgen said. “ They would bring instability. ” Article 10 of the NATO Treaty, as Heusgen noted, says any new member must be in a position to “ contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area. ” Just how the two contested countries would do that was unclear to Merkel.
The U.S., however, with the Bush presidency in its last year, was in no mood to compromise. Bush wanted a “ membership action plan, ” or MAP, for Ukraine and Georgia, a specific commitment to bringing the two countries into the alliance, to be announced at the April 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania. NATO expansion had ensured the security and freedom of 100 million Europeans liberated from the totalitarian Soviet imperium; it should not stop.
Burns, as ambassador, was opposed. In a then-classified message to Rice, he wrote, “ Ukrainian entry into NATO is the brightest of all redlines for the Russian elite ( not just Putin). In more than 2 1/2 years of conversations with key Russian players, from knuckle-draggers in the dark recesses of the Kremlin to Putin’ s sharpest liberal critics, I have to yet to find anyone who views Ukraine in NATO as anything other than a direct challenge to Russian interests. ”
Already, in February 2008, the U.S. and many of its allies had recognized the independence of Kosovo from Serbia, a unilateral declaration rejected as illegal by Russia and seen as an affront to a fellow Slav nation. Bermann recalled Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, warning her at the time, “ Be careful; it’ s a precedent. It will be used against you. ”
France joined Germany in Bucharest in opposing the MAP for Georgia and Ukraine. “ Germany wanted nothing, ” Rice recalled. “ It said you could not take in a country with a frozen conflict like Georgia ” — an allusion to the tense standoff between Georgia and the breakaway, Russian-backed, self-declared republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The compromise was messy. The NATO leaders’ declaration said that Ukraine and Georgia “ will become members of NATO. ” But it stopped short of endorsing an action plan that would make such membership possible. Ukraine and Georgia were left with an empty promise, consigned to drift indefinitely in a strategic no man’ s land, while Russia was at once angered and offered a glimpse of a division it could later exploit.
“ Today we look at the statement and think it was the worst of all worlds, ” said Thomas Bagger, the outgoing senior diplomatic adviser to the German president.
Putin came to Bucharest and delivered what Rice described as an “ emotional speech, ” suggesting Ukraine was a made-up country, noting the presence of 17 million Russians there and calling Kyiv the mother of all Russian cities — a claim that would develop into an obsession.
To Sikorski, Putin’ s speech was not surprising. He had received a letter that year from Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a fierce Russian nationalist who was then the deputy speaker of the Duma, suggesting that Poland and Russia simply partition Ukraine. “ I did not respond, ” Sikorski said. “ We are not in the business of changing borders. ”
Still, for all the differences, Putin had not yet hardened into outright hostility. Bush and Rice proceeded to Putin’ s favored resort of Sochi, Russia, on the Black Sea Coast.
Putin showed off the sites planned for the 2014 Winter Olympics. He introduced them to Dmitry Medvedev, his longtime associate who would become president in May, as part of a choreographed maneuver to respect Russian’ s constitutional term limits but allow Putin to return to the Kremlin in 2012 after a spell as prime minister.
There were Cossack dancers. Some Americans danced, and the mood there was very good.
Three months later, a five-day war erupted in Georgia. Russia called it a “ peace enforcement ” operation. Having provoked an impetuous Georgian attack on its proxy forces in South Ossetia, Russia invaded Georgia. Its strategic goal was to neutralize any ambitions for Georgian NATO membership; this was largely achieved. Moscow recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, integrating them into Russia.
Putin, in his deliberate manner, had drawn a first line in the sand, with no meaningful Western response.
On May 7, 2012, as a 30-gun salute echoed over Moscow and riot police officers in camouflage rounded up protesters, Putin returned to the Russian presidency. Bristling and increasingly convinced of Western perfidy and decadence, he was in many respects a changed man.
The outbreak of large street protests five months earlier, with marchers bearing signs that said, “ Putin is a thief, ” had cemented his conviction that the U.S. was determined to bring a color revolution to Russia. The demonstrations erupted after parliamentary elections in December 2011 that were widely viewed as fraudulent by domestic and international observers. The unrest was eventually crushed.
Putin accused then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of being the primary instigator. “ She set the tone for some actors in our country and gave them a signal, ” he said. Clinton retorted that, in line with America’ s values, “ we expressed concerns that we thought were well founded about the conduct of the elections. ”
So much for the Obama administration’ s attempts at a “ reset ” in relations with Russia over the four years that the milder Medvedev, who was always beholden to Putin, spent in office.
Still, the idea that Putin posed any serious threat to U.S. interests was largely dismissed in a Washington focused on defeating al-Qaida. After Gov. Mitt Romney said that the biggest geopolitical threat facing the U.S. was Russia, he was mocked by Obama.
“ The Cold War’ s been over for 20 years, ” Obama said by way of contemptuous instruction during a 2012 presidential debate.
Firefighters carry out operations on a residential building that was hit by the debris of a downed rocket, in Kyiv on March 20. | AFP-JIJI
Russia, under U.S. pressure, had abstained in a 2011 United Nations Security Council vote for military intervention in Libya, which authorized “ all necessary measures ” to protect civilians. When this mission, in Putin’ s perception, morphed into the pursuit of the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi, who was killed by Libyan forces, the Russian president was furious. This was yet further confirmation of America’ s international lawlessness.
Something else was at work. “ He was haunted by the brutal takeout of Gadhafi, ” said Mark Medish, who was senior director for Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian affairs at the National Security Council during Bill Clinton’ s presidency. “ I was told that he replayed the videos again and again. ” The elimination of a dictator felt personal.
Michel Duclos, a former French ambassador to Syria and now a special adviser to the Institut Montaigne think tank in Paris, places Putin’ s definitive “ choice of repolarization ” in 2012. China had risen, offering new strategic options. “ He had become convinced that the West was in decline after the 2008 financial crisis, ” Duclos said. “ The way forward now was confrontation. ”
In this clash, Putin had armed himself with cultural and religious reinforcements. He cast himself as the macho embodiment of conservative Orthodox Christian values against the West’ s irreligious embrace of same-sex marriage, radical feminism, homosexuality, mass immigration and other manifestations of “ decadence. ”
The U.S. and its allies, in Putin’ s telling, were intent on globalizing these subversive values under the cover of democracy promotion and human rights. Saint Russia would stand against this baleful homogenization. Putinism, as it was now fleshed out, stood against a godless and insinuating West. Moscow had an ideology once more. It was one of conservative resistance, and it appealed to rightist leaders across Europe and beyond.
It was also, it seems, a reflection of something more. When, in the Stone documentary, Putin is asked if he ever has “ bad days, ” his response is, “ I am not a woman, so I don’ t have bad days. ” Pressed a little by the generally deferential Stone, the Russian president opines, “ That’ s just the nature of things. ”
Later, Stone asks about gays and the military. “ If you are taking a shower in a submarine with a man and you know he is gay, do you have a problem with that? ” Putin replies, “ Well, I prefer not to go to the shower with him. Why provoke him? But you know, I’ m a judo master. ”
But Putin was not joking about his conservative challenge to Western culture. It allowed him to develop his own support in Europe among hard-right parties like the French National Rally, formerly the National Front, that received a loan from a Russian bank. Autocratic nationalism revived its appeal, challenging the democratic liberalism that the Russian leader would pronounce “ obsolete ” in 2019.
A number of fascist or nationalist writers and historians with mystical ideas of Russian destiny and fate, prominent among them Ivan Ilyin, increasingly influenced Putin’ s thinking. Ilyin saw the Russian soldier as “ the will, the force and the honor of the Russian state ” and wrote, “ My prayer is like a sword. And my sword is like a prayer. ” Putin took to citing him frequently.
“ By the time Putin returns to the Kremlin, he has an ideology, a spiritual cover for his kleptocracy, ” said Snyder. “ Russia now extends however far its leader decides. It’ s all about eternal Russia, a mash-up of the last 1,000 years. Ukraine is ours, always ours, because God says so, and never mind the facts. ”
When Putin traveled to Kyiv in July 2013, on a visit to mark the 1,025th anniversary of the conversion to Christianity of Prince Vladimir of the Kyivan Rus, Putin vowed to protect “ our common Fatherland, Great Rus. ” Later, he would have a statue of Vladimir erected in front of the Kremlin.
For Ukraine, however, such Russian “ protection ” had become little more than a thinly veiled threat, whatever the extensive cultural, linguistic and family ties between the two countries.
“ Poland has been invaded many times by Russia, ” Sikorski said. “ But remember, Russia never invades. It just comes to the assistance of endangered Russian-speaking minorities. ”
The 22-year arc of Putin’ s exercise of power is in many ways a study of growing audacity. Intent at first at restoring order in Russia and gaining international respect — especially in the West — he became convinced that a Russia rich in oil revenue and new high-tech weaponry could strut the world, deploy military force and meet scant resistance.
“ Power, for the Russians, is arms. It is not the economy, ” said Bermann, who closely followed Putin’ s steady militarization of Russian society during her time in Moscow. She was particularly struck by the grandiose video display of advanced nuclear and hypersonic weaponry presided over by the president in a March 2018 address to the nation.
“ Nobody listened to us, ” Putin proclaimed. “ Listen to us now. ” He also said, “ Efforts to contain Russia have failed. ”
If Putin was, as he now seemed to believe, the personification of Russia’ s mystical great-power destiny, all constraints were off. “ When I first met him, you had to lean in a little to understand what he was saying, ” said Rice. “ I’ ve seen Putin go from a little shy, to pretty shy, to arrogant and now megalomaniacal. ”
An important moment in this development appears to have come with Obama’ s last-minute decision in 2013 not to bomb Syria after Bashar Assad, the Syrian president, crossed a U.S. “ red line ” against using chemical weapons. Obama took the case for war to a reluctant Congress instead, and under the lingering U.S. threat and pressure from Moscow, Assad agreed to the destruction of the weapons.
The hesitation appears to have left an impression on Putin. “ It was decisive, I think, ” said Hollande, who had readied warplanes to take part in the planned military strike. “ Decisive for American credibility, and that had consequences. After that, I believe, Mr. Putin considered Mr. Obama weak. ”
Certainly, Putin rapidly ramped up his efforts to expand Russian power.
Ukraine, by ousting its Moscow-backed leader in a bloody popular uprising in February 2014 — and so de facto rejecting Putin’ s multibillion-dollar blandishments to join his Eurasian Union rather than pursue an association agreement with the EU — committed the unpardonable. This, for Putin, was the devouring specter of color revolution made real. It was, he insisted, a U.S.-backed “ coup. ”
Putin’ s annexation of Crimea and orchestration of the military conflict in eastern Ukraine that created two Russian-backed breakaway regions followed.
Two decades earlier, in 1994, Russia had signed an agreement known as the Budapest Memorandum, under which Ukraine gave up its vast nuclear arsenal in exchange for a promise of respect for its sovereignty and existing borders. But Putin had no interest in that commitment.
Heusgen said a breaking point for Merkel came when she asked Putin about the “ little green men ” — masked Russian soldiers — who appeared in Crimea before the Russian annexation in March 2014. “ I have nothing to do with them, ” Putin responded, unconvincingly.
“ He lied to her — lies, lies, lies, ” Heusgen said. “ From then on, she was much more skeptical about Mr. Putin. ” She would tell Obama that the Russian leader was “ living in another world. ”
Later, when Putin ordered Russian forces into Syria and, in 2016, embarked on the ferocious bombardment of Aleppo, Merkel told him the bombing had to stop. But the Russian leader would have none of it.
“ He said there were some Chechen fighters and terrorists there, and he did not want them back, and he would bomb the whole of Aleppo to get rid of them, ” Heusgen said. “ It was of an absolute brutality. I mean, how brutal can you get? ”
Lies and brutality: The core methods of late Putin were clear enough. For anyone who was listening, Lavrov had made that evident at the 2015 Munich Security Conference.
In a speech as violent as Putin’ s in 2007, Lavrov accused Ukrainians of engaging in an orgy of “ nationalistic violence ” characterized by ethnic purges directed against Jews and Russians. The annexation of Crimea occurred because a popular uprising demanded “ the right of self-determination ” under the U.N. Charter, he claimed.
The U.S., in Lavrov’ s account, was driven by an insatiable desire for global dominance. Europe, once the Cold War ended, should have built “ the common European house ” — a “ free economic zone ” from Lisbon, Portugal, to Vladivostok, Russia — rather than expand NATO eastward.
But not many people were listening. The U.S. and most of Europe — less so the states closest to Russia — glided on in the seldom-questioned belief that the Russian threat, while growing, was contained; that Putin was a rational man whose use of force involved serious cost-benefit analysis; and that European peace was assured. The oligarchs continued to make “ Londongrad ” their home; Britain’ s Conservative Party was glad to take money from them. Prominent figures in Germany, France and Austria were happy to accept well-paid Russian sinecures. They included Gerhard Schröder, the former German chancellor, and François Fillon, the former French prime minister. Russian oil and gas poured into Europe.
Prominent intellectuals, including Hélène Carrère d’ Encausse, the perpetual secretary of the Académie Française and a specialist in Russian history, defended Putin strongly, even in the run-up to the war in Ukraine. “ The United States applied itself to humiliating Russia, ” she told a French TV interviewer, suggesting the simultaneous dissolution of NATO and the Warsaw Pact would have better served the world.
As for former U.S. President Donald Trump, he never had a critical word for Putin, preferring to believe Putin rather than the U.S.’ own intelligence services on the issue of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
“ With hindsight, we should have started long ago what we now need to do in a rush, ” Bagger said. “ Strengthen our military and diversify energy supplies. Instead, we went along and expanded resource flows from Russia. And we dragged along a hollowed-out army. ”
He added, “ We did not realize that Putin had spun himself into a historical mythology and was thinking in categories of a 1,000-year empire. You can not deter someone like that with sanctions. ”
The unthinkable can happen. Russia’ s war of choice in Ukraine is proof of that. Watching it unfold, Bermann said she had been reminded of lines from “ The Human Stain ” by Philip Roth: “ The danger with hatred is, once you start in on it, you get a hundred times more than you bargained for. Once you start, you can’ t stop. ”
In the isolation of COVID-19, apparently redoubled by the germaphobia that has led the Russian leader to impose what Bagger called “ extraordinary arrangements ” for anyone meeting him, all of Putin’ s obsessions about the 25 million Russians lost to their motherland at the breakup of the Soviet Union seem to have coagulated.
“ Something happened, ” said Bermann, who was greeted by a smiling Putin when she presented her credentials as ambassador in 2017. “ He speaks with a new rage and fury, a kind of folly. ”
Rice was similarly struck. “ Something is definitely different, ” she said. “ He’ s not in control of his emotions. Something is wrong. ”
After President Emmanuel Macron of France met with Putin at opposite ends of a 20-foot table last month, Macron told journalists on his plane that he found Putin more stiff, isolated and ideologically unyielding than at their previous meeting in 2019. Macron’ s aides described Putin as physically changed, his face puffy. “ Paranoid ” was the word chosen by the French president’ s top diplomatic adviser to describe a speech by Putin just before the war.
That Ukraine got to Putin in some deeply disturbing way is evident in the 5,000-word tract on “ The Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians ” that he penned in his isolation last summer and had distributed to members of the armed forces. Marshaling arguments ranging back to the ninth century, he said that “ Russia was robbed, indeed. ” Ukraine was now home to “ radicals and neo-Nazis ” intent on effacing any trace of Russia.
“ We will never allow our historical territories and people close to us living there to be used against Russia, ” he wrote. “ And to those who will undertake such an attempt, I would like to say that this way they will destroy their own country. ”
His intent, in hindsight, was clear enough, many months before the invasion. It appeared so to Eltchaninoff. “ The religion of war had installed itself, ” he said. “ Putin had replaced the real with a myth. ”
But why now? The West, Putin had long since concluded, was weak, divided, decadent, given over to private consumption and promiscuity. Germany had a new leader, and France an imminent election. A partnership with China had been cemented. Poor intelligence persuaded him that Russian troops would be greeted as liberators in wide swaths of eastern Ukraine, at least. COVID-19, Bagger said, “ had given him a sense of urgency, that time was running out. ”
Hollande had a simpler explanation: “ Putin was drunk on his success. In recent years, he has won enormously ” — in Crimea, in Syria, in Belarus, in Africa, in Kazakhstan. “ Putin tells himself, ‘ I am advancing everywhere. Where am I in retreat? Nowhere!’ ”
That is no longer the case. In a single stroke, Putin has galvanized NATO, ended Swiss neutrality and German postwar pacifism, united an often fragmented EU, hobbled the Russian economy for years to come, provoked a massive exodus of educated Russians and reinforced the very thing he denied had ever existed, in a way that will prove indelible: Ukrainian nationhood. He has been outmaneuvered by the agile and courageous Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a man he mocked.
“ He has undone on a coin-flip the achievements of his presidency, ” said Gabuev. For Hollande, “ Mr. Putin has committed the irremediable. ”
U.S. President Joe Biden has called Putin a “ brute, ” a “ war criminal ” and a “ killer. ” “ For God’ s sake, this man can not remain in power, ” he said in Poland on Saturday. Yet the Russian leader retains deep reserves of support in Russia and tight control over his security services.
That power corrupts is well known. An immense distance seems to separate the man who won over the Bundestag in 2001 with a conciliatory speech and the ranting leader berating the “ national traitors ” seduced by the West who “ can’ t do without foie gras, oysters or the so-called gender freedoms, ” as he put it in his scum-and-traitors speech this month. If nuclear war remains a remote possibility, it is far less remote than a month ago — a subject of regular dinner table conversations across Europe as Putin pursues the “ de-Nazification ” of a country whose leader is Jewish.
It is as if, after a flirtation with a new idea — a Russia integrated with the West — Putin, who will be 70 this year, reverted to something deeper in his psyche: the world of his childhood after The Great Patriotic War had been won, with Russia in his head again liberating Ukrainians from Nazism, and Stalin restored to heroic stature.
With his assault on independent media completed, his insistence that the invasion is not a “ war ” and his liquidation of Memorial International, the leading human rights organization chronicling Stalin-era persecution, Putin has circled back to his roots in a totalitarian country.
Röttgen, who stood to applaud Putin 21 years ago, said, “ I think at this point, he either wins, or he’ s done. Done politically, or done physically. ” | tech |
Box Office: Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum's 'The Lost City ' Takes Down 'The Batman ' With $ 31 Million Debut | LOS ANGELES, March 27 ( Variety.com) - Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum's screwball romantic comedy `` The Lost City '' collected $ 31 million at North American theaters over the weekend, a promising sign that Netflix hasn't completely seized on the meet-cute market.
Of course, Paramount, which is behind `` The Lost City, '' did not rely only on positive reviews -- or the tease of Tatum's bare behind -- to fuel ticket sales. The on-screen chemistry between Bullock and Tatum, who were inescapable on social media, billboards and in trailers while promoting the film, were key in getting audiences to cinemas. That's a huge accomplishment in an era where familiar franchises have been dictating commercial success ( at least, compared to the promise of A-list stars). At the same time, `` The Lost City, '' an original adventure that has been described as `` Romancing the Stone '' meets `` Raiders of the Lost Ark, '' indicates that romantic comedies haven't entirely fallen out of favor with moviegoers.
`` This is an excellent opening, '' says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. `` Romantic comedies have been in decline for a dozen years, well before the pandemic. The combination of big cast plus crowd-pleasing romance plus comedy plus adventure has worked before, and it's working again. ''
`` The Lost City '' cost $ 68 million, which is fairly expensive for a rom-com. But Bullock and Tatum get compensated handsomely to headline in movies, and filming the explosion-heavy `` The Lost City '' on location in the Dominican Republic during COVID-19 did not come cheap. That price tag does not include the serious coin spent to market the movie, which premiered at South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin earlier this month.
Aaron and Adam Nee directed `` The Lost City, '' an amorous action-adventure that takes place on a remote tropical jungle. The story follows Bullock as Loretta Sage, a middle-aged author who gets kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire ( Harry Potter himself Daniel Radcliffe, in a villainous role) in the hopes she can discover the ancient lost city's treasure from her latest story. Ticket buyers were mostly receptive to `` The Lost City, '' which landed a `` B+ '' CinemaScore.
In a win for Paramount, `` The Lost City '' marks the studio's third movie in 2022 to open in first place, following `` Scream '' and `` Jackass Forever. '' During the pandemic, Paramount largely stepped back from theatrical releases, instead selling titles like Aaron Sorkin's courtroom drama `` The Trial of the Chicago 7, '' Eddie Murphy's comedy sequel `` Coming 2 America '' and Michael B. Jordan's action thriller `` Without Remorse '' to streaming services. Other than `` A Quiet Place Part II, '' which powered to nearly $ 300 million worldwide, the studio's slate was propped up by kid-friendly animated adventures `` Paw Patrol '' and `` Clifford the Big Red Dog. ''
At the domestic box office, `` The Lost City '' took down reigning champion `` The Batman, '' which held the No. 1 spot for three weekends in a row. The superhero adventure, starring Robert Pattinson, took in $ 20 million between Friday and Sunday, enough for second place. Those ticket sales, a 44% decline from last weekend, are strong considering the movie has already been playing in theaters for a month. `` The Batman '' has generated $ 332 million in North America to date.
In third place, the Indian war epic `` RRR '' -- which stands for Roudram Ranam Rudhiram -- grossed approximately $ 10 million from 1,200 theaters in its North American debut. That footprint marks one of the widest domestic rollouts for an Indian movie. `` RRR, '' which clocks in over three hours, cost $ 73 million to produce.
Another new release, Bleecker Street's survival thriller '' Infinite Storm '' with Naomi Watts, flopped in its debut, pulling in a disastrous $ 751,296 from 1,525 screens. Given mixed reviews, the film -- about a climber who gets caught in a blizzard and attempts to save herself and a stranded stranger before succumbing to the elements -- doesn't look like it'll rebound on the big screen.
Tom Holland's video game adaptation `` Uncharted '' and Crunchyroll's manga adaptation `` Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie '' took spots four and five, respectively on box office charts.
In its sixth weekend of release, `` Uncharted '' brought in $ 4.9 million from 3,416 cinemas, boosting its North American tally to $ 133.5 million.
`` Jujutsu Kaisen 0, '' an otherwise under-the-radar anime film, amassed $ 4.5 million from 2,430 locations. It's a huge 73% decline in ticket sales from the movie's $ 17.6 million debut. Still, `` Jujutsu Kaisen 0 '' has earned a solid $ 27 million to date.
Elsewhere, A24's action-adventure-comedy-fantasy-sci-fi mashup `` Everything Everywhere All at Once '' earned $ 509,659 from just 10 screens in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco -- translating to $ 50,965 per screen. It marks the biggest limited opening weekend of the year, as well as one of the best starts ever for A24, the studio behind beloved indies such as `` Lady Bird, '' `` Moonlight '' and `` Uncut Gems. '' The film will continue to expand to select markets on Friday before debuting nationwide on April 8.
Directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the well-reviewed '' Everything Everywhere All at Once '' stars Michelle Yeoh as a wife and mother who exists in a multiverse, a term popularized by Marvel comic book adventures. The cast also includes Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Jenny Slate and Jamie Lee Curtis. | business |
Boarding on an active volcano: Nicaragua's tourism boon | Hi, what are you looking for?
It took Ana Muller half an hour to trek to the peak of the Cerro Negro volcano, a small effort given the reward at the tourist attraction.
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It took Ana Muller half an hour to trek to the peak of the Cerro Negro volcano, a small effort given the reward on offer at Nicaragua’ s top tourist attraction: volcano boarding.
The active Cerro Negro is just 728 meters ( 2,400 feet) high, but sliding down its ash-covered slopes on a board is a 40-second thrill that allows participants to say they have surfed a volcano.
“ It is a unique experience, ” said Muller, a German tourist who enjoyed the “ adrenaline. ”
“ You can only do it in a few places in the world.
“ There are many volcanoes here in Central America, but only volcano boarding here in Nicaragua, in Leon. ”
Although active, Cerro Negro does not spit out smoke — its last major eruption was in 1999.
“ Little scary, but fun. High, very high, but it’ s once in a lifetime, ” said American tourist Eduardo Shandro.
“ It was really good, you go really fast. You lose control a little bit, but you get a hang of it after a little bit, and it’ s a really cool experience, ” added his compatriot Adolfo Adofen.
“ I never thought I would do this in my life, to go down a volcano, but it was amazing. ”
The best part for Portuguese tourist Carina Mora was “ being in contact with the earth. I think it’ s the best human experience you can have to feel the warmth of the earth. ”
The hike up the volcano “ is a little bit tiring… but then when you come back down it’ s perfect. You want to go again and again. ”
– ‘ Only place in the world’ –
Hundreds of adrenaline junkie tourists converge on Cerro Negro, a boon for tourism in a country that has been hammered by a political crisis sparked in 2018 with the brutal repression of street protesters and exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
The pioneers of volcano boarding in Nicaragua first tackled the Cerro Negro slopes in 2006.
One of them, Lesther Centeno, is now head of the Bigfoot tour company.
Like all tourism in Nicaragua, volcano boarding was hit by the political crisis and pandemic.
“ It took a long time to get the activity going again. For about eight months, we had almost nothing, but now people are starting to come back to the country and obviously they always come looking for this, ” said Centeno.
“ It’ s the only place in the world where you can go boarding on an active volcano! ”
In Leon, the closest big town to the volcano, there are at least 12 tour operators offering boarding experiences on Cerro Negro for around $ 30.
Twelve communities living close to the volcano, making up half a million people, live directly or indirectly off tourism, said Matilde Hernandez, the volcano park ranger.
Local resident Jose Gonzalez carries tourists’ boards up the volcano.
“ That is our salary. If we don’ t carry the board up, we don’ t earn any money, ” he said.
Depending on how busy it is, he can earn up to $ 20 a day.
With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.
That’ s the real danger. Nobody trusts Russian judgment anymore.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR says 4,656,509 Ukrainians have fled since Russia invaded on February 24 - Copyright AFP FARJANA K. GODHULYRobin MILLARDMore than...
President Joe Biden for the first time accused Vladimir Putin's forces of committing genocide in Ukraine.
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Covid-19: India reports 1,421 new cases, 149 deaths in 24 hours; active caseload dips to 16,187 | India has reported 1,421 new cases of Covid-19 and 149 more deaths in 24 hours, a bulletin released by the Union health ministry stated on Sunday, Trend reports citing TOI.
India's active caseload currently stands at 16,187, with an dip of 554 such cases over the last 24 hours, the ministry said.
The current recovery rate in India is 98.75%, as per the bulletin.
Also, with 1,826 recoveries in the last 24 hours, the total number of people who have recuperated from the disease rose to 4,24,82,262.
The daily positivity rate has been recorded at 0.23%, while the weekly positivity rate stands at 0.27%.
A total of 78.69 crore tests for Covid detection have been conducted so far in the country, with 6,20,251 tests having been held in the last 24 hours, the government stated on Sunday.
As many as 183.20 crore vaccine doses have been administered in India under the nationwide vaccination drive so far, with 29.90 lakh doses being administered in a span of 24 hours. | general |
Op-Ed: Five reasons why Danny Mahoney should win the 2022 Indie Series Award for ‘ Best Actor— Drama’ | Hi, what are you looking for?
Actor Danny Mahoney is one of the six nominees vying for the “ Best Lead Actor — Drama ” 2022 Indie Series Award.
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Canadian-born actor Danny Mahoney is one of the six nominees vying for the “ Best Lead Actor — Drama ” 2022 Indie Series Award. This journalist states five reasons as to why he deserves to win for his acting in the digital series “ Purgatory ” on Popstar! TV.
The 2022 Indie Series Awards will take place on Thursday, April 7, 2022, at The Colony Theatre in Burbank, California.
First and foremost, Mahoney is a revelation as Chris in “ Purgatory. ” While he may come across as innocent at first, he proves that looks can be deceiving.
Second, he has great scenes with his “ Purgatory ” co-stars Bibi Lucille ( as Marie), Johnny Neal ( as Adam), Tatjana Marjanovic ( Lisa), and Erik Fellows ( Bobby).
Third, he balances subtle acting work and dramatic scenes quite well. On top of that, he nailed his scenes in a cave in Armenia, which was the setting of this series.
Fourth, he was not afraid to be raw and vulnerable. Not only did Mahoney do a good job, but he made his co-stars around him better.
Finally, “ Purgatory ” was one of the most underrated digital drama series out there. The series earned a total of four Indie Series Award nominations, which included a nod in the competitive “ Best Drama Series ” category.
“ Purgatory ” is available for streaming on Popstar! TV.
To learn more about the 2022 Indie Series Award nominees, check out the official website.
Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 17,000 original articles over the past 16 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a six-time consecutive `` Best of Long Island '' winner, and in the past three years, he was honored as the `` Best Long Island Personality '' in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.
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COPYRIGHT © 1998 - 2022 DIGITAL JOURNAL INC. Digital Journal is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more about our external linking. | general |
Supply chain content round-up from across the world | Shipping firms vulnerable to cyberattacks, says Cyberowl; US calls for inland ports; PIL opens new India route; Canada rail strike hitting supply chains.
In a round-up of logistics news, labour shortage sees FedEx Ground struggle, JB Hunt grows intermodal fleet by 40%, while PSA 2021 revenues hit $ 4.6bn.
project44 report decries the damaging effect on supply chains of China's zero-tolerance Covid approach, after 60 cases shuts down manufacturing centre Shenzhen.
Leading procurement and supply chain software company SAP has announced separate sustainability partnerships - one with consulting firm BCG, and the other with consumer goods giant Unilever.
An ongoing McKinsey study into skills requirements shows that, more than ever, companies need in-house digital supply chain talent to support digitisation efforts.
World Trade Organisation's Global Supply Chain Forum advocates strategic investment & diversification as ways for organisations to deal with disruption.
As supply chain evolves in the face of pandemic-driven changes and political instability, sustainability & omnichannel top the list of 10 supply trends.
McKinsey explores the standing of 3D printing - or 'additive manufacturing ' - and finds that although it's come a long way, it's not yet disrupting supply.
Supply Chain Digital is the digital community for the global supply chain & logistics industry that connects the world's largest supply chain & logistics brands. Supply Chain Digital focuses on procurement and supply chain news, key interviews, supply chain videos, along with an ever-expanding range of focused procurement and supply chain white papers and webinars. | general |
Meituan shares in Hong Kong jump more than 11% in mixed Asia trading | SINGAPORE — Shares in Chinese tech firms mostly rose in mixed Asia-Pacific trading on Monday, with oil prices falling more than 3%.
By the Hong Kong market close on Monday, shares of Meituan soared 11.56% while Tencent gained 2.81%.
Meituan on Friday posted better-than-expected revenue for the last three months of 2021. The company's revenue for the fourth quarter came in at 49.52 billion yuan ( $ 7.78 billion), above mean analyst expectations for a 49.2 billion yuan print, according to data from Refinitiv Eikon.
The Hang Seng Tech index rose 2.62% to 4,491.01. Some Chinese tech stocks, however, slipped: JD.com dropped 1.75% while SenseTime shed 1.9%.
`` Even if you look now, where we see very significant and sharp falls so that valuations now are at much more reasonable levels, I think it's still quite difficult for investors … to really build the courage to go back in at these levels, '' Mark Konyn, group chief investment officer at AIA, told CNBC's `` Squawk Box Asia '' on Monday.
The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong advanced 1.31% to close at 21,684.97.
The broader Asia-Pacific markets struggled for direction on Monday.
Mainland China's Shanghai composite gained 0.07% to close at 3,214.50 while the Shenzhen component shed 1.017% to 11,949.94.
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Data released over the weekend showed Chinese industrial profits grew in the first two months of the year. Profits at China's industrial firms rose 5.0% for the January to February period as compared with a year earlier, according to data released Sunday.
Investors have been watching for clues on policy easing from Chinese authorities amid concerns over the outlook for the economic powerhouse as it grapples with issues such as its worst Covid outbreak since the initial height of the pandemic in early 2020. On Monday, China's biggest city Shanghai began a two-stage lockdown.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 slipped 0.73% to close at 27,943.89 while the Topix index ticked 0.41% lower to 1,973.37. South Korea's Kospi was little changed on the day at 2,729.56.
In Australia, the S & P/ASX 200 closed fractionally higher at 7,412.40. Singapore's Straits Times index also climbed 0.29%, as of 4:13 p.m. local time.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was little changed.
Oil prices declined in the afternoon of Asia trading hours, with international benchmark Brent crude futures down 3.32% to $ 116.65 per barrel. U.S. crude futures slipped 3.71% to $ 109.68 per barrel.
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 99.296 following a recent climb from below 98.7.
The Japanese yen traded at 123.88 per dollar, weaker than levels below 120 seen against the greenback last week. The Australian dollar was at $ 0.753, having risen from below $ 0.74 last week.
Correction: This article was updated to accurately reflect the moves of the Japanese yen during Asia trading hours on Monday. | business |
Hong Kong Cuts Flight Ban for Airlines Carrying Covid-Positive Flyers | Get exclusive stories and unlimited access to Skift.com news
Access exclusive travel research, data insights, and surveys
Clare Jim, Reuters
March 27th, 2022 at 4:25 PM EDT
This is one more sign of how imperiled Hong Kong officials feel about their economy, the relaxing of the flight penalties coming just days after they lifted flight bans from nine countries.
Tom Lowry
Hong Kong said on Sunday it is shortening the ban on airlines that are found to have carried three or more passengers who test positive for COVID-19 upon arrival, as the number of local cases continues to ease from its peak.
Starting on Friday, the ban on individual airline routes will be halved to seven days as part of an ongoing “ flight suspension mechanism ”, the government said in a statement.
The change comes after the government said last week a ban on flights from nine countries – Canada, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Britain, the United States, France, Australia and the Philippines – would be lifted on April 1.
If there is at least one positive test and at least one case of non-compliance with pre-departure testing on any single flight, the airline will also be suspended from flying the route for seven days.
Hong Kong reported 8,037 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday and 151 deaths, the second day in a row below 10,000 cases, as its latest wave of infections continues to ease.
The financial hub will relax the social distancing measures in phases starting April 21, allowing restaurant dining after 6 p.m. with tables of four people, up from two currently.
Hong Kong’ s economy is set to contract in the first quarter, breaking four quarters of recovery streak, as retail sales fell for the first time in 12 months in February and export growth slowed, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said on his blog.
Businesses and the city’ s economy are reeling from widespread closures, as the government has imposed stringent social distancing rules since January amid a dramatic spike in the Omicron variant.
While the former British colony has officially stuck to a “ dynamic zero ” coronavirus policy similar to that of mainland China, which seeks to curb all outbreaks, it has been shifting to mitigation strategies as deaths skyrocketed.
( Reporting by Clare Jim; Editing by Lincoln Feast and William Mallard)
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Op-Ed: Five reasons why James Darch should win the Indie Series Award for 'Best Actor — Drama ' | Hi, what are you looking for?
British actor James Darch is one of the six nominees for the “ Best Lead Actor — Drama ” 2022 Indie Series Award.
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British actor James Darch is one of the six nominees for the “ Best Lead Actor — Drama ” 2022 Indie Series Award.
Lee Foster and Tito Guillen served as co-directors of this series. This dramedy series follows Olivia ( Nicole Simone) as she asks Harry ( James Darch) to join her on a series of challenges in a list format that involves intense vulnerability. Hilarity ensues, and rightfully so. They keep things authentic and nothing is sugarcoated.
First and forest, Darch has great chemistry with Nicole Simone, the lead actress, writer, and producer of this series.
Second, Darch nails the dialogue-heavy scenes with Simone, and he commands the screen each time.
Third, his acting runs the gamut, as it includes witty scenes and dramatic ones. He does subtle acting work well, which is a hard task to undertake.
Fourth, “ On a List ” was hailed as “ compelling ” by Digital Journal, and it tackles a diverse range of emotions: love, pain, joy, sorrow, wit, and adventure.
Finally, the series “ On a List ” is well-liked since it earned a total of three Indie Series Award nominations, which include a nod for the coveted “ Best International Series. ” If it wins there, it might sweep a win for “ Lead Actor ” as well.
The 2022 Indie Series Awards will take place on Thursday, April 7, 2022, at The Colony Theatre in Burbank, California.
To learn more about the 2022 Indie Series Award nominees, check out the official website.
Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 17,000 original articles over the past 16 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a six-time consecutive `` Best of Long Island '' winner, and in the past three years, he was honored as the `` Best Long Island Personality '' in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.
Under a shattered crescent hanger at Ukraine's Gostomel Airport the world's largest plane lies buckled and broken.
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Azerbaijan confirms 55 more COVID-19 cases, 100 recoveries | Azerbaijan has detected 55 new COVID-19 cases, 100 patients have recovered, and two patients have died, Trend reports citing the Operational Headquarters under Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers.
Up until now, 791,750 people have been infected with coronavirus in the country, 781,741 of them have recovered, and 9,681 people have died. Currently, 328 people are under treatment in special hospitals.
To reveal the COVID-19 cases, 3,313 tests have been carried out in Azerbaijan over the past day, and a total of 6,685,296 tests have been conducted so far. | general |
Myanmar army says will 'annihilate ' coup opponents on crackdown anniversary | Hi, what are you looking for?
The Southeast Asian country has been in chaos since a putsch in February 2021.
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Myanmar’ s junta will “ annihilate ” coup opponents, army chief Min Aung Hlaing said Sunday as the military staged a show of force on the anniversary of its bloodiest crackdown so far on democracy protests.
The Southeast Asian country has been in chaos since a putsch in February 2021, with more than 1,700 people killed in crackdowns on dissent, according to a local monitoring group.
Across the country “ People’ s Defence Force ” fighters — often armed with homemade or rudimentary weapons — clash regularly with junta troops, with some analysts suggesting the military has struggled to respond effectively to their hit-and-run tactics.
Fighting has also flared with more established ethnic rebel groups along the Thai and Chinese border.
Presiding over the annual parade that showcased tanks, truck-mounted missiles, artillery and troops on horseback, Min Aung Hlaing told some 8,000 assembled security personnel that the army would not let up.
The military will “ no longer negotiate… and annihilate until the end ” groups fighting to overturn its rule, he said ahead of the Armed Forces Day procession in army-built capital Naypyidaw.
Jets flew overhead trailing the yellow, red and green of the national flag, while state media showed women lining the streets leading to the parade ground to give flowers and place garlands on the marching soldiers.
In commercial hub Yangon around a dozen anti-junta flashmob protesters set off flares and shouted slogans, according to footage posted on social media.
Others called on social media for residents to switch off their lights at home in a national “ power strike ” on Sunday evening.
– Bloodiest Day –
Armed Forces Day commemorates the start of local resistance to the Japanese occupation during World War II, and usually features a military parade attended by foreign officers and diplomats.
Last year, as new junta chief Min Aung Hlaing inspected the parade, troops brutalised those protesting the coup that had ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’ s government.
The violence was the bloodiest day so far in the military’ s crackdown on democracy rallies and left around 160 protesters dead, according to a local monitoring group, as well as sparking widespread international condemnation.
The junta has become increasingly isolated, with Cambodian strongman Hun Sen the only foreign leader to visit since the putsch.
On Sunday Min Aung Hlaing accused unnamed “ foreign aggressors ” of working against the military and called for the armed forces to remain united against “ internal and external mischiefs. ”
Russia’ s vice defence minister — a major arms supplier and ally — had been due to attend this year’ s parade but was unable to because of his “ country’ s affairs ”, junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun added.
In February a UN expert on Myanmar said Russia — along with other major ally China — was continuing to supply the military with weapons, including fighter jets and armoured vehicles.
The United States and Britain on Friday announced new sanctions against Myanmar’ s army.
The new measures came days after Washington said it has concluded that the country’ s military committed genocide against the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority.
With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.
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COPYRIGHT © 1998 - 2022 DIGITAL JOURNAL INC. Digital Journal is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more about our external linking. | general |
Amazon workers at Staten Island warehouse vote on whether to unionize | On Friday afternoon, a stream of Amazon workers exited a sprawling warehouse on New York's Staten Island after wrapping up the daytime shift. Many of them packed into city buses to head home. On their way, they walked past a large, white tent stretching across a chunk of the parking lot.
That tent will be a crucial site for the next five days.
Workers at the facility, known as JFK8, just started voting on whether to join the Amazon Labor Union, a group made up of current and former company employees. The results will carry significance well beyond New York City's smallest borough, and affect workers at all of Amazon's warehouses, where two-day Prime shipping is made possible.
The buzz was palpable on Friday as employees at JFK8 milled around a nearby bus stop chatting about the election. Some sported yellow `` vote yes '' lanyards, while others wore blue `` vote no '' t-shirts.
The election runs through March 30, and the National Labor Relations Board will begin counting votes the following day. ALU has called on Amazon to raise wages, along with other demands. Amazon recently raised its average starting pay to $ 18 an hour.
It's the second union vote at an Amazon warehouse in a year, a potentially concerning sign for a company that's long shunned organized labor. Employees at Amazon's facility in Bessemer, Alabama, were the first to try and unionize last spring. That effort failed, but workers there are at it again after the NLRB ordered a do-over because of improper interference in the prior union drive.
In Alabama and New York, workers are voting on whether to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. Organizing efforts are underway at other facilities, including at another Staten Island warehouse, where an election is slated to begin later next month.
The more national labor unions have targeted Amazon, the more aggressive Amazon has become in discouraging employees from joining.
At JFK8, Amazon papered the walls with banners that proclaim `` Vote No. '' The company even set up a website, telling employees, `` The ALU is making big promises but offering very little detail on how they will achieve them. '' Amazon has also held weekly meetings with anti-union presentations that employees are required to sit through.
Kevin Pardee, who's worked at JFK8 for two and a half years, said it's been hard to ignore Amazon's `` overwhelming union-busting '' while walking throughout the facility.
`` You can't go anywhere without some form of anti-union propaganda in your face, '' Pardee said.
Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, referred CNBC to prior statements the company has issued on the matter.
`` Every day we empower people to find ways to improve their jobs, and when they do that we want to make those changes — quickly, '' Amazon has said. `` That type of continuous improvement is harder to do quickly and nimbly with unions in the middle. ''
ALU organizers have also been vocal. Last year, they set up a tent near a bus stop outside the facility to hand out flyers and collect union authorization cards. More recently, they 've delivered meals to employees in JFK8's break room, while drawing attention to their cause on Twitter and TikTok.
Activism among Amazon employees has picked up since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Deemed as essential workers, delivery and warehouse employees labored on the front lines while many white-collar employees worked from the comforts of their homes.
As the pandemic dragged on, Amazon workers staged protests and spoke out about workplace safety. The tightening labor market in the U.S. further galvanized support for unionization, and workers have seized the moment to demand higher pay and better benefits from their employers.
JFK8, which sits just off the bustling Staten Island Expressway in an office park with two other Amazon warehouses, serves as a major distribution point for the e-commerce giant's operations in the region. More than 2.4 million packages are delivered every day in New York City.
During lockdowns, the roughly 6,000 workers at JFK8 helped keep packages flowing to the city's residents, who were staying home and wanting more stuff sent to their doorstep.
In March 2020, shortly after the pandemic hit the U.S., workers at the facility staged a walkout, voicing their frustration with what they viewed as Amazon's failure to keep them safe.
Soon after that, Amazon attracted national attention for firing Chris Smalls, then a management assistant who led the protest. A leaked memo obtained by Vice revealed David Zapolsky, Amazon's general counsel, had referred to Smalls as `` not smart or articulate '' in a meeting with the company's top executives, an incident that further angered critics of Amazon's labor practices.
In October, the ALU filed a union petition with the NLRB to unionize. After refiling its petition earlier this year, the NLRB gave the ALU the green light to move forward with a vote. Smalls is president of the ALU.
The election is somewhat unusual, as the ALU is a grassroots, worker-led organization, not a national labor union. But organizers say that makes it more relatable to employees.
Angelika Maldonado, chairwoman of ALU's worker committee, returned to Amazon in September after she quit her job at JFK8 in 2019. She soon met some ALU organizers, who were huddled around a bonfire near the bus stop outside the warehouse.
Maldonado, a single mom with a young son, said she's learned a lot about the struggles that her colleagues are facing. One of the organizers is homeless and some workers are sleeping in their cars, she said.
The ALU is gathering outside support. The United Food and Commercial Workers Union and the New York City chapter of Unite Here, a hospitality union, have both assisted with the campaign.
`` We have experience from unions that are guiding us, '' said Derrick Palmer, an ALU organizer and worker at JFK8. `` We didn't get this far by accident. ''
WATCH: Amazon union vote may get a 'do-over ' | business |
Africa's Airline Recovery Faces Setback on Ukraine War's Higher Fuel Costs | Get exclusive stories and unlimited access to Skift.com news
Access exclusive travel research, data insights, and surveys
Duncan Mirirri, Reuters
March 27th, 2022 at 7:20 AM EDT
Already expected to lose a total of $ 24 billion by the end of 2022, Africa's aviation sector could see that worsen from the strain of higher fuel costs related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Peden Doma Bhutia
A drawn-out conflict between Russia and Ukraine could further drive up oil prices and end African airlines’ recovery from the pandemic slump, the head of the industry’ s association said on Thursday.
Unless the conflict is resolved as soon as possible, it will harm economies, increase ticket prices and curb demand for travel and tourism on the continent, Abderahmane Berthe, secretary general of the African Airlines Association, said.
“ It will be another crisis our industry will have to face, ” he said in an interview.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, African carriers are expected to lose a total of $ 23.7 billion by the end of this year, said Berthe, whose association brings together 44 airlines, including the continent’ s biggest: Ethiopian Airlines.
Passenger traffic on the continent stands at about half of the pre-Covid level, Berthe said, reflecting lower vaccination rates that have forced many governments to keep travel restrictions in place.
“ Many airplanes are still grounded, ” he said.
To boost the sector’ s recovery, African governments should allow unvaccinated passengers to travel if they present negative Covid-19 test results, he said. The continent has vaccinated just 15 percent of its adult population, the World Health Organization says.
The sector also requires financial support, including tax deferral, tax cuts and access to financing, Berthe said, adding that a $ 25 billion support package for aviation, mooted by the African Union in 2020, did not materialise.
Already African carriers’ share of intercontinental passenger traffic had halved to 20 percent in the two decades leading up to the onset of the coronavirus crisis, the secretary general said.
He called for consolidation and co-operation among the companies to help to cut costs and allow more effective competition with their counterparts in Europe, the United States and the Middle East.
The African Airlines Association expects the industry to return to pre-Covid levels by the end of 2023 to the start of 2024, Berthe said, but that high prices of oil put that forecast at risk.
“ Fuel represents the biggest share of operating expenses for airlines, ” he said.
( Reporting by Duncan Miriri; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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Metaverse is the Future: The Companies Building Virtual Offices | Join Our Telegram Channel for More Insights. Join Now
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Covid-19 has opened the world’ s eyes to the benefits of remote and flexible working. Emerging technologies have brought workers many convenient alternatives to traditional work. Zoom has transformed the remote and hybrid work environment, but conversations about the promises of Metaverse and Web3 have companies and employees excited about the possibilities. The metaverse could potentially use virtual reality, or augmented reality as we know it now, to immerse users in an alternate world. So the question is: Can or will metaverse replace the physical offices and why are companies so excited about the Metaverse?
The metaverse is often described as the next version of the internet — a shared, virtual space that is persistently online and active. So, how is that any different than an online chatroom?
The term metaverse comes from Snow Crash, a 1992 science fiction novel in which human avatars and software demons inhabit a parallel 3D universe. The Metaverse promises to solve roadblocks in the hybrid workplace — but is it really the silver bullet?
Working in the Metaverse would permit employees to be 100% remote while still allowing for social interaction. For managers, this implies a limitless ability pool workers from Michigan to Mozambique who can collaborate with each other in a virtual, hyper-practical world. And for employees, this implies they get the opportunity and adaptability to work from any place.
A metaverse work environment could likewise guarantee a more equitable workplace, assisting with balancing the odds between the employees’ managers who need to supervise consistently and the individuals who need to work from a distance, if they are single parents, incapacitated or can’ t afford to live near the workplace.
Wellbeing and security also play a role. A recent survey also found that 43% of office workers, either hybrid or full-time, are more worried about exposure to and transmission of COVID than remote workers. For employees of color, 21% lose sleep over it, compared to just 11% of their white counterparts. A Metaverse office implies anybody can come in, vaccinated, unvaccinated, immunocompromised, positive or negative.
And afterward, we can get to the actual offices. Envision a Metaverse office where land is less expensive and you can set it up on top of a high rise or in the stomach of a whale ( virtually) – without a high price tag.
The desk area in the Metaverse is infinitely scalable. Increase or decrease size according to your needs. It’ s the ultimate customizable space. Virtual meeting rooms or shared lounge areas are configured for the type of work employees do – brainwork or creative brainstorming.
Metaverse real estate companies like The Sandbox are already popping up to stake their claim on this new frontier, and companies like UK media outlet VCCP and Mediahub have already set up their Metaverse offices. At the end of the day, employees want flexibility, freedom, and the ability to connect and collaborate easily—and the Metaverse could potentially have it all.
Obviously, this is all hypothetical now. Until we really have long-haul business use cases, we will not have the option to quantify the valuable opportunities or understand the potential drawbacks. For instance, some questions we need to consider are: How long would you be able to truly wear a headset? Are there any adverse physical and/or mental health effects of spending your 9/5 in ‘ The Matrix’?
Additionally, we’ ve seen some interesting innovations in Metaverse gaming, but adoption is still low and whether this translates to the workplace is yet to be proven.
Virtual environments aren’ t affected by COVID-19 case rates. Trying out a virtual office could resolve a small part of the current uncertainty and establish a new routine.
Conduct training: This format may be more effective than others for certain topics, and this approach is a good way to get people to focus. There is no multitasking with a VR headset.
Host an event: This is another way to test the waters without committing to building a fully virtual space. Virbela, Gather, and Sophya all offer event services.
Open a lunchroom: Sophya used its platform to create a sort of mixed-reality experience. Employees ordered food in a virtual lunchroom, which was charged to the company and then delivered. People could mingle virtually and enjoy lunch in real life. | tech |
Chevron and Restore the Earth Foundation Agree to Collaborate on Carbon Offsets Reforestation Project in Louisiana | Chevron U.S.A. Inc., through its Chevron New Energies division, and Restore the Earth Foundation, Inc. announced agreement for a reforestation project for up to 8,800 acres of property in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana.
The project will bring together Chevron and Restore the Earth Foundation to develop a nature-based solution, which is expected to remove carbon from the atmosphere and be focused on reforesting natural cypress forests and swamps in St. Charles Parish. Chevron will provide funding for Restore the Earth to plant an expected 1.7 million native bald cypress seedlings as part of the project.
“ Carbon offsets are expected to play a notable role in global carbon reduction. Chevron New Energies is proud to collaborate with Restore the Earth on our inaugural carbon offsets project – bringing lower carbon solutions to Chevron as well as our customers, ” said Barbara Harrison, vice president of Offsets & Emerging of Chevron New Energies. “ In addition to helping remove carbon, the seedling replanting is anticipated to contribute to local forest and wetland ecosystem restoration. ”
In 2021, Chevron launched Chevron New Energies to accelerate lower carbon businesses in hydrogen; carbon capture, utilization and storage ( CCUS); offsets; and emerging opportunities, as well as support Chevron’ s continued focus on biofuels. The St. Charles Parish cypress reforestation project is expected to generate carbon offsets that could both help offset Chevron’ s carbon emissions, and also help customers achieve their lower carbon goals.
“ We are excited to launch this partnership with Chevron New Energies. Restore the Earth’ s landscape-scale reforestation is a nature-based solution critical to addressing climate change and provides so many additional environmental and social benefits to the region and to the nation, ” said P.J. Marshall, founder and executive director, Restore the Earth Foundation, Inc. “ Forward-thinking organizations like Chevron New Energies are initiating impactful and simple solutions that provide for healthy ecosystems, biodiversity, habitat and community resiliency in self-sustaining systems—taking the long-term perspective of generations, decades and centuries, providing for overall well-being, livelihood, identity and culture. ”
“ Partnering with Restore the Earth Foundation and Chevron to accelerate reforestation on Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries lands helps us to reach the full potential of enhanced, sustained, protected and conserved habitat of wildlife species supporting vegetation and biodiversity on our Wildlife Management Areas, ” said Jack Montoucet, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. “ Additional benefits of the restored Louisiana forested wetlands include the carbon sequestration of the trees supporting climate mitigation and LDWF adaptation goals. ”
“ We are incredibly thankful to have Chevron as a community partner and appreciate their continued commitment to coastal restoration in St. Charles Parish, ” said Matt Jewell, president of St. Charles Parish.
Chevron is one of the world’ s leading integrated energy companies. We believe affordable, reliable and ever-cleaner energy is essential to achieving a more prosperous and sustainable world. Chevron produces crude oil and natural gas; manufactures transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and additives; and develops technologies that enhance our business and the industry. We are focused on lowering the carbon intensity in our operations and seeking to grow lower carbon businesses along with our traditional business lines. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.
Restore the Earth is a 501 ( c) ( 3) not for profit with a mission of restoring the Earth’ s essential forest and wetland ecosystems. Restore the Earth knows that it is possible to go beyond just protecting our environment—it is possible to restore it. A restored environment at a landscape scale creates incredible value for ecosystems, biodiversity, habitat, communities, business and the Earth. Restore the Earth works together with partners to bring solid solutions to deliver successful restoration to meet strategic objectives. More information about Restore the Earth is available www.restoretheearth.org.
This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to Chevron’ s operations and energy transition plans that are based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections about the petroleum, chemicals and other energy-related industries. Words or phrases such as “ anticipates, ” “ expects, ” “ intends, ” “ plans, ” “ targets, ” “ advances, ” “ commits, ” “ drives, ” “ aims, ” “ forecasts, ” “ projects, ” “ believes, ” “ approaches, ” “ seeks, ” “ schedules, ” “ estimates, ” “ positions, ” “ pursues, ” “ may, ” “ can, ” “ could, ” “ should, ” “ will, ” “ budgets, ” “ outlook, ” “ trends, ” “ guidance, ” “ focus, ” “ on track, ” “ goals, ” “ objectives, ” “ strategies, ” “ opportunities, ” “ poised, ” “ potential, ” “ ambitions, ” “ aspires ” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the company’ s control and are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. The reader should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. Unless legally required, Chevron undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are: changing crude oil and natural gas prices and demand for the company’ s products, and production curtailments due to market conditions; crude oil production quotas or other actions that might be imposed by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producing countries; technological advancements; changes to government policies in the countries in which the company operates; public health crises, such as pandemics ( including coronavirus ( COVID-19)) and epidemics, and any related government policies and actions; disruptions in the company’ s global supply chain, including supply chain constraints and escalation of the cost of goods and services; changing economic, regulatory and political environments in the various countries in which the company operates; general domestic and international economic and political conditions; changing refining, marketing and chemicals margins; actions of competitors or regulators; timing of exploration expenses; timing of crude oil liftings; the competitiveness of alternate-energy sources or product substitutes; development of large carbon capture and offset markets; the results of operations and financial condition of the company’ s suppliers, vendors, partners and equity affiliates, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic; the inability or failure of the company’ s joint-venture partners to fund their share of operations and development activities; the potential failure to achieve expected net production from existing and future crude oil and natural gas development projects; potential delays in the development, construction or start-up of planned projects; the potential disruption or interruption of the company’ s operations due to war, accidents, political events, civil unrest, severe weather, cyber threats, terrorist acts, or other natural or human causes beyond the company’ s control; the potential liability for remedial actions or assessments under existing or future environmental regulations and litigation; significant operational, investment or product changes undertaken or required by existing or future environmental statutes and regulations, including international agreements and national or regional legislation and regulatory measures to limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions; the potential liability resulting from pending or future litigation; the company’ s future acquisitions or dispositions of assets or shares or the delay or failure of such transactions to close based on required closing conditions; the potential for gains and losses from asset dispositions or impairments; government mandated sales, divestitures, recapitalizations, taxes and tax audits, tariffs, sanctions, changes in fiscal terms or restrictions on scope of company operations; foreign currency movements compared with the U.S. dollar; material reductions in corporate liquidity and access to debt markets; the receipt of required Board authorizations to implement capital allocation strategies, including future stock repurchase programs and dividend payments; the effects of changed accounting rules under generally accepted accounting principles promulgated by rule-setting bodies; the company’ s ability to identify and mitigate the risks and hazards inherent in operating in the global energy industry; and the factors set forth under the heading “ Risk Factors ” on pages 20 through 25 of the company’ s 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K and in subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Other unpredictable or unknown factors not discussed in this news release could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements.
Chevron Creighton Welch CreightonWelch @ chevron.com 281.703.2728
Restore the Earth Foundation Taylor Marshall tam @ restoretheearth.org 607.342.7362
View source version on businesswire.com: https: //www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220323005349/en/
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Murphy Oil Corporation Announces Results of Cutthroat-1 Exploration Well Offshore Brazil | Murphy Oil Corporation ( NYSE: MUR) today announced that drilling has concluded at the Cutthroat-1 exploration well in block SEAL-M-428 in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin offshore Brazil.
While the presence of hydrocarbons was not found, the partner group will continue to integrate the exploration well data into its regional subsurface interpretation efforts in order to better understand the exploration potential of its deepwater blocks located in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin.
Cutthroat-1 is located nearly 90 kilometers offshore Brazil and was drilled in 3,094 meters of water by the Seadrill West Saturn drillship. It is one of multiple prospects that the partner group has mapped in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin.
ExxonMobil is the operator and holds 50% working interest in 9 offshore SEAL blocks that spans over 6,800 square kilometers. Enauta Energia S.A. holds 30% working interest and Murphy Oil Corporation holds 20% working interest in the partnership.
As an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company, Murphy Oil Corporation believes in providing energy that empowers people by doing right always, staying with it and thinking beyond possible. Murphy challenges the norm, taps into its strong legacy and uses its foresight and financial discipline to deliver inspired energy solutions. Murphy sees a future where it is an industry leader who is positively impacting lives for the next 100 years and beyond. Additional information can be found on the company’ s website at www.murphyoilcorp.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are generally identified through the inclusion of words such as “ aim ”, “ anticipate ”, “ believe ”, “ drive ”, “ estimate ”, “ expect ”, “ expressed confidence ”, “ forecast ”, “ future ”, “ goal ”, “ guidance ”, “ intend ”, “ may ”, “ objective ”, “ outlook ”, “ plan ”, “ position ”, “ potential ”, “ project ”, “ seek ”, “ should ”, “ strategy ”, “ target ”, “ will ” or variations of such words and other similar expressions. These statements, which express management’ s current views concerning future events or results, are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause one or more of these future events or results not to occur as implied by any forward-looking statement include, but are not limited to: macro conditions in the oil and gas industry, including supply/demand levels, actions taken by major oil exporters and the resulting impacts on commodity prices; increased volatility or deterioration in the success rate of our exploration programs or in our ability to maintain production rates and replace reserves; reduced customer demand for our products due to environmental, regulatory, technological or other reasons; adverse foreign exchange movements; political and regulatory instability in the markets where we do business; the impact on our operations or market of health pandemics such as COVID-19 and related government responses; other natural hazards impacting our operations or markets; any other deterioration in our business, markets or prospects; any failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals; any inability to service or refinance our outstanding debt or to access debt markets at acceptable prices; or adverse developments in the U.S. or global capital markets, credit markets or economies in general. For further discussion of factors that could cause one or more of these future events or results not to occur as implied by any forward-looking statement, see “ Risk Factors ” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ( “ SEC ”) and any subsequent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Current Report on Form 8-K that we file, available from the SEC’ s website and from Murphy Oil Corporation’ s website at http: //ir.murphyoilcorp.com. Murphy Oil Corporation undertakes no duty to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.
Investor Contacts: Kelly Whitley, kelly whitley @ murphyoilcorp.com, 281-675-9107 Megan Larson, megan larson @ murphyoilcorp.com, 281-675-9470
View source version on businesswire.com: https: //www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220327005135/en/
Transparency is how we protect the integrity of our work and keep empowering investors to achieve their goals and dreams. And we have unwavering standards for how we keep that integrity intact, from our research and data to our policies on content and your personal data.
We’ d like to share more about how we work and what drives our day-to-day business.
We sell different types of products and services to both investment professionals and individual investors. These products and services are usually sold through license agreements or subscriptions. Our investment management business generates asset-based fees, which are calculated as a percentage of assets under management. We also sell both admissions and sponsorship packages for our investment conferences and advertising on our websites and newsletters.
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Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investor’ s point of view. We also respect individual opinions––they represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive.
To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research.
Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process. | business |
“ Our local GPs have not seen eyes for many years ” | News and features about the latest developments relating to professional support from across optics. This includes updates from optical organisations such as the AOP and the GOC
Doing so much contact lens work meant I did lots of anterior eye and dry eye work, so it was a natural progression.
So long ago, in 2009 – but was probably dry eye, as this is the most common problem I encounter.
I have photography, so I can record exactly what each case looked like and review the following day – so I tend to be fairly confident whist treating patients.
I really enjoyed treating a Thygeson's case, and saving patients trips to hospital and long waits in A & E. I would be reluctant to treat conditions where there is no one in clinic the next day to monitor, but luckily we have three IPs at our practice now so that is rarely the case.
I got my diploma in glaucoma in late 2019 and wanted to learn Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty and PIs in the hospital setting, but COVID-19 got in the way, and I also reduced my hospital hours to help cover a colleague’ s maternity leave. Now at 68, I am looking forward to retirement.
All three of us have FP10 pads, and our local GPs have not seen eyes for many years. We take referrals from pharmacists, GPs, and local non-IP colleagues, and patients also walk in, especially if they have been before. We see quite a few patients each day.
Our kit is very comprehensive, to enable us to get accurate diagnoses. We even have Zeiss Forum software to do structural and functional loss in glaucoma. This means we see private patients, as well as MECS and those outside our catchment area.
My speciality is digging out embedded metal, and I have had a lot of practice – patients are often not quite as grateful when the anaesthetic wears off, though.
If low dose atropine becomes available for myopia control in this country, you will need IP – but I am not keen to supply high doses due to the side effects. You can also get contact lenses with hay fever drugs in ( from Johnson & Johnson Vision.)
You must be logged in to join the discussion. Log in | general |
JD.com Announces JD Property’ s Series B Financing | BEIJING, March 28, 2022 ( GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JD.com, Inc. ( “ JD.com ”) ( Nasdaq: JD; HKEx: 9618), a leading supply chain-based technology and service provider, today announced that JD Property, a subsidiary of JD.com and the infrastructure asset management and integrated service platform within the group, has entered into definitive agreements for its non-redeemable series B preferred share financing with investors led by Hillhouse Investment, Warburg Pincus, and one leading global institutional investor, among others. The total amount raised in this round is expected to be approximately US $ 800 million.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. JD.com will remain the majority shareholder of JD Property after the completion of this transaction. It is expected that the financing will facilitate JD Property’ s business expansion and model transformation, and further strengthen its infrastructure property management capabilities, so as to further enhance its leading position in China’ s modern logistics infrastructure industry.
About JD.comJD.com is a leading supply chain-based technology and service provider. JD.com’ s cutting-edge retail infrastructure seeks to enable consumers to buy whatever they want, whenever and wherever they want it. JD.com has opened its technology and infrastructure to partners, brands and other sectors, as part of its Retail as a Service offering to help drive productivity and innovation across a range of industries.
Safe Harbor StatementThis announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “ safe harbor ” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “ will, ” “ expects, ” “ anticipates, ” “ future, ” “ intends, ” “ plans, ” “ believes, ” “ estimates, ” “ confident ” and similar statements. JD.com may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ( the “ SEC ”), in announcements made on the website of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited ( the “ Hong Kong Stock Exchange ”), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about JD.com’ s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the risk and uncertainties as to the timing of the consummation of the transaction; the risk that certain closing conditions of the transaction may not be satisfied on a timely basis, or at all; potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the transaction; adverse changes in general economic or market conditions; actions by third parties, including government agencies, that may adversely affect the proposed transaction; JD.com’ s growth strategies; its future business development, results of operations and financial condition; its ability to attract and retain new customers and to increase revenues generated from repeat customers; its expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products and services; trends and competition in China’ s e-commerce market; changes in its revenues and certain cost or expense items; the expected growth of the Chinese e-commerce market; laws, regulations and governmental policies relating to the industries in which JD.com or its business partners operate; potential changes in laws, regulations and governmental policies or changes in the interpretation and implementation of laws, regulations and governmental policies that could adversely affect the industries in which JD.com or its business partners operate, including, among others, initiatives to enhance supervision of companies listed on an overseas exchange and tighten scrutiny over data privacy and data security; risks associated with JD.com’ s acquisitions, investments and alliances, including fluctuation in the market value of JD.com’ s investment portfolio; impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; natural disasters and geopolitical events; change in tax rates and financial risks; intensity of competition; and general market and economic conditions in China and globally. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in JD.com’ s filings with the SEC and the announcements on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided herein is as of the date of this announcement, and JD.com undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
Investor RelationsRuiyu LiSenior Director of Investor Relations+86 ( 10) 8912-6804IR @ JD.com
Media Relations+86 ( 10) 8911-6155Press @ JD.com
Transparency is how we protect the integrity of our work and keep empowering investors to achieve their goals and dreams. And we have unwavering standards for how we keep that integrity intact, from our research and data to our policies on content and your personal data.
We’ d like to share more about how we work and what drives our day-to-day business.
We sell different types of products and services to both investment professionals and individual investors. These products and services are usually sold through license agreements or subscriptions. Our investment management business generates asset-based fees, which are calculated as a percentage of assets under management. We also sell both admissions and sponsorship packages for our investment conferences and advertising on our websites and newsletters.
How we use your information depends on the product and service that you use and your relationship with us. We may use it to:
To learn more about how we handle and protect your data, visit our privacy center.
Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investor’ s point of view. We also respect individual opinions––they represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive.
To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research.
Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process. | business |
Le programme togolais de transferts monétaires Novissi récompensé au SXSW 2022 | De notre correspondant à Austin,
Imaginez que vous vivez dans un des cent cantons les plus pauvres du Togo, et que vous gagnez mois de 650 francs CFA par jour. Vous n’ avez pas de smartphone, mais juste un téléphone portable de première génération. Grâce à votre téléphone à touches, vous pouvez quand même recevoir des aides.
Au Togo, 50% de la population vit sous le seuil de pauvreté, et 80% travaille dans le secteur informel. Lorsque le Covid-19 touche le pays, les mesures de confinement s’ accompagnent d’ aides financières. Mais difficile pour les autorités à Lomé de dire aux Togolais: « Si vous sortez, vous risquez de mourir du Covid, et si vous restez chez vous, vous risquer de ne pas gagner d’ argent et mourir de faim ». Grâce au programme Novissi, une plateforme accessible sans Internet, il suffit de taper le code * 855 # sur son téléphone.
Le gouvernement togolais a mis en place NOVISSI, un système d'aide aux populations dont les activités économiques sont touchées par les mesures de riposte contre le covid19.Cette aide consiste en un versement d'une somme forfaitaire sous certaines conditions. Plus d'explications🔽 pic.twitter.com/TSIDcBILeY
Mais cela ne permet toujours pas de toucher les gens qui vivent à la campagne. Les autorités togolaises contactent alors la prix Nobel de l’ économie, Esther Duflo. La Franco-américaine leur conseille de contacter le think tank Innovation for Poverty Action qui travaille avec l’ université de Berkeley. L’ université américaine les aide à créer une carte de la pauvreté du Togo en utilisant à la fois l’ imagerie satellitaire et l'intelligence artificielle.
« L'imagerie satellitaire permettait d'avoir des données comme le matériel du toit, l’ état de la rue, le niveau d’ électrification de la zone. Avec la carte de la pauvreté du Togo, le challenge était de déterminer les individus les plus vulnérables, les personnes les plus pauvres, cibler les personnes qui gagnent moins de 1,25 dollar par jour, l’ équivalent d’ à peu près de 1 000 francs CFA. Nous avons donc utilisé ce qu’ on appelle les métadonnées téléphoniques, c'est-à-dire: est-ce que vous faites des appels sur le plan international, combien de temps est-ce que vous passez au téléphone, est-ce que vous utilisez de la data, à quelle fréquence vous envoyez des sms, tous ces paramètres vous donnent une indication sur le statut socio-économique d’ une personne », détaille Kafui Ekouhoho, directrice générale de l’ agence gouvernementale Togo Digital.
Au # Togo 🇹🇬, le gouvernement a mis un place un programme de solidarité intitulé Novissi.► Un dispositif 100% digital qui permet aux populations les plus précaires d'accéder au revenu de solidarité.🎧 Shegun Bakary, conseiller économique de la présidence togolaise # RFIMatin pic.twitter.com/bUgTOvr1hh
Avec cette carte de la pauvreté, une campagne de messages radiophoniques et télévisés a été lancée dans les 100 cantons les plus pauvres du Togo. Et cela a fonctionné. L’ ONG américaine GiveDirectly qui soutient les populations vulnérables a donné 10 millions de dollars qui ont été redistribués aux Togolais les plus pauvres. Entre novembre 2020 et mars 2021, l’ algorithme a ainsi permis d’ octroyer des fonds à 57 000 Togolais.
[ Event ] Meet # SXSW's first-ever African nominee for innovation tomorrow at @ NovissiTG's showcase at the JW Marriott, Table 5. You can see how the technology works by texting 'hi ' to 903-600-TOGO ( 8646). pic.twitter.com/ockLlDDzks | general |
Opinion: Girls Who Code founder: Women need flexibility in the workplace | This interview has been edited from its original version. It was originally
published in its entirety
by the International Monetary Fund's Finance & Development magazine. Reshma Saujani is the founder of non profit organizations, Marshall Plan for Moms and Girls Who Code. The opinions expressed in this commentary are her own.
Covid-19 wreaked economic havoc on women globally, especially mothers, bringing into sharp focus the policies and practices that continue to thwart gender equality at work and at home.
This widening chasm troubles Reshma Saujani, a leading activist, founder of the Marshall Plan for Moms and Girls Who Code, and author of the forthcoming book `` Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work. ''
In an interview with the International Monetary Fund's deputy secretary, Sabina Bhatia, Saujani reflects on the pandemic's impact on mothers and girls and how policymakers and the private sector need to step up to ensure a better, fairer, and more equitable workplace.
IMF:
Tell us about your new initiative, the Marshall Plan for Moms, and why this is a pivotal moment.
Saujani:
Women have been crushed in the pandemic. Because the care structure is broken, many had to supplement their paid labor with unpaid labor. Globally, women started leaving the labor force because it was untenable. The December 2020 jobs report by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that only women, especially women of color, lost their jobs. I looked at the report and thought, `` well, someone's got to have a plan. '' We can't lose 30 years of progress in nine months.
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I asked mothers in my parent-teacher association what they needed to return to work. They needed cash, paid leave, and — most important — affordable childcare. They also needed retraining. Data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics shows women are three to five times more likely than men to hold part-time or low-wage jobs. The Marshall Plan for Moms originated from those conversations.
We put out a full-page advertisement in the New York Times, followed by letters from prominent women and men telling the United States Congress that mothers don't work for free. Since then, we have had a few bills introduced in Congress calling for a Marshall Plan for Moms.
We also provided a playbook to employers on how to bring women back to work. The Marshall Plan is not just a government intervention; the private sector and families need to stand up too. I want to finish this fight once and for all.
IMF:
We hear a lot about labor shortages. In this moment, women have a lot of bargaining power. What should they be asking for?
Saujani:
Women need either flexibility or predictability. Many of us had to hide our children because it seemed like a lack of commitment to the job. Mothers are paid less than fathers for the same work. Offering flexibility can change this.
Second, companies should provide affordable childcare. Every study has shown that a child's first four years are critical. If we're providing public education, we should provide public childcare too. We should pay for that as a society. The private sector should lead the way to show they value their workers. This should happen for both salaried and hourly employees.
IMF:
What should employers do to build a better workplace that is flexible and predictable for parents but works for employers too?
Saujani:
Companies must understand there is no going back to normal. Normal wasn't working. Before the pandemic, I used to spend 45 minutes a day with my kids, and I was okay with that. I 'm never going back. Today, I am more productive and am able to take my son to his music class. It's a myth that having face time and sitting at a desk are the only ways of measuring productivity.
Athleta CEO: Women are driving the economy. It's time for businesses to prioritize them
From a gender equality perspective, companies should tie performance reviews and salary compensation to whether the men in their offices take paternity leave. It helps change the gender roles at home.
IMF:
As a manager yourself, how are you supporting the women who work with you?
Saujani:
We allow people to set their own hours. There is no motherhood penalty. And we offer childcare benefits to families. Typically, childcare shouldn't be more than 7% of income, but it's vastly more expensive.
IMF:
You started Girls Who Code as a way of bridging gender inequities in the tech sector. Are you worried that the digital gender divide has worsened in the pandemic?
Saujani:
Globally, this was a devastating year for students. Many were getting Wi-Fi in Burger King parking lots or sharing a device among a family of three. Mothers were essential workers; they couldn't help them log on to school. We don't talk enough about having a two-generational strategy toward poverty alleviation.
Nearly 1.6 million girls are also caretakers for their siblings or others. It interferes with their ability to study. We don't have a plan for that.
At Girls Who Code, we have always focused on how to teach the most vulnerable. We taught more girls of color and those below the poverty line because we innovated. We saw virtual learning as an opportunity. We should be figuring out how every child, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, can have high-speed internet and the opportunity to learn.
We must meet this moment by not only fixing the lack of support structures, but also by ensuring that we don't lose the progress achieved in girls ' education. Every organization and government should ensure that the girls in their community are learning at the same rate as boys. | general |
MEDIA ADVISORY: Ford government plans unprecedented | TORONTO, March 28, 2022 ( GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ford government is engaging in unprecedented health care privatization, says the Ontario Health Coalition. Recently, Health Minister Christine Elliott announced plans to expand private for-profit clinics and hospitals in Ontario. The Ford government is midway in allocating more than 18,000 long-term care beds to for-profit companies in 30-year contracts unless we stop them; the majority going to the same companies responsible for thousands of deaths and horrific conditions – in fact the highest death rates – in the pandemic. Despite many repeated announcements, Ford has not reinstated comprehensive inspections nor improved care levels in long-term care, has not addressed the staffing crisis across health care, and has plans for years of budget austerity after the election. It doesn’ t stop there. Ford is privatizing the last remaining public parts of home care. His government has strictly curtailed access to public COVID testing while at the same time contracting for-profit clinics to do testing, has privatized COVID vaccinations, and is allowing those private for-profit testing clinics to charge patients up to $ 400 for COVID tests.
Health Coalitions across Ontario are holding Emergency Summits across Ontario by Zoom to build the biggest fight-back we have ever mounted. Our goal is to protect and improve our vital public health care services and stop the unprecedented for-profit privatization of health care. The Ontario Health Coalition, a non-partisan public watchdog for health care, intends to set the threat to our public health care as a key election issue and push all political parties to make commitments to safeguard public health care, stop privatization and address the urgent needs to improve care and staffing.
We are expecting large crowds at each Emergency Summit. Media are welcome.
When: See listing below, advance registration is required. Upon registering you will be sent a Zoom link.
Tuesday March 29 Durham Health Coalition at 7:00 pm Register in advance: https: //us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZItdeigqzgoGdD5Jq9xtAjHXDrPEgKl48Ij
For more information: Lance Livingstone at ( 905) 431-0823 or koach 14 @ yahoo.com, Pam Parks at bbgoodday01 @ yahoo.ca
Wednesday March 30 Windsor Health Coalition at 7:00 pm Register in advance: https: //us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMufuutrjgtE9VQM UZyWCuqXM4BTqO2ZvU
Featuring: Tracey Ramsey, co-chair, Windsor Health Coalition Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition Maureen O’ Halloran, RN, staff representative for health care at COPE DJ Sanderson, RN, vice president, Ontario Nurses’ Association Katha Fortier, nurse, assistant to the president, Unifor Dr. Nancy Olivieri, prominent haematologist, researcher, whistleblower, champion of patient safety and research integrity For more information: Tracey Ramsey at 519-995-0239 or traceyramsey200 @ gmail.com
Thursday March 31 Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough Health Coalitions along with Haliburton Kawartha Lakes LTC Coalition at 7:00 pm Register in advance: https: //utoronto.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtdeGuqzguEtyOQ4uoxK-kQd2ikfZqk1JJ
Featuring: Roy Brady, co-chair, Peterborough Health Coalition Zac Miller, co-chair Kawartha Lakes Health Coalition Bonnie Roe, Haliburton Kawartha Lakes Long-Term Care Coalition Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition Dr. Jasmine Gite, Canadian Doctors for Medicare Michael Hurley, president, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE Randy Robinson, Ontario director, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
For more information: Zac Miller at ( 289) 356-7537 or zac.miller1900 @ gmail.com
Thursday March 31 Northumberland Health Coalition along with Health Coalition representatives in Quinte at 7:00 pm Register in advance: https: //us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEldu2spjIjHtS4njIQnMdjKQwBm4at9Dxd
Featuring: Linda Mackenzie-Nicholas, chair, Northumberland Health Coalition Marg Bourgoin, representative of the Health Coalition in Quinte Ross Sutherland, retired nurse, chair, Ontario Health Coalition Sara Labelle, chair of the Hospital Professionals Division, OPSEU DJ Sanderson, RN, vice president, Ontario Nurses’ Association For more information: Linda MacKenzie-Nicholas at lmackenzie-nicholas @ cogeco.ca
Saturday April 2 Oxford Coalition for Social Justice at 10:30 am Register in advance: https: //us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkde-pqD8sG934d81YAQnc6-e8sO9WuEx9? x zm rtaid=E- L6QBjQ1-rdvgA5BYF9Q.1646751173502.f741b2a62368d1983322e830f77b5873 & x zm rhtaid=237
For more information: Bryan J. Smith at ( 226) 228-8309 or bryasmit @ oxford.net
Sunday April 3 Guelph District Health Coalition at 1:00 pm Register in advance: https: //us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctdeGvpzstHNF70hPwZZJGVHSJ7eNQM3M7
Featuring: Brit Hancock, co-chair, Guelph District Health Coalition Barb Hogg, co-chair, Guelph District Health Coalition Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition Michael Hurley, president, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE Randy Robinson, Ontario director, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives For more information: Brit Hancock at Guelphdistricthealthcoalition @ gmail.com
Monday April 4 Niagara Health Coalition at 7 pm Register in advance: https: //us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYufu2trDMjEtC30A-53SFKJ36vzSw0bv56
Featuring: Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition DJ Sanderson, RN, vice president, Ontario Nurses’ Association Sandra Ashcroft, RN, UFCW Dr. Yipeng Ge, Canadian Doctors for Medicare For more information: Natalie Mehra at 416-230-6402 or ohc @ sympatico.ca
Tuesday April 5 Waterloo Regional Health Coalition at 7:00 pm Register in advance: https: //us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtduCrrD0jGdxlJl99AZkJYwScbwM8e8S0
For more information: Jim Stewart at ( 519) 588-5841 or waterlooregionhealthcoalition @ gmail.com
Wednesday April 6 London Health Coalition at 7:00 pm Register in advance: https: //us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkceytrjksGtYDTpG1zBA8nhDHoMfedHUX
Featuring: Peter Bergmanis, co-chair, London Health Coalition Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition Maureen O’ Halloran, RN, staff representative for health care at COPE Dr. Nancy Olivieri, prominent haematologist, researcher, whistleblower, champion of patient safety and research integrity Dr. Genevieve Eastabrook, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Schulich School of Medicine, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, LHSC
For more information: Peter Bergmanis at ( 519) 860-4403 or pbergmanis @ rogers.com
Thursday April 7 Chatham-Kent, Wallaceburg-Walpole Island, Sarnia Lambton Health Coalitions at 7:00 pm Register in advance: https: //us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwkcu2vqTssHdZiB98B-A2L3HGmONZ8ygBh? x zm rtaid=E- L6QBjQ1-rdvgA5BYF9Q.1646751173502.f741b2a62368d1983322e830f77b5873 & x zm rhtaid=237
For more information: Shirley Roebuck at ( 226) 402-2724 or goddess @ bell.net
Saturday April 9 Hamilton Health Coalition at 10:30 am Register in advance: https: //us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZclduyrrzMoEtdt1x70AxqhnS 822wCsT8P
Featuring: Janina Lebon and Rolf Gerstenberger, co-chairs, Hamilton Health Coalition Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition Linda McQuaig, journalist and best-selling author about corporate elites and public policy Michael Hurley, president, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE Angela Preocanin, RN, first vice president, Ontario Nurses’ Association Dr. Nancy Olivieri, prominent haematologist, researcher, whistleblower, champion of patient safety and research integrity For more information: Janina Lebon at ( 905) 545-5514 or jlebon @ sympatico.ca
Saturday April 9 Cornwall Health Coalition at 2:30 pm Register in advance: https: //us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rd -- vpz4tE9euLuMN6LvykaiQIannes19
Featuring: Elaine MacDonald and Louise Lanctot, co-chairs, Cornwall & District Health Coalition Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition Linda McQuaig, journalist and best-selling author about corporate elites and public policy Michael Hurley, president, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE Dr. Bernard Ho, Canadian Doctors for Medicare Bernadette Clement, Canadian Senator
For more information: Elaine MacDonald at ( 613) 330-3117 or elainemacdonald @ cogeco.ca
Monday April 11 Kingston Health Coalition at 7:00 pm Register in advance: https: //docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJ4HWKC3xzVHpYyEOlkkT4wHNmAuu7wM5mHsbPRiyJFVzxUw/viewform? vc=0 & c=0 & w=1 & flr=0
Featuring: Joan Jardin, co-chair, Kingston Health Coalition Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition Michael Hurley, president, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE David McDonald, professor, Queen’ s University Department of Global Development Studies Dr. Dick Zoutman, former chief of staff at two major Ontario hospitals
For more information: Matthew Gventer at ( 613) 542-5834 or birms @ kos.net, Joan Jardin at ( 613) 305-2716 or joanforlakeside @ gmail.com
Tuesday April 12 Algoma Region Health Coalition at 7:00 pm Register in advance: https: //us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAlduGqpj8tEtXAogwmqqsoBw8UZN QQGAc
For more information: Al Dupuis at ( 613) 808-7710 or algomahc @ gmail.com
Wednesday April 13 Scarborough, Toronto, York Region Health Coalitions at 7:00 pm Register in advance: https: //us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMpc-yupjsuHNJ7kc80KnTsl vwHNtUakT8
Featuring: Mary Jo Nabuurs & Carolyn Egan, representatives, Toronto & York Region Health Coalitions Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition Dr. Dick Zoutman, former chief of staff at two major Ontario Hospitals Michelle Jones, long-term care advocate Dr. Yipeng Ge, Canadian Doctors for Medicare Michael Hurley, president, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE
For more information: Natalie Mehra at 416-230-6402 or ohc @ sympatico.ca
Tuesday April 19 Burlington, Halton, Oakville Health Coalition at 7:00 pm Register in advance: https: //us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAlce2rpjMtGtz-8cKEBMK scj0FvOhuJFf
Featuring: Mervyn Russell, chair, Burlington, Halton, Oakville Health Coalition Sandra Caleta, founder, Advocates for LTC Reform Dr Gordon Guyatt, distinguished professor, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University and board member, Ontario Health Coalition Sandra Ashcroft, RN, UFCW Dr. Nancy Olivieri, prominent haematologist, researcher, whistleblower, champion of patient safety and research integrity
For more information: Mervyn Russell at ( 905) 845-3250 or mervynrussell1003 @ gmail.com
For more information: Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition 416-230-6402 or ohc @ sympatico.ca | general |
Nicholas Alexander Chavez of 'General Hospital ' talks about 'Crushed ' coming-of-age comedy | Hi, what are you looking for?
Nicholas Alexander Chavez ( “ General Hospital ”) chatted about his new coming-of-age comedy “ Crushed, ” and his forthcoming in-person fan events.
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Actor Nicholas Alexander Chavez ( “ General Hospital ”) chatted about his new coming-of-age comedy “ Crushed, ” and his forthcoming in-person GH Fantasy fan events.
Chavez is known for his portrayal of Spencer Cassadine on the hit ABC daytime drama “ General Hospital. ”
In “ Crushed, ” Kate ( Bebe Wood) has a huge crush on her classmate Jason ( Nicholas Alexander Chavez). And as she tries to reunite with him during her senior trip, things get a little messy. “ It was so fun. The rest of the cast was wonderful. Oh my gosh, I had a blast filming it, ” he exclaimed.
“ It’ s a raunchy, coming-of-age, high school senior comedy about a trip to Mexico goes wrong, ” he said. “ It was a very different role than Spencer Cassadine, and I had a really good time. ”
“ Crushed ” will premiere this Friday, April 1st on Fox Entertainment’ s ad-supported streaming service Tubi. “ It comes out in five days from now on April Fool’ s Day, ” he said.
Chavez will be a part of the GH Fantasy in-person fan events on April 2nd in Detroit and April 3rd in Pittsburgh; moreover, on April 9, he will be in Arlington, Virginia, and on April 10th in Raleigh, North Carolina. “ I am so excited for the live events, ” he said. “ We have done Zoom events up until this point, but these will be my first live events. I am excited to meet the fans in person. ”
“ It will be back-to-back weekends of ‘ General Hospital’ extravaganza all over the country, ” he added.
Last week, he was a part of a Zoom fan event, produced by Coastal Entertainment, where he was joined by co-star Marcus Coloma, who plays his on-screen father Nikolas Cassadine on “ General Hospital. ” “ That went really well. It was a nice time, the fans asked interesting, engaging, and thoughtful questions. Marcus and I did our best to answer them. Marcus is a personal friend of mine so it was nice to do that Zoom event with him, ” he said.
To learn more about these upcoming in-person fan events, click here.
Chavez had great words about new actress Tabyana Ali, who took over the role of Trina on “ General Hospital ” this past Friday. He praised Ali for her talent and for her warm personality.
For more information on Nicholas Alexander Chavez, follow him on Instagram.
Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 17,000 original articles over the past 16 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a six-time consecutive `` Best of Long Island '' winner, and in the past three years, he was honored as the `` Best Long Island Personality '' in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.
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What Shanghai lockdowns mean for China Inc | “ SNATCH GROCERIES first, then get a covid test ” has quickly become an anthem for the lockdown that started suddenly in Shanghai in the early hours of March 28th. Local hip-hop artists CATI2, P.J. and Keyso describe scenes of panic buying—qiang cai, or snatching groceries—and the threat of being locked out of one’ s home amid a frenzied bid to control an outbreak of covid-19 in China’ s main business and finance hub. One lyric hints that residents can grow vegetables in the small patches of land outside their apartments or scavenge for edible plants.
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The song attracted hundreds of thousands of views online in less than a day, bringing cheer to an otherwise grim situation. China is currently facing its worst outbreak since the pandemic started in the city of Wuhan in 2020. Thousands of new cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant are being discovered each day. The large cities of Shenzhen and Shenyang, as well as the entire province of Jilin, have been locked down in recent weeks.
Now it is Shanghai’ s turn. The two-phase lockdown of the city, whose 25m inhabitants have been mostly spared harsh containment efforts in the past two years, was announced hours before it began at 5am. The local government had gone to great lengths to avoid shutting down the metropolis, especially its wealthy central districts. In coming weeks it will find it difficult to project an image of business as usual—because business is anything but.
The lockdown’ s first phase covers areas east of Huangpu river, home to the main financial centre. Many white-collar workers have packed up toiletry bags and moved into their offices until April 1st, when the lockdown is supposed to be lifted in the east and imposed instead in western neighbourhoods. In order to keep the stock exchange running, employees are said to be sleeping on the floor of the bourse. Countless companies listed in Shanghai have put out statements in recent days to notify investors that they are shutting down their factories in the region and, in some cases, elsewhere in the country. Tesla is suspending production at its electric-car factory in the city, according to Reuters.
The pain will be felt abroad, too, just as it was amid the lockdowns in Shenzhen, another city deeply entangled in global supply chains. Although seaborne traffic can be diverted from Shanghai to other ports, such as Ningbo around 100km to the south, the cross-border flow of people is being disrupted. International flights have been rerouted to airports in other cities. Shanghai’ s tourism businesses are bracing for a year that will even worse than 2020.
The measures may stretch beyond eight days; parts of the city could remain closed once more cases are identified, as is likely given Omicron’ s transmissibility. One team of economists estimates that a one-month lockdown of Shanghai and its spillover effects would knock a staggering 4% off China’ s GDP in that period. Whatever the eventual cost, in the short run the Shanghai experiment is the biggest test yet of China’ s “ zero-covid ” approach to snuffing out the virus. Officials hope that “ production bubbles ”, instituted in Shenzhen and other places to bus workers to and from factories in a covid-controlled manner, will work in Shanghai, too. If they do, China may be able to cling to its draconian strategy for longer. If they fail—as they might in the face of Omicron—the authorities will be under pressure to relent. ■
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All our stories relating to the pandemic can be found on our coronavirus hub. Read more of our recent coverage of the Ukraine crisis.
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Myanmar's Suu Kyi 'in quarantine ' after staff tests Covid-19 positive | Hi, what are you looking for?
Detained former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has skipped three days of her trial after Covid-19 was detected among her staff.
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Detained former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has skipped three days of her trial in a junta court after Covid-19 was detected among her staff and she was placed in quarantine, a source with knowledge of the case said Monday.
The 76-year-old’ s civilian government was ousted in a coup last year that triggered mass protests, and she faces a raft of charges that could see her jailed for more than 150 years.
Currently on trial for alleged corruption, breaching Myanmar’ s official secrets act and pressuring the election commission, Suu Kyi has not appeared in court since last Thursday, the legal source told AFP.
“ Some people in her company have been infected by Covid-19… and so she’ s kept in quarantine, although she’ s not infected, ” the source said.
“ We are worried because we haven’ t been able to see her. ”
Former president Win Myint — charged alongside Suu Kyi — appeared at the court on Monday via video conferencing, the source added.
Suu Kyi and her personal staff have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 since being taken into military custody, her lawyer told AFP last July.
She missed a hearing in September due to illness, and in October, her lawyer said her health had suffered from her frequent appearances before the junta-run court.
Journalists are barred from the proceedings in the military-built capital Naypyidaw, and her lawyers have been banned from speaking to the press.
Suu Kyi was previously sentenced to a total six years in jail for incitement against the military, breaching Covid-19 rules and breaking a telecommunications law — although she remains under house arrest while she fights other charges.
With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.
Under a shattered crescent hanger at Ukraine's Gostomel Airport the world's largest plane lies buckled and broken.
A federal appeals court upheld Biden’ s vaccine mandate for federal workers, while COVID-19 cases rise.
The fake logic is simple to the point of idiocy, but it’ ll work in information-starved Russia.
At least 52 people are killed, including five children, in a rocket attack on a train station in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk.
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Zelenskiy promises to work for new sanctions against Russia – as it happened | Volodymyr Zelenskiy says new round of negotiations ahead but that deal would have to be subject to referendum; Joe Biden rejects suggestion he was calling for regime change in Moscow. Follow live updates
Samantha Lock ( now); Lois Beckett, Alexandra Topping, Tom Ambrose and Helen Livingstone ( earlier)
Mon 28 Mar 2022 05.00 BST First published on Sun 27 Mar 2022 05.39 BST
From 12.23am BST
00:23
US President Joe Biden has said that he was not calling for regime change in Russia when he said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin “ can not remain in power. ”
“ Mr President, do you want Putin removed? Mr President, were you calling for regime change? ” a reporter asked Biden as he left a church service in Washington on Sunday.
“ No, ” the president replied.
On Saturday, Joe Biden condemned Vladimir Putin as a “ butcher ” who could no longer stay in power in a historic speech in Poland as Russian missiles rained down on Ukraine’ s most pro-western city, just 40 miles from the Polish border, and Ukraine’ s president called for more military aid.
“ For God’ s sake, this man can not remain in power, ” Biden said in his most belligerent speech since the war began a month ago.
US officials later said that Biden had been talking about the need for Putin to lose power over Ukrainian territory and in the wider region.
Updated at 12.50am BST
5.00am BST 05:00
We will now be closing this blog and moving our coverage to a new liveblog.
You can keep up to date with all the latest developments in the link below.
4.42am BST 04:42
If you have just joined us, here is a quick recap of where the situation stands:
4.25am BST 04:25
The risks are stacking up for Asia’ s once-promising economic recovery from the pandemic, thanks to the war in Ukraine, US policy rate rises, spiking energy prices, and escalating Covid cases in China.
Analysts at S & P Global Ratings said on Monday that these new risks will lead to inflation across Asia Pacific, and that they will dent an otherwise strong rebound from the pandemic.
“ We have generally lowered our growth forecasts across Asia-Pacific and raised our inflation expectations. This reflects already-higher energy and commodity prices, an expectation of Fed interest rate increases, and the volatility and inflation effects of the Russia-Ukraine war, ” they said.
Stock markets in Asia were down on Monday with the Nikkei losing 0.4%.
4.23am BST 04:23
The weekend once again saw dozens of protests against Russia’ s invasion of Ukraine continue in cities across the world.
3.56am BST 03:56
Amrit Dhillon
In case you missed it earlier, our correspondent in Delhi has been looking at why Indian popular opinion has remained even-handed about Russia and its invasion of Ukraine.
One man tells Amrit Dhillon that India’ s close ties with the old Soviet regimes of the 50s and 60s created a lasting bond of “ brothers ” between the two countries.
Another man, an electrician, says that Russia could have legitimate claim to Ukraine: “ I hear that Ukraine used to be a part of Russia, but instead of respecting that, Nato is pulling Ukraine into its own orbit. But war is never good for anyone and the Russian bombing of civilians is not the way to solve these differences. They must sit down and talk. ”
You can read the full story here:
3.27am BST 03:27
Civilians in Ukraine continue to fight back in creative, new ways.
According to Belarusian journalist Hanna Liubakova, who is based in the western city of Lviv, local coffee shops are displaying Russian losses in their windows.
“ The losses of the Russian army are mentioned and renewed daily at the door of the famous Lviv Coffee Mine, ”
# Ukraine Lviv. The losses of the Russian army are mentioned and renewed daily at the door of the famous Lviv Coffee Mine. pic.twitter.com/Jg8v7qsOWd
3.21am BST 03:21
A moment of reflection for the people of Ukraine has plunged the 94th Academy Awards currently under way in Hollywood into a 30-second silence.
The Associated Press reports:
A tribute that started with words from the Ukrainian-born actress Mila Kunis ended with the Academy Awards fading to black about midway through Sunday’ s show from Los Angeles, with a plea for anyone watching to do whatever possible to send help to those in the war-torn nation.
“ Recent global events have left many of us feeling gutted, ” Kunis said as she took the stage, part of her remarks to introduce Reba McIntyre’ s performance of the Oscar-nominated song “ Somehow You Do ” from “ Four Good Days. ”
“ Yet when you witness the strength and dignity of those facing such devastation, it’ s impossible to not be moved by their resilience, ” Kunis continued. “ One can not help but be in awe of those who find strength to keep fighting through unimaginable darkness. ”
That’ s when McIntyre took the stage, dressed in a black gown, for her performance.
The balance between celebrating art while Russia’ s invasion of Ukraine rages on has been a delicate one for the Oscars. Sean Penn has openly campaigned for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy — a former actor — to speak at the ceremony. Some arrived for the Oscars wearing blue-and-gold ribbons, an obvious show of support since those are the colours of the Ukrainian flag.
When McIntyre’ s song ended, a large video screen hovering over the stage displayed a tribute and a plea as the 30-second moment of silence began.
“ We’ d like to have a moment of silence to show our support for the people of Ukraine currently facing invasion, conflict and prejudice within their own borders, ” read the screen.
“ While film is an important avenue for us to express our humanity in times of conflict, the reality is millions of families in Ukraine need food, medical care, clean water and emergency services. Resources are scarce and we — collectively as a global community — can do more. ”
It then ended with a display of the following: “ We ask you to support Ukraine in any way you are able. # StandWithUkraine. ”
3.04am BST 03:04
A monument to famed Ukrainian poet, Taras Shevchenko, has been covered with sandbags to protect it from shelling in the city of Kharkiv, northeast Ukraine.
Ukraine’ s second-largest city of 1.5 million people lies close to the Russian border and has been heavily shelled by Russian forces over the past weeks.
2.59am BST 02:59
Ukraine’ s ministry of foreign affairs says Russian forces have turned the besieged city of Mariupol “ into dust ” while describing the current humanitarian situation in the city as “ catastrophic ”.
“ While Mariupol besieged and bombed, people fight to survive. The humanitarian situation in the city is catastrophic. Russian Armed Forces is turning the city into dust, ” the ministry said on Monday.
While # Mariupol besieged and bombed, people fight to survive. The humanitarian situation in the city is catastrophic. # Russian Armed Forces is turning the city into dust.Save Mariupol! # closeUAskyNOW # StandWithUkraine # StopRussianAgression pic.twitter.com/wI21IhKdRn
2.56am BST 02:56
In an earlier interview for Russian media, published and transcribed by the presidential offie of Ukraine, Zelenskiy spoke of a “ cultural split ” that has taken place towards Russians in Ukraine.
A global historical and cultural split took place during this month. It’ s not just a war, I think it’ s much worse. ”
Zelenskiy noted that before the war some Ukrainians were loyal to Russia but after the destruction of their cities and death of civilians, this attitude has changed to hatred, adding that he believed the damage is “ irreparable ”.
I think this is the worst disappointment that has happened. Disappointment that turned into hatred of the nations. I have no answer as to how it can be returned, there is no answer as to whether it will ever return. ”
2.41am BST 02:41
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has provided some more detail surrounding his earlier claim that 2,000 children from Mariupol have been taken by Russia.
Zelenskiy confirmed that people were leaving the city through humanitarian corridors using civilian transport, but Russia also “ organised the forcible removal of Mariupol residents to the occupied territories, ” according to a press release published by the president’ s office late on Sunday.
According to our data, more than 2,000 children were deported. Which means they were abducted. Because we do not know the exact locations of all these children. There were children with and without parents. It’ s a catastrophe, it’ s horrible. ”
Zelenskiy continued:
The reality is that the city is blocked by the Russian military, all entrances and exits from Mariupol are blocked, the port is mined. The humanitarian catastrophe in the city is obvious. Because food, medicine, and water can’ t be delivered. The Russian troops are shelling humanitarian convoys and killing drivers. ”
Due to the shelling, many humanitarian convoys returned without reaching Mariupol, Zelenskiy added.
The president said that there was an attempt to agree with the Russian side on the removal of the bodies of killed soldiers and civilians lying in the open air, but such removal was not allowed.
2.13am BST 02:13
The Ukrainian military has released its latest operational report as of 10pm local time, claiming Russia has withdrawn troops that were surrounding Kyiv after suffering significant losses.
The withdrawal has “ significantly decreased ” the intensity of Russia’ s advance and forced some units to regroup in Belarus, the general staff of the armed forces said.
Officials added that they believed Russia was also transporting ‘ Iskander’ missiles to Kalinkovichy in the Gomel region of south-eastern Belarus.
Updated at 2.43am BST
1.39am BST 01:39
The destruction of cities across Ukraine continues as the war drags on into its second month.
Here is a selection of the latest images taken from Mykolaiv, Mariupol and Kharkiv.
1.22am BST 01:22
French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has called for immediate action in Ukraine’ s south-eastern city Mariupol, drawing comparisons to the destruction of Aleppo, Syria.
“ You can very well see that Mariupol is a second Aleppo with, I hope, a collective guilt if we don’ t do anything, ” he said at the Doha Forum, a meeting of policy makers, referring to a Syrian city that saw some of the worst fighting of the country’ s brutal civil war.
“ Mariupol is a siege war that Russia’ s been in for a month now. Maybe it wasn’ t envisaged as a siege war but today we’ re in siege warfare, and Mariupol is one of the most striking examples.
“ Military sieges are horrible wars because civil populations are massacred, annihilated. The suffering is terrible. ”
1.21am BST 01:21
Germany is considering purchasing a missile defence system to shield against a potential attack from Russia, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said late on Sunday.
When asked during an appearance on public broadcaster ARD whether Germany might buy a defence system such as Israel’ s Iron Dome, Scholz said:
“ This is certainly one of the issues we are discussing, and for good reason, ” though he did not specify what type of system Berlin was considering.
When asked whether Germany aimed to procure a missile defence system with a longer range than its existing Patriot batteries, Scholz said: “ We need to be aware that we have a neighbour who is prepared to use violence to enforce their interests. ”
The Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported earlier a missile defence shield for the whole territory of Germany was one of the topics discussed when Scholz met with Eberhard Zorn, Germany’ s chief of defence.
Specifically, they spoke about a possible acquisition of the Israeli “ Arrow 3 ” system, the paper said.
Andreas Schwarz, a member of parliament for Scholz’ Social Democrats, told the newspaper:
We must protect ourselves better against the threat from Russia. For this, we need a Germany-wide missile defence shield quickly. The Israeli Arrow 3 system is a good solution. ”
12.53am BST 00:53
French president Emmanuel Macron earlier called for restraint in both words and actions in dealing with the Ukraine conflict, after US president Joe Biden described Russian president Vladimir Putin as a “ butcher ” and said he should not remain in power.
“ I wouldn’ t use this type of wording because I continue to hold discussions with president Putin, ” Macron told France 3. “ What do we want to do collectively? We want to stop the war that Russia has launched in Ukraine without waging war and without escalation. ”
Watch Macron’ s remarks in the video below.
12.44am BST 00:44
Ukraine’ s deputy prime minister has accused Russia of “ irresponsible ” acts around the occupied Chernobyl power station that could send radiation across much of Europe, and urged the United Nations to dispatch a mission to assess the risks.
Iryna Vereshchuk posted an update to her Telegram account late Sunday, where she said Russian forces continue to militarise the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
This poses a very serious risk of damaging the insulation structures built over the station’ s fourth unit after its 1986 explosion.
Such damage will inevitably lead to the entry into the atmosphere of a significant amount of radioactive dust and contaminate not only Ukraine but also other European countries. ”
Vereshchuk continued to claim that the occupying Russian forces “ ignored these threats, continuing to transport and store a significant amount of ammunition in the immediate vicinity of the nuclear power plant ” and through the city of Pripyat.
Russian occupiers transport tens of tons of rockets, shells and mortar ammunition every day. Hundreds of tons of ammunition are being stored in the neighbouring city of Pripyat Chernobyl, which is also a short distance from the nuclear power plant. ”
Vereshchuk noted the dangers of Russia’ s use of “ old and substandard ammunition ” which “ increases the risk of their detonation even during loading and transportation. ”
In addition, she said significant fires have started in the exclusion zone, which can have “ very serious consequences. ”
“ It is impossible to control and extinguish fires in full due to the capture of the exclusion zone by the Russian occupation forces, ” she said.
As a result of combustion, radionuclides are released into the atmosphere, which the wind can carry over long distances, which threatens radiation not only in Ukraine but also in other European countries. Loss of control over the exclusion zone and the inability to fully extinguish the fire could threaten radiation facilities in the area. ”
In the context of nuclear security, the irresponsible and unprofessional actions of the Russian military pose a very serious threat not only to Ukraine but also to hundreds of millions of Europeans. ”
Vereshchuk urged the UN Security Council to “ take immediate measures to demilitarise the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and establish a special UN mission ” to eliminate the risk of a recurrence of the Chernobyl accident.
Updated at 1.09am BST
12.29am BST 00:29
The UK’ s ministry of defence has just released its latest intelligence report on the situation in Ukraine, claiming Russia is “ effectively isolating Ukraine from international maritime trade. ”
Russia is maintaining a distant blockade of Ukraine’ s Black Sea coast, effectively isolating Ukraine from international maritime trade.
Russian naval forces are also continuing to conduct sporadic missile strikes against targets throughout Ukraine.
The destruction of the Saratov landing ship at Berdyansk will likely damage the confidence of the Russian Navy to conduct operations in close proximity to the coast of Ukraine in the future. ”
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 27 March 2022 Find out more about the UK government's response: https: //t.co/uqSLD4dEuT🇺🇦 # StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/aQwtKrpBTy | general |
Little Relief on Horizon for Strained Diesel Market | The global diesel market is caught in a vice, and US domestic demand must compete for barrels with export markets.
Consumer prices for diesel are sky-high globally, and the forward curve for Nymex diesel futures is in steep backwardation, with May contracts trading some 27¢ per gallon above August. Diesel futures are even outperforming gasoline, a highly atypical relationship for this time of year.
Financial positioning is on bullish footing, although their horns have been trimmed a bit. Data from the US Commodity Futures Trade Commission show speculative bets on lower diesel prices are at 16,000 lots, up a little from the previous week but still down 40% from before the war in Ukraine started, when diesel was still $ 2.80/gal, and before rising prices had knocked out speculators betting on lower prices. In Monday trade on the Nymex, diesel lost 23¢ to settle at $ 3.88/gal.
While Russia’ s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions explain much of the tightness, they came against a backdrop of low inventories. The Covid-19 pandemic ate away at downstream utilization and outright capacity, and that set the market up for a rough time as demand started to recover.
Energy Intelligence’ s downstream model shows that a complex Gulf Coast refiner running an incremental barrel of medium, sour crude can fetch a stunning $ 56.78 crack spread for diesel. That eye-watering crack helps inform overall margins of $ 30.62 per barrel, the highest since at least August 2018.
Refiners in the world’ s largest economy are emerging from maintenance, but just as those in other areas, particularly Asia, are entering it. Government data show US utilization at 91.1%, its highest since August.
Inventories are low at some 112.1 million bbl, which is around March 2014 levels when WTI was trading at $ 100/bbl and Brent was at $ 110/bbl. Back then, a crude and product surplus ultimately led to a price collapse later in the year, whereas the market currently sees no way out of persistent supply shortages.
The structure of the forward curve is keeping inventories from building as it incentivizes near-term sales. In addition, the US has lost over 800,000 barrels per day of throughput capacity. Some of that is due to conversions to produce renewable diesel, but those projects have yet to yield large volumes of product.
“ US refiners have every incentive to ramp diesel production as much as they can, ” said John Auers of consultancy Turner, Mason and Co. “ The question is: how much can they do it? We don’ t have pre-Covid capacity. ”
But what the US does have is pre-pandemic consumption. US demand is strong for diesel at 4 million b/d, which is 300,000 b/d higher than it was in 2014. Several refiners say diesel demand is actually now above pre-pandemic levels in the US.
Winter weather is in the rearview, knocking out some demand for distillate fuel oils even as refiners bump up throughputs. And low stocks could, in and of themselves, incentivize more diesel yields as refiners need to replenish inventories amid a tight market ahead of next winter.
More broadly, the US downstream has worked hard since the onset of the shale revolution to boost diesel yields, largely to feed overseas demand. Figures from the US Energy Information Administration ( EIA) show that US refiners can yield as much as 38.1% distillate fuel oils such as diesel; they last did so in April 2020, up from 23.1% annually in 2000.
However, overseas markets could snatch up incremental barrels of the fuel. While the situation in the US is tight, in Europe it is a virtual strangle.
European demand is at or beyond pre-pandemic levels, refiners in the region are under significant strain, and inventories are down to 2008 levels. Roughly 10% of Europe’ s diesel typically comes from Russia, and that will need to be replaced in the near term, even though Russian flows continue for now.
“ [ Diesel ]’ s even tighter in Europe, ” Auers said, as that continent relies heavily on diesel not only for industrial activity but for everyday transportation. “ There are a lot of barrels going to Europe — and it will go higher. ”
That means US demand must compete with overseas demand.
Preliminary EIA figures put diesel and other distillate exports at over 1 million b/d in the past four weeks on average, and Kpler data show that US diesel exports are currently their highest since August. The vast majority of that will head to Latin America, but volumes to Europe are also growing; Kpler data suggest European-bound shipments from US shores skyrocketed from February to March.
The dynamic is similar to the propane market in 2021: every time US prices moved higher, overseas consumers — mostly in the Asia-Pacific — bid their prices up accordingly, keeping the arbitrage window open. | general |
Gartner Cites Importance of Integrated Risk Management During Digital Transformations | In a recent report, Emerging Technologies: Top Use Cases in Integrated Risk Management, Gartner included Axio in a survey of IRM technology products and service providers. IRM tools have emerged as integral pieces to a modern and successful cybersecurity program. Previously known as Governance, Risk, and Compliance ( GRC) tools, IRM tools address a wider range of use cases than the legacy GRC products of the past. They provide a “ vertically integrated view of risk, ” using your company’ s business strategy as a jumping off point. By starting here, IRM tools can be used to address the unique cybersecurity needs of your organizational operations, regardless of size or industry. Unlike GRC tools, IRM products offer a dynamic and comprehensive view of your risk environment across business units, partners, and third-party vendors.
Axio360, Gartner cites, falls under the DRM use case because it grants visibility across your entire enterprise as well as industry lines, providing insight into the digital risk landscape of business initiatives. DRM products help companies manage third-party technology risks ( including Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Operational Technology, and Internet-of-Things) and digital risks such as “ products and services enabled by cloud, mobile, social, and big data. ”
Today, many organizational operations are fully reliant on digital technology. Since COVID-19 caused a surge in the global remote workforce, digitalization has become a requirement for most businesses to stay innovative, operational, and competitive in the eyes of customers and investors. The World Economic Forum cites some astonishing figures:
There is little evidence that business operations will return to what was considered “ normal ” pre-pandemic, and companies are being forced to “ go digital ” if they want to survive. This growing dependence on digitalization has also attracted cyber-criminals, leading to unprecedented growth of cyber-attacks across industries and governmental organizations. At present, digital risk has emerged as a central component to overall business risk.
At Axio, we understand the complexities of managing digital risk. In fact, Axio360 can help you assess and quantify all facets of business risk. The Axio360 platform is a highly customizable, multi-faceted decision support system for cybersecurity leaders. By using information unique to your business and its needs, we’ ll work with you to identify the highest threat risks. Axio360 can
With our approach to risk management, business leaders learn how to understand their risk environment and can prioritize cybersecurity measures using actionable data.
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* * * This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Axio authored by Axio. Read the original post at: https: //axio.com/insights/gartner-cites-importance-of-irm-during-digital-transformations/ | general |
Apple is reportedly already cutting iPhone SE production plans by 20 percent | While luxury electronics like the PS5 and graphics cards may still be selling out left and right, the demand may not be as high for easier-to-make budget offerings. According to a report from Nikkei Asia, Apple will be making 20 percent fewer iPhone SEs in the next quarter than it originally planned and 10 million fewer AirPods for all of 2022. Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo provided specific numbers in his note about the demand for the SE, saying that he expects Apple to ship 15 to 20 million SEs in 2022, as opposed to his previous estimate of 25-30 million ( that’ s somewhere between a 22 and 66 percent decrease for the year).
The reports don’ t point to supply chain issues or chip shortages, which have plagued much of the electronics industry, as the reason for Apple walking back its production plans. Instead, they cite lower-than-expected demand for Apple’ s latest budget-focused phone.
Shanghai lockdown doesn't affect the iPhone SE production. However, the new iPhone SE demand is lower than expected ( the delivery status `` in stock '' as one of the proofs), and I cut my shipment estimation in 2022 to 15-20M ( vs. 25-30M previously).
There are plenty of factors that could lead to people being less interested in the iPhone SE. Nikkei cites fears over the war in Ukraine and inflation, while CNBC mentions COVID lockdowns in China, making it physically harder for consumers there to get a new phone. Plus, speaking from personal experience, people who buy iPhone SEs aren’ t necessarily the type to run out and upgrade the moment a new model is available. They may also be significantly less likely to do so when gas is anywhere from $ 4 to $ 6 a gallon.
The phone itself also costs more — the new generation SE costs $ 30 more than the last, seemingly thanks to 5G. That narrows the cost between it and, say, an iPhone 12 or 13 Mini ( and the Mini lineup is already what the iPhone SE should be).
Of course, looking at retail price, the Mini is significantly more expensive, but the monthly prices are a bit of a different story. At Verizon, the SE is $ 11.94 a month for the 64GB model. You can get a 64GB iPhone 12 Mini for $ 16.66 a month or a 128GB iPhone 13 Mini for $ 19.44 a month. That price difference will matter to some, but there are also probably plenty of people who think, “ What the heck, it’ s just $ 5 a month extra. ” And more price-conscious consumers may see the higher price and decide to stick with what they have for a few more months.
All of this is to say that this doesn’ t automatically mean the new SE is a flop. Still, 20 percent is a big drop in production and could help set the reference point for the SE’ s sales over the phone’ s ( likely multi-year) lifecycle. And while it’ s too early to tell what this could mean for future generations of the SE, that discussion is probably already happening within Apple — if I’ m being hopeful, maybe a lukewarm reception will push the company to try a Mini / Max approach for the next SE. | tech |
Baku to host FIG Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup | FIG Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup will be held at the National Gymnastics Arena from March 31 to April 3.
Some 151 gymnasts from 35 countries will compete in the 4th international gymnastics competition organized in Azerbaijan this year.
The qualifications will be held on the first two days of the competition while the finals are scheduled for April 1-2.
The AGF Trophy will be presented to the gymnasts who received the highest execution score.
Azerbaijan will be represented at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup by Mansum Safarov ( floor), Aghamurad Gahramanov ( Floor, Vault, Parallel Bars, Horizontal Bar), Ivan Tikhonov ( Pommel Horse, Vault, Horizontal Bar), Javidan Babayev ( Rings), Nikita Simonov ( Rings), Samira Gahramanova ( Vault, Balance Beam, Floor), Milana Minakovskaya ( Uneven Bars, Balance Beam, Floor).
Spectators under 18 must have a valid COVID-19 vaccine certificate, immunity certificate or COVID-19 vaccine medical contraindication form.
Founded in 1956, AGF comprises seven gymnastics disciplines recognized by the International Federation of Gymnastics ( FIG).
The federation has experienced a revival since 2002. The renewed federation has brought gymnastics to a completely new level.
The high-level organization of the gymnastics events did not remain unnoticed. The International Gymnastics Federation ( FIG) included the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation ( AGF) into the list of the meritorious federations.
For many years, the AGF has been included in the FIG list of the Top 10 gymnastics federations.
From 2014 to 2019, the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation was included in the list of FIG's 10 strongest federations and for the last three years, it has led the list.
In 2022, National Gymnastics Arena hosted the 27th Azerbaijan Championship and the Baku Championship in Acrobatic Gymnastics on February 24-25.
The championships brought together 41 gymnasts representing Ojag Sport Club, Baku Gymnastics School, Neftchi Sports Club, Sumgayit Olympic Sports Complex and Specialized Children and Youth Sports School of the Olympic Reserve No. 13.
The FIG Trampoline Gymnastics World Cup were held in Baku on February 12-13.
Some 60 athletes from 13 countries took part in the first international competitions organized by the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation in 2022.
Azerbaijani gymnast Seljan Maksudova won a silver medal at the FIG Trampoline Gymnastics World Cup.
The gymnast scored 52.780 points in the individual program among women in Baku.
Azerbaijan Championship in Rhythmic Gymnastics was successfully held at the National Gymnastics Arena on March 16-17.
Some 40 gymnasts from Baku Gymnastics School, Ojag Sports Club, Republican Complex Sports School ( Baku) as well as gymnasts from Khirdalan's Zirve Sports Club, Sumgayit, Ganja and Mingachevir tool part in the championship held among juniors ( 13-15 years old) and seniors ( 16 years and older).
The gymnasts were determined both in apparatus finals ( ball, hoop, clubs, ribbon) and in the all-around competitions.
Finally, the 6th Azerbaijan Championship and the Baku Women's Gymnastics Championship and the 27th Azerbaijan Championship and the Baku Men's Gymnastics Championship took place in Baku.
A total of 69 gymnasts representing the Ojag Sports Club, the Baku Gymnastics School, the Sumgait Olympic Sports Complex, the Specialized Children and Youth Sports School of the Sumgayit Olympic Reserve and the city of Balakan participated in the competitions held on March 25-26. | general |
Oil Prices Sink on Shanghai Shutdown | The oil price impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine was overwhelmed on Monday by shutdowns in Shanghai, China’ s largest city, due to yet another Covid-19 outbreak. | general |
NIRI Launches Filtration Platform Technology - Nonwovens Industry Magazine - News, Markets & Analysis for the Nonwovens Industry | The Nonwovens Innovation and Research Institute ( NIRI) has developed a new platform technology to enhance the performance of a broad range of nonwoven products, also suitable for multiple high-performance applications. Ross Ward, Chief Commercial Officer at NIRI, demonstrates how the technology is already being used in a COVID Capture project, for PPE that captures and immobilises SARS-CoV-2 to prevent viral transfer between healthcare staff and patients. He explains the process and its relevance for numerous sectors, such as air filtration, wastewater filtration, automotive, pharmaceuticals and HVAC.
The impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic are far-reaching. While significant progress has been made in vaccine development and clinical treatments for COVID patients, even with the roll-out of vaccines and the increase in population immunity it remains vital to reduce virus transmission to protect the public, frontline staff and vulnerable people from the current and mutated variants of the virus.
Ross explains the rationale underpinning the Covid Capture project. “ In hospitals, increased environmental contamination with SARS-CoV-2 can be found in areas where PPE is removed, ” he says. “ Improvements to personal protective equipment materials could reduce the risk of dissemination of the virus into the environment and the risk of transfer between staff and patients in the healthcare setting. NIRI’ s technology is designed to capture and immobilise COVID-19 and to prevent the cross infection from contaminated PPE and other products such as HVAC filters, thus protecting key workers and patients. ”
To develop the technology specific to the Covid Capture project, NIRI used their new filtration platform technology - and an overview of the general process is detailed, below. For this project, NIRI first identified a range of strategies for binding different functional groups onto the surface of the fibres. This allows the optimal binding strategy to be selected for the specific adsorbent molecule. The success of the project development to date means that COVID-Capture PPE is now being prototyped for clinical trial evaluation.
As noted, NIRI’ s new filtration platform technology has applications - whether in product development consultancy or through licence - across a wide range of sectors and product types.
“ The nonwoven adsorbent technology is developed for the selective filtration of molecules, compounds and particles from gaseous and liquid environments, ” Ross explains. “ Harnessing NIRI’ s technical expertise, with over 750 projects completed for more than 350 clients across over 30 sectors, the development of this new platform technology has been possible due to the extensive facilities we have at NIRI, including complete prototyping equipment such as drylaid, wetlaid, spunmelt, electrospinning and filament spinning and bonding techniques. The evaluation and optimisation of filter performance is, likewise, critically dependent upon our complete analytical services which allow us to tailor and modify the nonwoven architecture and factor in other functional performance requirements. The engineered nonwoven can be tailored, depending on the nature and volume of unwanted material to be filtered, and on the specific application, carrier fluid and separation performance requirements. ”
When designing an adsorbent filter for a specific application, there are key considerations: the nature of the contaminant and level of contamination; the nature of the application itself, and fluid dynamics such as dwell time, adsorption kinetics and required performance. Thus, NIRI carefully considers the material, nonwoven architecture and binding strategies in the first stage of the process - the development of the base filter substrate. It is then possible, by considering the nature of the application and carrier fluid, to select and apply surface activation technology which serves as an anchor and binding site for linker chemistries. This surface activation technology can be an array of treatments, such as chemical and plasma techniques. Ross notes,
“ It’ s important at this stage to consider the spacial arrangement and number of binder sites required, and to tailor the surface activation process accordingly. Too many binding sites or multiple sites too closely spaced and the adsorbent components may inhibit one another. Insufficient binding sites and there is a risk that the filter will not remove all the contaminants. “
The next stage of the process is to bind the adsorbent molecule, which is specifically designed for interacting with an adsorbate or contaminant. When the contaminated fluid passes through the filter substrate the contaminant or adsorbate is captured.
In addition to the COVID Capture project, NIRI has utilised the new platform technology to enhance its Sanguis universal plasma filter, and is already exploring applications in wound-care, air filtration and wastewater filtration. The company has seen significant investment and expansion, with more than 20 additional staff joining in the last year, including principal scientists, senior innovation engineers and technicians. Consistent investment in new technology underpins the development of the new filtration platform technology and the company growth and expansion are enabling NIRI to help more clients grow their businesses, accelerate innovation and develop their next generation of nonwoven products. | general |
Dozens protest in Kabul, demanding the Taliban reopens girls’ secondary schools | Around two dozen women and girls marched down the streets of Kabul chanting, “ open the schools ”, Trend reports citing Euronews.
The protest, which only lasted less than an hour on Saturday, was in response to the opening and then immediate closure of girls’ secondary schools in Afghanistan earlier that week.
On Wednesday, the schools for students older than 11 years old opened for the new academic year. The schools were closed for eight months prior because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Then shortly after lessons began, the Taliban called for the classes to close again. According to Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, the decision brought many students to tears.
`` They were waiting outside their schools, but the gates were closed, and they were crying, '' Yousafzai said while talking to a panel about women’ s rights in Afghanistan. | general |
Flight attendants sue to stop CDC mask mandate | BI’ s Article search uses Boolean search capabilities. If you are not familiar with these principles, here are some quick tips.
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Nine flight attendants representing six airlines are suing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the air travel mask mandate, claiming masks are ineffective, cause breathing trouble, and that the policy is difficult to enforce.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado on Thursday, claims that the mandate raises constitutional concerns and states that by “ mandating masks for all American travelers and employees in the transportation sector, the defendants have acted without statutory authorization or following the rulemaking process required by the Administrative Procedure Act. ”
Ten pilots with four airlines on March 15 filed a similar lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The mask mandate went into effect on Feb. 1, 2021, and was set to expire three months later, but has been extended several times. The new expiration date is April 18.
The suit calls the mandate “ an illegal and unconstitutional exercise of executive authority. ”
It also argues that the CDC “ ignored countless scientific and medical studies and articles showing that face masks are totally ineffective in reducing coronavirus spread but are harmful to human health in at least 68 ways ” and that “ as flight attendants for major airlines, we have seen up close and personal the chaos in the sky, ” as passengers refuse to comply at times.
The plaintiffs also provided sworn declarations, stating that “ face masks cause us numerous health problems including lightheadedness, dizziness, chest pain, overheating, perspiration, irritation, increase in stress, sore throat, fatigue, limited breathing capacity, reduced circulation in the limbs, headaches, weakened immune system, nausea, lung pain, brain fog, anxiety, inflammatory response, multiple upper respiratory disturbances, inflammation, sinus infection, cognitive dysfunction, malaise, coughing, and wheezing. ”
A flight attendant is entitled to workers compensation for the injury she sustained while riding a shuttle between an employee parking lot and an airport terminal, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’ s Western District in Pittsburgh held Wednesday.
1. Flight attendants sue to stop CDC mask mandate
2. Positive drug tests in US workforce highest in two decades
4. Pressure to work while driving keeps workers dialed in
5. Workers comp fraud report echoes litigation trend
6. OSHA affirms court order to vacate citations for amputation injury | general |
COVID-19: Kazakhstan remains in ‘ green area’ | There are no regions remaining in the high COVID-19 risk ‘ red zone’ or moderate risk ‘ yellow zone’ in Kazakhstan as of today, March 27, the Telegram Channel of the Kazakh Interdepartmental Commission for preventing coronavirus spread reads, Trend reports citing Kazinform.
The cities of Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Shymkent as well as Almaty, Aktobe, Atyrau, Akmola, West Kazakhstan, East Kazakhstan, Zhambyl, Karaganda, Kostanay, Kyzylorda, Mangistau, North Kazakhstan, Pavlodar, and Turkestan regions are in the low COVID-19 risk ‘ green zone’. | general |
Azerbaijan confirms 16 more COVID-19 cases, 47 recoveries | Azerbaijan has detected 16 new COVID-19 cases, 47 patients have recovered, and three patients have died, Trend reports citing the Operational Headquarters under Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers.
Up until now, 791,766 people have been infected with coronavirus in the country, 781,788 of them have recovered, and 9,684 people have died. Currently, 294 people are under treatment in special hospitals.
To reveal the COVID-19 cases, 2,285 tests have been carried out in Azerbaijan over the past day, and a total of 6,687,581 tests have been conducted so far.
Some 155 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 in Azerbaijan on March 28, Trend reports referring to the Operational Headquarters under the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers.
The first dose of the vaccine was injected into seven citizens, the second one to nine citizens, the third dose and the next doses to 138 citizens. One citizen was vaccinated with a booster dose after a positive test result for COVID-19.
Totally, up until now, 13,406,075 vaccine doses were administered, 5,321,396 citizens received the first dose of the vaccine, 4,818,801 people - the second dose, 3,039,521 people - the third dose and the next doses.
Some 226,357 citizens were vaccinated with a booster dose after a positive test result for COVID-19. | general |
AI-Enabled Robotic Solutions for Global Warehouse Operations | Berkshire Grey, Inc. helps customers radically change the essential way they do business by delivering game-changing technology that combines AI and robotics to automate fulfillment, supply chain, and logistics operations.
Swisslog delivers data-driven & robotic solutions for your logistics automation alongside reliable, modular service concepts. Collaborating with forward-thinking companies, we are committed to setting new standards in warehouse automation to provide future-proof products and solutions. As part…
Berkshire Grey Inc, ( BGRY) a leader in AI-enabled robotic solutions, and Swisslog ( SLOG), a leading provider of future-ready, data-driven robotics solutions, has announced a partnership to provide robotic solutions to help grocery/e-grocery, ecommerce, and retail customers meet the demands of today’ s connected consumers while managing widespread labor shortages.
The Swisslog and Berkshire Grey partnership will initially focus on the ecommerce, distribution, and store automation solutions American market.
Together, Swisslog and Berkshire Grey are providing, innovative, AI-enabled robotics solutions to global enterprises seeking to master the challenge of real-time order fulfillment through automation.
With this announcement, Swisslog will become part of Berkshire Grey’ s Partner Alliance program as a strategic Systems Integration Partner that provides customers with scalable robotic solutions developed to improve fulfillment throughput while driving down operational costs.
Swisslog has leading solutions in multiple flexible, scalable and modular automation technologies for major retail, e-grocery, ecommerce, and consumer goods customers, with more than 2,000 integrated installations around the globe including Walmart, Target, H-E-B, and Ahold Delhaize. The company offers a range of data-driven, solutions to fit fulfillment strategies.
As a recognized and trusted leader in advanced robotic fulfillment solutions, Berkshire Grey’ s solutions combine artificial intelligence ( AI) and robotics to intelligently automate the most challenging warehouse operations including ecommerce fulfillment, retail replenishment, reverse logistics, and package handling logistics.
“ Swisslog is excited to partner with Berkshire Grey, one of the most forward-thinking companies in AI-enabled robotic automation. It is a continuation of our commitment to provide our customers with the innovative technology that best meets their needs and accomplishes their objectives, ” said Markus Schmidt, President of Swisslog Americas.
“ We view this as the first step in a fruitful relationship with Berkshire Grey. Together, we will continue to shape the future of data-driven, robotic solutions by providing the next generation of warehouse automation and creating reliable and unparalleled results for our distribution, e-grocery, and e-commerce customers. ”
“ Both Berkshire Grey and Swisslog have broad portfolios of complementary solutions and the same goal: providing automation that helps customers meet ongoing consumer demand for anything, anytime, anywhere order fulfillment, ” said Steve Johnson, President and COO at Berkshire Grey.
“ We’ re focused on leveraging Swisslog’ s experience working closely with customers to identify and implement automation technologies that meet business objectives alongside our advanced robotics solutions for joint customers – ultimately helping companies use automation to streamline their operations and maximize productivity. ”
Berkshire Grey’ s automated solutions are modular, flexible, and available via traditional and Robotics-as-a-Service ( RaaS) implementation models, allowing customers to accelerate the adoption of game-changing automation technology without upfront capital expenditures.
Both companies will be exhibiting at MODEX 2022 ( March 28-31) at World Congress Center in Atlanta. Visit Berkshire Grey at Booth # B4207. Visit Swisslog at Booth # B7661.
Berkshire Grey helps customers radically change the essential way they do business by delivering game-changing technology that combines AI and robotics to automate fulfillment, supply chain, and logistics operations. Berkshire Grey solutions are a fundamental engine of change that transforms pick, pack, move, store, organize, and sort operations to deliver a competitive advantage for enterprises serving today’ s connected consumers. Berkshire Grey customers include Global 100 retailers and logistics service providers.
Swisslog delivers data-driven & robotic solutions for your logistics automation alongside reliable, modular service concepts. Collaborating with forward-thinking companies, we are committed to setting new standards in warehouse automation to provide future-proof products and solutions. As part of the KUKA Group, our customers trust the competence of our passionate employees – more than 14,000 people working across the globe.
AI for Robotic Automation Explained In this ebook, we detail what AI and machine learning really is and why they matter when it comes to robotic automation for fulfillment operations explained in terms anyone can understand. Download Now!
3 Myths of Robotic Picking In this ebook, we detail how scalable robotic systems can help supply chain fulfillment centers and debunk the three most common myths. Download Now!
Using Automation to Manage Growth in E-commerce Fulfillment Robotic-based automation solutions enable the flexibility to effectively manage both seasonal and sustained growth. Download Now!
A Guide to E-Grocery Fulfillment Strategies and Technologies This e-book looks at how COVID-19 has become a major disruptor and is accelerating the need for automated e-grocery fulfillment. Download Now! | general |
Q & A: Ben Cubbitt, SVP, Consulting, Transplace | Logistics Management Group News Editor recently caught up with Ben Cubbitt, SVP, Consulting, for Frisco, Texas-based Transplace, a non-asset-based third-party logistics services provider. The two discussed a recent blog penned by Cubbit, entitled “ How to Navigate Rising Fuel Costs, ” as well as other topics. Their conversation follows below.
Cubbit: When you look at the complete view, it is more than just gas prices. We have been in this situation, where there is tight capacity and shippers’ costs are going up and modal disruptions. Shippers were already dealing with plenty of things. A Gartner study showed that 97% of shippers have had a disruptive event in the last two years. I have been on some panels with some large shippers, and the common theme, for all of us, was that we have never seen a time in our careers when every mode was disrupted. LTL, truckload, intermodal, ocean, and parcel have all had these disruptions and everybody is way above budget. We are seeing the impact of that in our consulting business at Transplace?
Cubbit: There are a few different ways. In these challenging times, for both rates and capacity, business conditions, for most shippers, are pretty strong and they are trying to get capacity. And they are so busy fighting a day-to-day battle and they need help. Things have changed so much—and it is such a dynamic and challenging market—that the individual shipper really lacks the ability and knowledge to deal with it. And there are labor shortages, especially in plants and warehouses. There is also churn, Covid, and retirement, too. When looking at the manager, director, and VP level positions, shippers are seeing shortages in those roles, too. The reasons for that are things like maternity leave, surgery, people out on leave, or someone leaves the company. When that happens, it is hard to replace them. And shippers are already challenged to meet budget, and the C-team, I would say, has been less tolerant in 2022 than prior years.
Cubbit: Because there is a sense that Covid is finally over, or easing, and things need to be fixed. Going back to fuel, it really bottomed out in March 2022, at $ 2.30 a gallon ( for diesel). So, the way we looked at it was going into the third quarter, people budgeted it for around $ 3.40 per gallon. And now, even if everything else in their budget is OK, and rates were neutral, they would have this big increase in fuel costs, because while shippers were doing fine with freight, fuel then starts to blow their budget. It ends up being multipart. One part is that there is still tight capacity and rates are still inflationary. There is a network inefficiency penalty that we talk about a lot, in that besides all of the challenges with freight, there is a labor shortage and that results in trailers not getting unloaded as quickly. As an industry, we have lost efficiency. As an example, the average truckload weight is down, because people just don’ t have the inventory and have to ship trucks light. So, imagine shipping on an unbelievably expensive truck half or three-quarters full…coupled with this fuel run-up. The fuel run-up has kind of been like a frog in hot water, in that they would be focused on that but there are all these other challenges.
LM: In your blog, you mentioned how shippers need to assess their network model to reduce miles and to evaluate adding distribution centers ( DC) and cross-dock facilities. When you add DC, does that become a major challenge for shippers, given that available space for DC and warehouses is so tight, with that space badly needed for inventory?
Cubbit: Network optimization is a high priority, to be sure, and people are focusing on it. We are working on five-to-seven of these types of projects, at a time, for a total of 40 overall. It was already a hot topic, because while, as a shipper, you can not do anything about rates or mode [ in certain instances ], can not move freight from truckload to intermodal as much as I want, because intermodal is challenged, and LTL is inflationary. Space is tight, but people in the past were able to make some of these warehouse and plant decisions with not enough regard to transportation costs. If you could put it in a place that did not have the best access to transportation or maybe you could exit California, and think about doing different things, and the penalty for transportation was there but transportation costs were kind of OK and people were able to save money in transportation annually, for a number of years. Now, the penalty in having a distribution center in a bad place, or moving it, is a big deal, as is serving customers non-optimally.
Cubbit: Take a customer’ s network in Dallas, for customers’ networks that should be serviced out of Dallas. Well, 20% or 30% might need to be served out of Chicago or Atlanta, because there was not enough space in Dallas. You can live with that and maybe your network was 80% efficient instead of 100% efficient. We are doing a lot of network projects right now, with shippers saying they are tight on space in different places and looking to solve that and looking for options. They are looking to make the best decisions, with some that may be optimal and some that may be suboptimal and are some now so suboptimal, with penalties so high that I need to do something. There are a lot of projects like that. Shippers are looking at their networks and if they are overcapacity and have leases coming up, they don’ t want to make those one-off decisions anymore. We are doing multiple projects that have that component. And we are seeing them focused on certain regions, like single-region projects. A shipper, for example, may not like what it is doing on the West Coast and look at some other options. Another part is expanding into new regions, like adding a Florida-based facility. The toughest places to serve that we see are typically in the Pacific Northwest and Florida. For some customers, those are very big markets.
LM: The blog looked at observing minimum order quantities with customers. It seems logical with all of the supply chain and related inventory issues. Are you seeing shippers struggle with trying to meet these requirements or is more of a case-by-case situation?
Cubbit: The entire supply chain has been influenced by the e-commerce world, in that consumers want to receive their orders soon after placing them, and they want to return orders that they don’ t like. That is something which has really influenced supply chains. A lot of businesses in a very competitive business world have made orders two or three times a week [ to meet this consumer demand ] via LTL and have made it work. That is two-fold, in that people have been reluctant to enforce sufficient order quantities. That is changing, but it depends on the customer. But this recent fuel spike is so severe, and some shippers did not realize it was happening. In fact, they were so focused on a lot of other things.
Cubbit: We pointed out that truckload weights were an issue, and some customers went back into their networks and said “ wow, I did not realize how much lighter my trucks have gotten. ” So, this will put some things back on the table that have left the table. That enforcement of minimum order quantities and penalizing shippers ordering inefficiently is really driving it. Another thing is a lot of shippers have minimum order quantities and want to order a full truckload but they have these inventory issues. So, the customer orders a full truckload and can only fill it 37%, for example. They have seen that and struggled with it, because that order process has become so rigid and now are going back to those same customers and saying “ if you send me orders, I need to hold your order or you need to give me some multiple orders. ” If a full truckload is 44,000 pounds and the customer only has 37,000 pounds, it is very difficult to add to it to fill it out. Those discussions are ongoing right now, and shippers are agonizing over it. For the large CPG shippers, that is a challenge. They realize that all of the challenges need to be put on the table, because, as an industry, we can not ship 35,000-to-37,000-pound truckloads, especially when a full truckload weighs out at around 44,00-45,000 pounds.
Cubbit: I have been doing this for 30 years, and it seems like those were some of the most overhyped things for a long time. Now, I think a lot of shippers, carriers, and 3PLs have gotten good at it, because they now have the mindset that it is an option they should pursue and can pursue. Let’ s say a shipper has 100 loads and can link up 100 times. And off of a sudden you can only link up 60 times, then that is not worth the trouble. But now, if you can link up 60 times out of 100, that is a win, and I can find the other 40. That is what we are seeing at Transplace. One is with our acquisition of Lanehub, and that is all Lanehub does. A shipper comes in and enters all of its lanes into the Lanehub tool, with the tool then matching it up with every other shipper. They have done a lot with private fleet backhaul, with Home Depot, Sherwin Williams, and others with these large fleets and lots of capacity. They know that four times a week they are going from point A to point B, and we identify that and made it a core part of the process. For example, when a shipper customer goes out to bid, LaneHub is in their bid in that capacity, sees all the lanes out for bid, and put it in there. We call that plan continuous moves, with them having 40 moves a week and we can fill ten. A lot of shippers still won’ t mess with it, but more and more a lot of progressive shippers go in and look at that and say “ if I can fill four of the 10, that is a tremendous win. ” It is green and sustainable and the best capacity I have and can get dedicated with over-the-road pricing commitment. And we have dynamic continuous moves, which we do and carriers do it for fleet backhaul. We work with two large CPG shippers to help fill their backhauls, and we have a team at Transplace that looks at the network every day and they know they need these lanes. There may be a potential match today, which may not be there tomorrow…and we just dynamically fill that. We are looking at our shipments every day and we are looking at certain targeted people. What that does is let you extend the reach of your fleet. So, there may be a 600-mile move that does not make sense to run dedicated, but if I get a backhaul, then it makes sense.
Cubbit: Let’ s look at going from LTL to pooling. If you can match LTL up with pool points and all of that, it can be a good one. It can be a great option for shippers, because one of the main drivers is service, because there is so much freight and so much disruption, and sometimes in an LTL network your freight does not move. With a pool, you can control that a little bit more. There is also a lot more load matching going on, too. If I am a shipper and have done everything I can and have a 20,000-pound shipment going from Ohio to California and another company has a 10,000-pound shipment, rather than that going via LTL, we can put those two truckloads together and run as a two-customer load. We do that every day for hundreds of loads.
Cubbit: It is really the fuel surcharge lags that make it painful for carriers. They are not getting paid in a steep rise like this. They are really taking a penalty and then not getting reimbursed for 45-to-60 days based on terms. So, in terms of how shippers think about this, is these carriers are coming to shippers asking for a supplemental fuel surcharge, and there are different ways of doing that. That is the big thing going on right now, in that “ Do I accept it? What program do I put in place? Do I do it short-term? What process do I go through? ” That is probably one of the biggest things going on in transportation right now.
Cubbit: There are a few different examples of how it can happen. Before Transplace, I worked for a large shipper as VP of Transportation back when fuel had a big run-up in 2008-2009. One of my biggest carrier partners came in and noted how the fuel surcharge gap widens. We had gone to a $ 0.06-cent-per mile fuel surcharge after I got there. It had been at $ 0.05, with $ 0.06 sort of being the industry standard. But the carrier said that when it gets above $ 3.50-to- $ 4.00 per gallon, the gap widens. It is really a challenge when you get above $ 4.00 per gallon, in that you are just not being compensated. We agreed, as a shipper, that when fuel goes above $ 4.00 per gallon, we would pay a penny for every $ 0.05 gain versus $ 0.06. What a lot of carriers are doing right now is asking for an extra $ 0.20-per mile. They would like $ 0.20 but are going for anywhere from $ 0.10-to- $ 0.20-per mile. Some carriers are asking for a flat fee per load, like an extra $ 19-to- $ 22 per load. It is a separate accessorial as soon as prices go above, say $ 4.00-to- $ 4.20 per gallon. Freight payment is so difficult, for shippers and carriers, that you want to find a way to make it temporary and also a way to do it where you can automate it. That way, people are not doing all these calculations. If you can just make an amendment to your fuel surcharge, then the carrier and the shipper can hopefully, to some extent, automate it. | general |
Q & A: Stuart Schmill on MIT’ s decision to reinstate the SAT/ACT requirement | MIT Admissions announced today that it will reinstate its requirement that applicants submit scores from an SAT or ACT exam.
The Institute suspended its longstanding requirement in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic that prevented most high schoolers from safely taking the exams. However, with the advent of safe, effective pediatric vaccination, the expansion of the free in-school SAT ( where most students now take the test), and the introduction of the digital SAT, most prospective students can take them again.
Research conducted by the admissions office shows that the standardized tests are an important factor in assessing the academic preparation of applicants from all backgrounds, according to Dean of Admissions and Student Financial Services Stuart Schmill. He says the standardized exams are most helpful for assisting the admissions office in identifying socioeconomically disadvantaged students who are well-prepared for MIT’ s challenging education, but who don’ t have the opportunity to take advanced coursework, participate in expensive enrichment programs, or otherwise enhance their college applications.
MIT News spoke with Schmill about how his team arrived at its decision, which he also wrote about today on the MIT Admissions blog.
Q: Why is MIT reinstating its SAT/ACT requirement?
A: First, let me talk a bit about why we have an SAT/ACT requirement in the first place. We have a dedicated research and analysis team that regularly studies our process and decisions. One thing they look at is what we need to predict student success at MIT. We want to be confident an applicant has the academic preparation and noncognitive skills ( like resilience, conscientiousness, time-management, and so on) to do well in our challenging, fast-paced academic environment.
In short: Our research has shown that, in most cases, we can not reliably predict students will do well at MIT unless we consider standardized test results alongside grades, coursework, and other factors. These findings are statistically robust and stable over time, and hold when you control for socioeconomic factors and look across demographic groups. And the math component of the testing turns out to be most important.
One reason we think this is true is because of the unusually quantitative orientation of our education, as I explain in more detail in my post. An MIT education combines deeply analytic thinking with creative hands-on problem-solving to prepare students to solve the toughest problems in the world. Our General Institute Requirements demand that all first-years must take ( or place out of, through Advanced Standing Examination) two semesters of calculus and two-semesters of calculus-based physics, no matter what field they intend to major in; students who do not place out of physics also take a math diagnostic. In other words, there is no pathway through MIT that does not include a rigorous foundation in mathematics, mediated by many quantitative exams along the way. So, in a way, it is not surprising that the SAT/ACT math exams are predictive of success at MIT; it would be more surprising if they weren't.
I should emphasize here that we don’ t focus only on the tests. In fact, we don’ t care about the tests at all beyond the point where they — alongside other factors — help demonstrate preparation for MIT. We don’ t prefer perfect scores, and a perfect score isn’ t sufficient to say you’ ll succeed at MIT, either. However, the tests are something we’ ve found we usually need in addition to these other factors in order to demonstrate preparation.
We are reinstating our requirement in order to be transparent and equitable in our expectations. Our concern is that, without the compelling clarity of a requirement, some well-prepared applicants won’ t take the tests, and we won’ t have enough information to be confident in their academic readiness when they apply. We believe it will be more equitable — and less anxiety-inducing — if we require all applicants who take the tests to disclose their scores, rather than ask each student to strategically guess whether or not to send them to us.
Of course, we know that some students won’ t be able to safely take the tests due to their own specific health conditions or various disasters and disruptions, as was the case before the pandemic. In these cases, we will allow students to explain on their application why they were unable to safely take the exam, and we will not hold the lack of exam against them. We will instead use other factors in their application to assess preparation as best we can, but with one less tool in our kit in their case.
Q: What do you say to those who argue the tests create structural barriers for socioeconomically disadvantaged and/or underrepresented students?
A: I appreciate this question, which we have kept foremost in our minds as we reviewed our research and policies. MIT Admissions has a strong commitment to diversity, and it is important to us that we minimize unfair barriers to our applicants wherever possible.
However, what we have found is that the way we use the SAT/ACT increases access to MIT for students from these groups relative to other things we can consider. The reason for this is that educational inequality impacts all aspects of a prospective student’ s preparation and application, not just test-taking. As I wrote, low-income students, underrepresented students of color, and other disadvantaged populations often do not attend schools that offer advanced coursework ( and if they do, they are less likely to be able to take it). They often can not afford expensive enrichment opportunities, can not expect lengthy letters of recommendation from their overburdened teachers, or can not otherwise benefit from this kind of educational capital. Meanwhile, we know that the pandemic was most disruptive to our least-resourced students, who may have had no consistent coursework or grading for nearly two years now.
I realize this argument may sound counterintuitive to some who have heard that the SAT/ACT exams raise barriers for access, and I don’ t want to ignore the challenges with, or limits of, the tests. They are just one tool among many that we use. However, what I think many people outside our profession don’ t understand is how unfortunately unequal all aspects of secondary education are in this country. And unlike some other inequalities — like access to fancy internships or expensive extracurriculars — our empirical research shows the SAT/ACT actually do help us figure out if someone will do well at MIT.
It turns out the shortest path for many students to demonstrate sufficient preparation — particularly for students with less access to educational capital — is through the SAT/ACT, because most students can study for these exams using free tools at Khan Academy, but they ( usually) can’ t force their high school to offer advanced calculus courses, for example. So, the SAT/ACT can actually open the door to MIT for these students, too.
The key thing I hope people understand is that we are using the tests as a crucial tool in the service of our mission, and not for the sake of the tests themselves. If and when we can find better, more equitable tools than the SAT/ACT, we will make changes to our policies and processes, as we did a few years ago when we stopped considering the SAT subject tests. Our creative and dedicated research and analysis team will continue to work hard in this area.
Q: What do you think the impact of this reinstatement will be on your office and on MIT?
A: My hope is that it will help us recruit, select, and enroll a robustly diverse undergraduate student body that is well-prepared to succeed in our challenging curriculum. At least, when we presented our data and proposal to the Committee on Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid ( CUAFA) — the student/faculty/staff policy committee that oversees our work — that is how we defined our goal, and CUAFA unanimously approved our plan on those terms.
Before the pandemic, considering testing ( alongside other factors) helped us expand access to MIT, and we are very proud of the diversity and talent of the undergraduate student body. There is currently no majority race or ethnicity among MIT’ s undergraduates. If you look at research published in The New York Times a few years ago, there is more economic diversity and intergenerational mobility at MIT than at comparable institutions; nearly 20 percent of our students are the first-generation in their family to attend college, as I was. We think that if testing helped us do this before the pandemic, it can help us continue to do it now. So, that is how we will evaluate success in the years to come. | business |
Kim Kardashian, Stormzy and Covid patrols: Monday’ s best photos | The Guardian’ s picture editors select highlights from around the world
Joe Plimmer
Mon 28 Mar 2022 13.42 BST Last modified on Mon 28 Mar 2022 13.50 BST
Photograph: Danny Moloshok/Reuters
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Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian
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Photograph: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images | general |
Covid en Chine: Shanghai confinée en deux temps face à la résurgence épidémique | De notre correspondant à Pékin, Stéphane Lagarde
À plusieurs reprises depuis le début de la résurgence épidémique, la municipalité de Shanghai a promis d’ éviter une mise sous cloche totale de la ville, c’ est donc un verrouillage en deux phases qui s’ applique à la capitale économique chinoise. À compter de ce lundi, les bus, les métros, les taxis et les ferries ne peuvent plus traverser la rivière Huangpu qui marque la ligne de démarcation de ce confinement nouvelle manière.
Pudong lockdown ( including Chongming, Jinshan, and Fengxian districts, and part of Songjiang and Minhang District): From 5am March 28 to 5am April 1.Puxi lockdown: From 3am April to 3am April 5. pic.twitter.com/4TGNATxFF3
Pendant ces quatre prochains jours, les près de 6 millions d’ habitants de Pudong, la rive est – dont les districts de Hongming, de Jinshan, et de Fengxian, et une partie des districticts de Songjiang and Minhang – resteront confinés dans leur quartier. Puis le 1er avril, ce sera au tour de Puxi, la rive ouest pour trois jours. Les 25 millions de Shanghaiens ont déjà été pour la plupart testés ces dernières semaines. Visiblement, ces tests et confinement localisés par résidences, déjà appliqués à Shenzhen, Shenyang et d’ autres mégalopoles en Chine, ne suffisent pas à contenir la propagation d’ Omicron.
Cette nouvelle campagne de dépistage massive doit permettre de repérer les cas positifs et de les isoler dans des lieux comme le centre d’ exposition universelle de Shanghai, reconverti en immense centre de quarantaine collective. Des boxes blancs numérotés en violet et des lits de camp attendent les patients, pour la plupart asymptomatiques, comme le montre le récit de deux Britanniques, premiers résidents étrangers positifs qui tiennent un journal de leur isolement sur Twitter. Pour l’ instant, les chiffres des contaminations sont loin de ceux rapportés dans d’ autres pays, notamment en Europe. Dimanche, Shanghai a signalé près de 11 500 infections Covid-19 depuis la reprise épidémique début mars, c’ est un record pour la Chine depuis 2020.
Just arrived at the # Shanghai World Expo Center. Doing OK but not sure what to expect once the masses hit. pic.twitter.com/NHbN9zt2KA
Pour tenter de limiter l’ impact économique de ces mesures de restrictions de déplacements, le gouvernement de Shanghai a déclaré que toutes les entreprises basées à Pudong pourraient continuer à opérer soit en télétravail, soit en « boucle fermée » comme l’ appellent les autorités sanitaires, autrement dit avec un personnel limité et confiné à l’ intérieur. Un dispositif prévu notamment pour les usines. Les responsables locaux jugent impératif de maintenir ouverts le port et le pôle financier de la ville afin de préserver l’ économie nationale, mais aussi le fonctionnement de la chaîne d’ approvisionnement mondial.
Shanghai est souvent décrite comme la porte de l’ est de la Chine avec son accès à la mer de Chine orientale. Ces nouveaux confinements risquent toutefois de perturber les opérations de Yangshan, le premier port en eau profonde du monde, ainsi que les chaînes de montage de Tesla et de SMIC, le plus grand fabricant de puces électroniques de Chine. | general |
Tesla Extends Shanghai Factory Suspension as City Locked Down | The information you requested is not available at this time, please check back again soon.
The Tesla Gigafactory in Shanghai, China, on Friday, Dec. 25, 2020., Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
( Bloomberg) -- Tesla Inc. is extending the production pause at its Shanghai plant to Thursday after the city was placed into a phased lockdown to curb a surge in Covid-19 cases, people familiar with the matter said.
Originally suspended for a day, production at the Gigafactory near China’ s main financial center will now be halted for four days, to resume at this stage on April 1, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they’ re not authorized to speak publicly.
Shanghai will lock down half of the city in turns to conduct a mass testing blitz to combat a Covid outbreak that’ s turned it into China’ s biggest virus hotspot. Areas east of the Huangpu River, where the Tesla plant is located, will be locked down on Monday for four days. Many Tesla workers would be affected, though they may be able to return to work when the lockdown shifts to the other side of the city.
“ Tesla always insists on fulfilling the main-body responsibility of pandemic prevention and control, strictly implementing all related requirements, and arranging work according to the government’ s policy at any time, ” a company spokesperson said.
The first gigafactory outside Tesla’ s home country produced half of the electric carmaker’ s vehicles last year and had to suspend production for two days earlier this month. The company said at the time that it was making its “ best effort ” to ensure production could continue at the plant, while “ actively cooperating with the government’ s order for Covid tests and relevant pandemic prevention measures. ”
The Shanghai factory is crucial for Tesla, considering China is the company’ s second-largest market and the plant builds cars for export to Europe and elsewhere in Asia. The China Passenger Car Association earlier this month reported that Tesla delivered 56,515 cars from the factory in February alone -- 23,200 for the domestic market and 33,315 for export.
Elon Musk, Tesla’ s chief executive officer, famously resisted California health regulators’ efforts to keep a U.S. factory closed during the early days of the pandemic. After about seven weeks of shutdown, he reopened the Fremont plant -- his only U.S. vehicle-production site at the time -- on May 11, 2020, flouting county officials’ orders and daring authorities to arrest him.
Musk ultimately cited the dispute as one of the reasons he moved Tesla’ s headquarters from Palo Alto, California, to Austin, Texas, in late 2021.
Tesla now has auto plants on three continents: in North America, the original factory in California; in Shanghai; and in Europe, where Musk last week handed over the first made-in-Germany Model Y vehicles at his new factory outside Berlin. In a few weeks, Tesla will celebrate the opening of a fourth auto factory, in Austin.
This U.S. legislation is a game changer: Curaleaf executive chairman
U.S. democratic senators to unveil draft cannabis reform bill on Wednesday: Report | general |
Can Drugs Reduce the Risk of Long COVID? What Scientists Know So Far News and Research | In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, urologist and clinical epidemiologist Kari Tikkinen found his schedule full of cancelled surgeries, so he had some time to kill. “ Do whatever you feel is most useful, ” his boss at the University of Helsinki advised him. So Tikkinen threw himself into running clinical trials for COVID-19 therapies.
From the start—before the world learnt of long COVID—Tikkinen saw a need to follow study participants for months after their recovery. He wanted to monitor long-term side effects of the medicines. “ Very soon, it became clear: it’ s not only about safety, ” he says.
Now, Tikkinen and a handful of others are hoping to learn more about whether treatments given during the acute phase of COVID-19 can reduce the risk of experiencing symptoms months later. “ It’ s an urgent and pressing health need that people need to start focusing on, ” says intensive-care specialist Charlotte Summers, at the University of Cambridge, UK.
Research into long COVID—which is also known as post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, and is usually defined as COVID-19 symptoms that last longer than three months—has lagged behind studies of the acute phase of infection. People who experience long COVID live with a wide array of symptoms, ranging from mild to severely debilitating. Researchers have proposed a variety of causes for the condition—from lingering viral reservoirs, to autoimmunity, to tiny blood clots. Many think that a mix of these factors is to blame. “ It took a while to get going on any serious mechanistic long-COVID research, ” says immunologist Danny Altmann at Imperial College London. “ It’ s hard to piece the big picture together. ”
Thus far, vaccines are the best way to prevent long COVID. COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and they might lessen the risk of long COVID after a breakthrough infection in someone who has been vaccinated.
Several studies have looked at this question: although they have yielded divergent results, the overall trend suggests that vaccination could reduce the risk of long COVID by about half among those who become infected after vaccination. For example, one study that has not yet been peer reviewed found that vaccination reduced the chances of developing long-COVID symptoms by about 41% in more than 3,000 double-vaccinated participants who were later infected with SARS-CoV-2.
But that still leaves too many people at risk of getting long COVID, says Altmann. “ Half is not as good as I thought it would be, ” he says. “ I was thinking and hoping that long COVID would be a thing of the past. ”
Beyond vaccination, it’ s unclear whether any existing COVID-19 therapy has an effect on long-COVID risk. In theory, a drug that reduces disease severity might reduce the severity of long-term symptoms, says Altmann. But long COVID is not always associated with serious acute illness. “ There are loads of people out there who are really destroyed by long COVID and had asymptomatic or near asymptomatic infections, ” he says. “ It’ s really hard to grapple with. ”
Nevertheless, some studies plan to look at the impact of early treatment with antiviral drugs on long COVID. A clinical trial called PANORAMIC has been testing the effects of the oral antiviral molnupiravir, developed by Merck in Kenilworth, New Jersey, and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics in Miami, Florida, on COVID-19 severity. Although it is not the primary goal of the study, researchers will gather data from participants at three and six months after treatment—which could determine whether the drug affects long-COVID risk. Similarly, two trials of Paxlovid, an antiviral drug developed by Pfizer in New York City, will include a six-month follow-up of participants.
These antiviral drugs are typically used to treat people with relatively mild COVID symptoms. Tikkinen and his colleagues hope to learn more about the long-term impact of treatments received by those who were hospitalized with COVID-19. His team is following up with participants in the University of Helsinki’ s arm of the World Health Organization’ s international COVID-19 treatment trial, called SOLIDARITY. In the next few weeks, he hopes to have the results of a one-year follow-up study of participants who were hospitalized with COVID-19 and treated with the antiviral drug remdesivir.
His team will also follow up with participants in two other arms of the SOLIDARITY trial, one that tested an immune-suppressing drug called infliximab and another that tested imatinib, a drug that could help to reduce inflammation in blood vessels.
But, Tikkinen cautions, none of these studies had enough participants to give clear-cut answers on long COVID. His team went to extraordinary measures to contact participants months after their remdesivir treatment and to encourage them to fill out a survey about their symptoms. The team hired graphic designers to make the surveys easier to fill out, had the questions translated into ten languages and offered to hand-deliver the paperwork to participants’ homes. The result was a 95% response rate, which Tikkinen says is unusually high for such long-term studies. But because the original study included only about 350 people, it is probably still too small to provide a definitive conclusion.
Researchers are hoping to find out whether more treatments can reduce the risk of long COVID. A large UK-based trial called HEAL-COVID is testing two drugs that target the cardiovascular system in people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19. One, called apixaban, is an anticoagulant. The other, atorvastatin, is a cholesterol-lowering medication thought to reduce inflammation in blood vessels.
The study will investigate whether either treatment reduces hospitalizations and deaths in the year after people are first discharged from hospital. Nearly one-third of people who are discharged after treatment for COVID-19 are re-admitted within six months, and 12% die within six months of their initial discharge. “ And when we looked at what was most plausibly leading to death after hospitalization, it was probably the cardiopulmonary effects, ” says Summers, who is leading the study.
At the University of Chicago in Illinois, pulmonologist and critical-care physician Ayodeji Adegunsoye has observed a possible increase in the accumulation of scar tissue, called fibrosis, in the lungs well after the acute infection in people who were hospitalized with COVID-19 and required supplemental oxygen. He is now testing a drug called sirolimus—an immune-suppressing drug that is sometimes given to organ-transplant recipients—in such people, in the hope that it will prevent the migration of cells that promote fibrosis in the lung.
By their nature, long-COVID studies require patience: one commonly accepted definition of long COVID is the persistence of certain symptoms for more than 12 weeks after the acute infection. Altmann is optimistic that this year will yield advances, but cautions against reading too much into small trials that might not yield statistically meaningful results. “ There’ s such pressure, ” he says. “ There’ s this incredibly pressing and desperate need—we all feel that anxiety. ”
This article is reproduced with permission and was first published on March 25 2022. | science |
BA.2 Covid Variant Is Already Changing the U.S. Response to the Pandemic | The BA.2 variant is forcing substantial shifts in how the U.S. is trying to control the pandemic.
Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty Images
The BA.2 variant isn’ t yet dominant in the U.S., but it’ s already forcing substantial shifts in the country’ s approach to controlling the pandemic.
On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration limited the use of a Covid-19 monoclonal antibody therapy thought to be ineffective against BA.2, and the New York Times reported that the Biden administration is planning an additional round of Covid-19 boosters for older adults in the
coming weeks
.
Both developments illustrate how a fast-moving variant can quickly toss out longstanding plans of public-health officials and drug developers, even as many Americans continue to expect a return to normalcy in the near term.
The FDA’ s decision to limit the use of
sotrovimab
, developed by
GlaxoSmithKline
( ticker: GSK) and
Vir Biotechnology
( VIR), sent Vir shares down sharply in the last minutes of Friday’ s trading session. The stock closed with a 13.6% drop on Friday, and was down 3% in Monday morning trading. Vir shares are down 49% so far this year.
Just three months ago, sotrovimab was the last monoclonal antibody standing, after the FDA
revoked
authorizations for the other available Covid-19 monoclonal antibody therapies, which didn’ t work against the original Omicron variant.
Now, the FDA says that sotrovimab likely doesn’ t work against BA.2, and that the drug is
no longer authorized
in states where BA.2 is widespread, including the entire northeastern U.S.
There is now one authorized Covid-19 monoclonal antibody authorized in those states,
Eli Lilly
’ s
( LLY) bebtelovimab, which
received
its emergency-use authorization in February, and which is expected to be active against BA.2. The Covid-19 antiviral pills from
Pfizer
( PFE) and
Merck
( MRK) are also expected to work against BA.2.
The failure of sotrovimab against the new variant, however, demonstrates the substantial drawback of the monoclonal antibody therapies against a fast-changing virus. Just months ago, Vir and Glaxo looked like they had the best-in-class of all of the monoclonal antibody therapies developed to treat Covid-19. Now, theirs, too, appears to be falling by the wayside, as the virus changes yet again.
Vir and Glaxo said in a
statement
Friday that they will ask for authorization of a higher-dose version of sotrovimab to treat BA.2. Cowen analyst Phil Nadeau wrote in a note out Sunday that it seems “ quite possible ” that higher doses could work well enough to lift the restrictions.
Meanwhile, the New York Times
report
on Friday said that the Biden administration is planning on offering a round of boosters for adults aged 50 and up in the coming weeks, followed by a broader booster campaign in the fall.
It isn’ t up to the White House, but rather the FDA, to authorize an additional round of doses. The FDA is
holding a meeting
on April 6 with its advisors to consider a fourth dose, among other things.
The Times report was reminiscent of the events of late last summer, when President Biden announced a timeline for authorization of the first booster dose before the FDA had made its decision. The announcement took the head of the FDA’ s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Dr. Peter Marks, who is ultimately responsible for the vaccine decisions, by surprise, as
Barron’ s
reported late last year. “ This is a great example of maybe getting out too far over your skis with good intentions, ” Marks
told
Barron’ s
in a December interview.
On March 18,
Barron’ s
wrote
that the requests for fourth-dose authorization from
Moderna
and Pfizer represented a dramatic shift away from expectations that the next round of boosts wouldn’ t be offered until the fall.
As
Barron’ s
argued at the time, the requests suggested that concern over BA.2 had inspired a rapid shift in the vaccine strategy toward another round of spring boosters, rather than waiting for a fall campaign of Omicron-specific boosters.
According to recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, BA.2 is thought to have accounted for 35% of Covid-19 cases in the U.S. two weeks ago, but more than half of cases in the northeast. The average number of new cases per day is down 12% over the past two weeks nationally, but up 69% in New York.
Write to Josh Nathan-Kazis at
josh.nathan-kazis @ barrons.com | business |
Global Roundup: RDIF Touts Efficacy of Sputnik V in HIV Patients | Although the World Health Organization has indefinitely suspended the evaluation of Sputnik V due to the invasion of Ukraine, new data shows the Russian-made vaccine provides protection against COVID-19 in HIV patients who are undergoing antiretroviral therapy.
The data, published in The Lancet, shows that Sputnik V is the “ world’ s first COVID vaccine with proven efficacy for people living with HIV, ” the Russian Direct Investment Fund said in a statement. The article presents the first results showcasing the efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine in HIV patients. The study showed that Sputnik V demonstrated a 79% efficacy in HIV patients. The vaccine’ s efficacy against hospitalization was more than 90%. Sputnik V is also more than 97% effective against the development of moderate or severe disease among people living with HIV.
Sputnik V is an adenoviral vector vaccine that has been genetically designed to infect cells in order to make those cells manufacture spike proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The analysis was conducted by the Gamaleya Center and Moscow City Center for AIDS Prevention and Control.
Galapagos NV: Belgium-based Galapagos NV and its partners received approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for a second indication for Jyseleca ( filgotinib) as a treatment for patients with moderate-to-severe active ulcerative colitis. Jyseleca is a once-daily, oral JAK1 preferential inhibitor. Approval for this indication was based on the Phase IIb/III SELECTION study that showed Jyseleca was safe and effective as an induction and maintenance therapy in UC. Jyseleca was previously approved in Japan for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
ten23 health: Switzerland’ s ten23, a global contract development and manufacturing organization, announced an expansion of swissfillon’ s manufacturing site in Visp, part of Switzerland. The site currently offers sterile manufacturing of pre-filled syringes, vials, and cartridges for clinical trials and market supplies. To enable further growth of its existing production capacity, ten23 health is investing in an expansion of supporting areas in an adjacent building. This expansion will provide an additional 1000 square meters of clean-room space for visual inspection and cold storage and also include clean-room space for additional services, such as supporting device assembly operations and labeling and secondary packaging. The financials were not disclosed.
eTheRNA Manufacturing: Belgium’ s eTheRNA Manufacturing is introducing a new lipid nanoparticle formulation development and production service to support the discovery and early pre-clinical development of RNA-based therapeutics and vaccines. The new service has been devised to allow customers to maximize the delivery of their RNA products.
CSL Behring: Germany-based CSL announced the European Medicines Agency accepted its Marketing Authorization Application for etranacogene dezaparvovec ( EtranaDez) under its accelerated assessment procedure. Etranacogene dezaparvovec is an investigational adeno-associated virus five ( AAV5) -based gene therapy in development as a one-time treatment for hemophilia B patients with a severe bleeding phenotype. If approved, etranacogene dezaparvovec will provide people living with hemophilia B in Europe with the first-ever gene therapy treatment option that significantly reduces the rate of annual bleeds after a single infusion. The MAA is supported by positive findings from the pivotal HOPE-B trial.
Prothena Corporation: Ireland-based Prothena announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the investigational new drug application for PRX012, a potential best-in-class anti-amyloid beta antibody in development for the treatment of Alzheimer’ s disease. The company imitated a Phase I study in healthy volunteers and patients with AD. A Phase I multi-ascending dose is expected to begin by the end of 2022. PRX012 is a next-generation, high binding potency antibody. Preclinical data showed PRX012 binds to beta amyloid plaques and oligomers with high avidity, enabling effective levels of Aβ plaque occupancy at relatively lower dose ranges, the company said.
Sino Biological: China-based Sino Biological announced a CRO partnership with Ainnocence, Inc., which is based in San Diego. Sino Biological will add Ainnocence’ s artificial intelligence-based prediction technology to its current antibody development CRO services offering. This empowers Ainnocence, using computer-based algorithms, to accurately design antibodies to be developed and manufactured by Sino for clients worldwide. Financial terms were not disclosed.
CARMAT: France’ s Carmat has restarted production of its artificial hearts and intends for implant procedures to resume in October of this year. The company halted production of the devices following defects in two components. The issues were addressed and the company anticipates production to resume soon with implantable devices available in October.
Adocia: Also based in France, Adocia announced the completion of the sale of its laboratory and office complex located in Lyon. The deal brought the company more than €20 million. The company is also selling the headquarters it acquired in 2016 to an asset management company. Adocia will remain in the building as a tenant. | general |
Civica is Rallying Leaders to Make Affordable Insulin by 2024 | Civica is putting in efforts to make affordable insulin. ( All photos courtesy of CivicaRX)
On March 1, President Joe Biden delivered his first State of the Union Address, in which he highlighted his plan to lower the cost of prescriptions for medications covered by Medicare and Medicaid. He specifically called for capping the price of insulin at $ 35 a month. Today, Congress and numerous states are actively considering capping out-of-pocket to make affordable insulin for insured populations.
In tandem, just two days after President Biden’ s speech, Civica ( Civica Rx), a nonprofit generic pharmaceutical company, announced its intentions to make versions of three insulins available at significantly reduced costs – for no more than $ 30 per vial and no more than $ 55 for a box of five pen cartridges by 2024.
“ Diabetes is arguably America’ s most expensive chronic condition, and it is heartbreaking that millions of people are rationing their care and putting their lives at risk because they can no longer afford insulin, ” said Dan Liljenquist, strategy lead at Intermountain Healthcare, board chair of Civica and CivicaScript and the lead architect behind Civica’ s non-profit business model.
The availability of Civica’ s affordable insulins will benefit people with diabetes who have been forced to choose between life-sustaining medicines and living expenses, particularly those uninsured or underinsured who often pay the most out of pocket for their medications. Civica, along with CivicaScript and The Civica Foundation, is collaborating on the affordable insulin effort with partners that represent nearly every corner of the diabetes ecosystem.
Founded in September 2018 by leading major hospital systems, today Civica is governed by CommonSpirit Health, HCA Healthcare, Intermountain Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, Memorial Hermann, Providence, SSM Health and Trinity Health; representatives of the payer community Blue Cross of Idaho and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association; and philanthropies committed to improving healthcare, Gary and Mary West Foundation, Laura and John Arnold Foundation, and Peterson Center on Healthcare. Its mission: to make quality medications available and affordable to everyone.
Specifically, Civica focuses on providing essential generic medications that are in chronic shortage or excessively priced due to a lack of competition in the marketplace. Civica’ s raison d'être is to create this competition to stabilize supply and keep prices fair and sustainable. Put another way, Civica is not in it for market share, but rather market impact by providing affordable insulin.
Civica President and CEO Martin VanTrieste told BioSpace that the company will use this same approach to “ bring quality, low-cost insulin to the marketplace that will be available and affordable to all Americans. ”
There has long been an oligopoly on insulin production, with only three manufacturers of insulins, three primary wholesalers, and three pharmacy benefit managers ( PBMs) that distribute insulin. Even with biosimilar insulins now entering the market, manufacturers and PBMs are incentivized, as all for-profit companies are, to make money off their products. Even if they make affordable insulin or provide pass-through rebate programs, the cost of insulin remains unattainable for millions of Americans, especially those who are underinsured or uninsured.
“ We want to disrupt and transform the current supply chain of insulin so we can eliminate those high prices, ” VanTrieste shared. “ As a nonprofit pharmaceutical company, and with our distribution model, we have tools available to us that a for-profit company doesn't have. ”
He added that Civica has put in place just the leadership team to do it. VanTrieste himself is a former chief quality officer at Amgen who was recently named one of Modern Healthcare’ s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare. Chief Operating Officer Ned McCoy spent over 30 years at Abbott; Chief Financial Officer Eamon Fitzmaurice hails from Novartis Gene Therapies; Chief Quality & Regulatory Affairs Officer Donna Gulbinski held leadership roles at Merck & Co. and Bristol Myers Squibb; Chief R & D Officer Scott Gochnour was previously SVP for global generic research and development at Teva Pharmaceuticals; and CivicaScript President Gina Guinasso was most recently SVP of commercial and medicare formulary contracting strategy at OptumRx and spent over 20 years in the biopharmaceutical industry focused on market access, distribution strategy, specialty pharmacy networks, patient assistance and reimbursement strategy.
Civica CEO Martin VanTrieste, third from left, joins Civica Engineering Lead, Jason Winfield; Petersburg Site Head, Stan Benson; and Regulatory Affairs Officer, Donna Gulbinski at Civica Petersburg, the future home of Civica’ s affordable insulin.
Civica’ s approach toward affordable insulin appears to be a model worth betting on. After just four years in existence, Civica supplies 60 essential medicines to more than 55 health systems and more than 1,500 hospitals across the U.S., accounting for a third of all licensed hospital beds in the country. Civica also supplies the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Defense and “ 340B ” hospitals, which care for vulnerable patients in some of America’ s most underserved areas. Recently, Civica contributed more than two million vials of essential medications to the strategic national stockpile.
With all of these partners, Carter Dredge, lead futurist at SSM Health, explained that Civica is uniquely suited to tackle “ big, complex problems, ” like drug shortages, access and pricing issues.
“ Any one single organization, acting in a traditional sense, has a hard time truly addressing some of these big problems. Civica represents something very different, ” he said. “ You start fresh and new but huge because you take the scale of the current incumbent organizations and you apply it to this fresh new way of solving the problem. ”
SSM Health, for example, has 11,000 providers and nearly 39,000 employees across the country. While other organizations might take decades to grow to a size capable of making an impact, with its partners, Civica was born already there. This impact to bring affordable insulin, Dredge said, was felt during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“ When demand at the hospitals served by Civica was going up as much as 400% for certain drugs that were needed to treat patients who desperately needed them for respiratory issues, Civica was able to meet that demand, '' Dredge said. `` One hospital only has so much capacity to tackle problems, but by all working together, we were able to fix some of these key drug shortages. ”
By collaborating in this new model of affordable insulin, Civica calculated that it could drop the price of life-saving medication for uninsured citizens by 80- 90%. Because the members that purchase the drugs also provide the financing for the business, “ It means that you're not trying to maximize the price you can sell it for. You're trying to maximize the access that you can deliver. Instead of asking what the market will bear, you are asking what is the lowest sustainable cost at which I can deliver it to individuals and families, '' Dredge said. `` So we 've really flipped the economics on their head to the betterment of patients and society. ”
This seems like an appropriate development when it comes to critical medicines. Just ask JDRF CEO Aaron Kowalski, Ph.D., who wrote:
“ The Civica Insulin Development Project is a tremendous step forward to make affordable insulin so that it's accessible for all, regardless of insurance status, and address a national crisis. JDRF is firm in its stance that people with insulin-dependent diabetes should not have to choose between food and shelter or life-saving medicine because of its cost. ”
There is precedent to suggest Civica will be able to pull it off. In a 2021 paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dredge and co-author Stefan Scholtes, Ph.D. of Cambridge University, state, “ By simultaneously going large scale and long term, ” Civica aggregated enough demand and supply to produce tens of millions of vials across 50-plus essential medicines that have been used to treat an estimated 30 million patients at an “ aggregate price point that was roughly 30% lower than pre-Civica price levels over about 2.5 years. ”
One of these medications was Daptomycin, an important antibiotic used to treat severe infections of the skin, soft tissues, heart and blood, which was costing hospitals $ 200 per vial during a shortage. Civica said it was able to stabilize the supply, bringing the price down to approximately $ 25 per vial.
Civica will manufacture the three affordable insulin, glargine, lispro and aspart – which are interchangeable with Sanofi’ s Lantus, Eli Lilly’ s Humalog and Novo Nordisk’ s Novolog, at a state-of-the-art 140,000 square-foot manufacturing plant being built in Petersburg, Virginia. The non-profit has entered into a co-development and commercial agreement with another new partner, GeneSys Biologics, which will co-produce the drug substance to be used in the insulins.
The new facility is expected to create nearly 200 jobs. Dredge shared that these jobs are ideal for talent asking the following question: “ Where do you actually get to bring all of your scientific and intellectual capacity and then align that with a huge amount of ‘ let’ s address the common good?’ That is Civica. ” | general |
Frogfoot’ s WiFi-only fibre solution passes more homes | Frogfoot Networks, an open-access infrastructure provider, says it has seen increased demand for its WiFi-only fibre solution, passing over 40 000 homes in SA.
In October, Frogfoot announced it was piloting Frogfoot air, a WiFi-only fibre solution through which internet services providers ( ISPs) can offer affordable connectivity to users living in select areas.
The solution, piloted across five provinces, is aimed at increasing fibre penetration across the infrastructure provider’ s coverage areas, and addresses a price-sensitive market that is currently not being serviced.
The company says it has since exceeded its target to pass 40 000 under-serviced homes, while also expanding its Frogfoot air ISP partnership network.
The new offering allows fibre-based internet connectivity via a single device. Traditionally, the equipment provided by Frogfoot and the ISP had been separate, but the fibre operator is now combining this into one device, enabling faster installation times.
By offering a standard service to the ISPs, Frogfoot says it offers its partners the flexibility to create their own packages via the device.
Shane Chorley, head of sales and marketing at Frogfoot, tells ITWeb: “ Frogfoot air has quite literally taken off; we have seen great uptake from both customers and ISPs. We know it’ s servicing a great need and the product is well-positioned to service our customers. After adding 40 000 to this service, Frogfoot air is now available in 18 towns across the country. ”
There are now over 140 ISPs on the open-access Frogfoot network, including Afrihost, MWeb and Vox, he continues.
The COVID-19 pandemic, adds Chorley, has increased the need for internet connectivity, as more South Africans took to online services, remote working and e-learning.
This has further increased the need for reliable fibre connectivity and infrastructure, particularly in the under-services areas of SA.
A Workday report found that 80% of South African employees worked from home in 2021, with 96% experiencing connectivity issues.
Last year, Frogfoot acquired Link Africa, an independent fibre network operator, to further accelerate its strategy to expand fibre-optic network deployment to build better ICT infrastructure and stimulate economic development.
Link Africa builds and operates fibre-optic networks, using a patented infrastructure deployment method on various modes of infrastructure.
According to Chorley, since the acquisition, Frogfoot has absorbed the acquired areas into its current processes and migrated all customers, with no major operational changes made.
The acquisition increased the number of homes passed by Frogfoot’ s network to 312 000 and further cemented its position as the third-largest fibre network operator in SA, he adds.
“ Since the acquisition, Frogfoot has acquired and migrated Link Africa customers to the Frogfoot network, adding multiple new areas and complexes to our coverage. Customers now have access to over 140 ISPs on the open-access Frogfoot network. We have also added new homes to our Western Cape network where we are already dominant. ” | general |
Norway announces new salmon permit auction | For all the latest industry news, markets and jobs in aquaculture
The Norwegian government has announced details of a new sale of salmon and trout farming permits.
There is likely to be no shortage of bidders with the previous sale netting the Oslo Exchequer a record six billion krone ( £500m).
Then a total of 42 companies applied with 30 eventually taking part. They added a further 27,000 tonnes to the country’ s total biomass.
One of the biggest spenders was SalMar which paid almost NOK 1.8bn ( £600m) for permits to increase its output by 8,000 tonnes.
This latest sale will broadly follow the same open format as the last auction which was delayed by the coronavirus outbreak.
Part of the sale will be on a fixed price basis with the remainder sold through auction. However, there are a few rule changes. In the last round, bidders were informed of the size of demand in each area. The Ministry said this information could, in certain circumstances, favour the larger companies so it has now been decided to tell bidders whether or not demand had exceeded the allocation.
The time and date has yet to be announced but the consultation deadline for companies is 5 May. | general |
Dow slips 200 points as stocks pause for breath; Tesla plans stock split | All three major stock indexes end higher despite earlier losses on Monday, with Dow industrials and the S & P 500 finishing up for a third straight trading day, as investors assessed the prospect that Russia might be willing to accept less from Ukraine in ceasefire talks than previously expected.
What happened
The Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA,
+0.40%
finished up by 94.65 points, or 0.3%, at 34,955.89 after having dropped by more than 300 points earlier in the day.
The S & P 500
SPX,
-0.27%
closed higher by 32.46 points, or 0.7%, at 4,575.52. It fell short of of climbing above the 4,587.77 level needed to mark an exit from a market correction, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
The Nasdaq Composite
COMP,
-1.34%
finished up by 185.6 points, or 1.3%, at 14,354.90. That’ s the highest closing level since Feb. 9.
See:
Perfect contrarian indicator? Jim Cramer declares the bear market is over.
What drove markets
Investors remained focused on developments surrounding Russia’ s invasion of Ukraine. On Monday, the
Financial Times
reported that Russia might be willing to settle for less in ceasefire talks than it previously demanded.
Russia, as part of ceasefire negotiations, is prepared to let Ukraine join the European Union if it remains militarily nonaligned, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the negotiations. The report said a draft ceasefire document doesn’ t contain discussion of three of Russia’ s core initial demands: “ denazification, ” “ demilitarization ” and legal protection for the Russian language in Ukraine. Russia has tried to justify its invasion of Ukraine by claiming without evidence that the democratic country is run by fascists.
Talks between the two sides are due to resume in full in Turkey on Tuesday. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine could declare neutrality and offer security guarantees to Russia.
Read:
Zelensky pushes peace ‘ without delay,’ and wants to talk to Putin face-to-face
Late last week, Moscow signaled it was shifting its war aims to
focus on the eastern half of the country
, though Russian forces continued to rain missiles on Ukrainian cities, news reports said. Western officials saw few signs that Russia was willing to seek a peaceful resolution,
The Wall Street Journal reported
earlier on Monday.
“ If you think about how the equity market is trading, it’ s pricing in some resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, ” Jack McIntyre of Brandywine Global Investment Management said by phone. “ If Russia-Ukraine becomes less of an issue, the focus is going to shift to the Fed and the idea of liquidity being withdrawn. ”
Traders were also looking at news from the world’ s No. 2 economy, China, which locked down its financial capital, Shanghai, in response to rising COVID-19 cases. West Texas Intermediate crude for May delivery
CLK22,
-0.37%
declined by $ 7.94, or about 7%, to settle at $ 105.96 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on
related demand worries
.
Bond trading remained volatile, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury
TMUBMUSD10Y,
2.715%
temporarily moving further above 2.50% before pulling back as buyers returned to government debt. The global bond market is heading for its
worst returns since the Marshall Plan was implemented after World War II.
Meanwhile, the yield curve continues to flatten, a potential signal that investors fear an economic slowdown. The 5-year Treasury yield briefly traded above the rate on the 30-year Treasury bond, temporarily inverting that measure of the curve. The 2-year yield remains below the 10-year yield, but a rise above the longer-term rate would be seen as signaling a possible recession.
“ Our base case is that the US economy can avoid a recession, lowering the threat of a sustained downtrend in stocks, ” Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management, wrote in a note. “ Investors should brace for higher rates — including potentially adding exposure to value and financial stocks which tend to outperform as central bank policy tightens — without overreacting by exiting equity markets. ”
“ We favor selected equity overweight and underweight positions, resulting in a neutral overall stance on the asset class, ” he said.
In One Chart:
Some stock market ‘ complacency creeping in’ after S & P 500’ s ‘ near-perfect retracement’ of selloff
Companies in focus
Tesla Inc.
shares
TSLA
finished 8% higher after the electric vehicle giant disclosed plans to
enable a stock split
, which would be the second in two years.
Shares of
Apple Inc.
AAPL,
-1.19%
closed up by 0.5% even after a Nikkei Asia report said the company
plans to make
about 20% fewer iPhone SEs next quarter.
Netflix Inc.
NFLX,
-1.73%
shares finished 1.3% higher even after executives predicted that
growth would suffer
much more than expected at the beginning of 2022.
Other assets
The ICE U.S. Dollar Index
DXY,
+0.09%
,
a measure of the currency against a basket of six major rivals, rose 0.4%.
Gold futures settled lower for a second straight session, with the contract for April delivery
GCJ22,
+0.25%
falling $ 14.40, or 0.7%, to settle at $ 1,939.80 per ounce.
Bitcoin
BTCUSD,
+0.58%
jumped 7.9% to trade at $ 48,175.
The Stoxx Europe 600
SXXP,
+1.31%
ended 0.1% higher, while London’ s FTSE 100
UKX,
+1.56%
fell 0.1%.
The Shanghai Composite
SHCOMP,
+0.47%
ended 0.1% higher and the Hang Seng Index
HSI,
+0.29%
jumped 1.3% in Hong Kong, while Japan’ s Nikkei 225
NIK,
+0.36%
fell 0.7%.
— Steve Goldstein contributed to this article. | business |
Elon Musk COVID: Tesla CEO says he has COVID-19 again | Elon Musk says he has contracted COVID-19 again.
The founder of Tesla Inc.
TSLA,
-3.00%
and SpaceX made the announcement on Twitter
TWTR,
-3.75%
on Monday morning. “ I supposedly have it again ( sigh), ” he tweeted, “ but almost no symptoms. ”
Musk previously said that he
tested positive for COVID
in November 2020, prior to the mass availability of coronavirus vaccinations in the United States.
See also:
Robinhood shares soar 23% after company announces extended trading hours
In the past, Musk has been a vocal critic of vaccine mandates, and
he has also made controversial comments about the COVID-19 pandemic
, such as suggesting that deaths were overcounted. But he has still said that he thinks people should get vaccinated. Musk and his immediate family are vaccinated, he told
TIME
last year.
“ To be clear, I do support vaccines in general & covid vaccines specifically. The science is unequivocal, ”
he tweeted in April 2021
.
The news comes as Tesla’ s stock jumped in early Monday trading after the
EV giant disclosed plans for a stock split
, which would the second split in two years. | business |
U.S. trade deficit in goods slips for first time in three months after setting record | The numbers:
The U.S. trade deficit in goods fell slightly in February to $ 106.6 billion to mark the first decline in three months, but the gap stayed near an all-time high and is unlikely to fall dramatically in the near future.
An early or advanced look at the trade gap in goods showed that it slipped from a record $ 107.6 billion in January,
the U.S. Census Bureau said
.
Last year, the U.S. posted the highest trade deficit ever.
The goods deficit topped $ 1 trillion for the very first time.
Imports have flirted repeatedly with record highs over the past year, largely because the U.S. economy recovered rapidly from the pandemic and Americans could afford to resume their free-spending ways.
Exports have rebounded more slowly as other countries try to catch up, but they are now hitting record highs, too.
An advanced estimate of wholesale inventories, meanwhile, showed a 2.1% increase in February. Retail inventories rose 1.1%, according to an early estimate.
Big picture:
Bigger U.S. trade deficits subtract from gross domestic product, the official scorecard for the economy.
Yet the big increases in retail and wholesale inventories add to GDP and signal the economy likely expanded at a solid pace in the first quarter.
These trends are likely to remain in place for the foreseeable future. Companies are trying to boost production to meet high demand for both imports and exports and there’ s little sign of a slowdown, even with inflation at a 40-year high.
The biggest wild cards? The fallout from the Ukraine conflict and latest Chinese lockdowns after a COVID outbreak. These events could disrupt trade flows and perhaps cause a temporary dropoff in imports.
Key details:
U.S. imports of goods such as oil and consumer electronics edged up 0.3% to $ 263.7 billion in February. Those increases offset a big decline in imports of autos and food.
The rising price of petroleum has been adding to higher U.S. deficits. Prices have since surged in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the cost of oil topping $ 100 a barrel.
Exports of American-made goods rose 1.2% to $ 157.2 billion in February and were just below a record high. Auto exports fell.
The big drop in both auto exports and imports reflect ongoing shortages of computer chips that have constrained the ability of carmakers to produce a normal number of vehicles. Auto buyers have slim pickings and face record prices.
The full trade report for February, which includes services such as tourism and travel, comes out next week.
Looking ahead:
“ Import volumes ahead could be impacted by China’ s Covid-related lockdowns, and to a lesser extent, bottlenecks in European production due to the war in Ukraine, ” said economist Avery Shenfeld of CIBC Economics.
Market reaction:
The Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA,
+0.40%
and S & P 500
SPX,
-0.27%
were set to open mildly higher in Monday trades. Stocks have rallied over the past week. | business |
Oscars 2022 Winners: See Full List Here | The wait is over! The Oscars 2022 winners have finally been announced, and the 94th annual Academy Awards officially has a winners list.
The ceremony aired on ABC on Sunday, March 2. The ceremony was back in full-swing after being scaled down in 2021 to follow COVID-19 healthy and safety protocols. The theme of this year's show was “ Movie Lovers Unite, ” a message that resonates after a unique year for cinema — we united over movies online, at-home through streaming releases, and many even returned to the theaters.
The 2022 Oscars were more than eventful. This year's show saw a handful of history-making wins: Ariana DeBose took home the prize for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first openly queer woman of color to ever be nominated by the Academy, and the first to ever win; Coda, a watershed film for deaf representation, won Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture, with star Troy Kotsur becoming the first deaf actor to win an Academy Award by taking home the Best Supporting Actor award; and Power of the Dog director Jane Campion became the third woman in Oscars history to win the Best Director prize, making this the second year in a row that a female director won the award, as the 2021 Best Director Academy Award went to Chloe Zhao for Nomadland.
Meanwhile, sci-fi epic Dune won a total of six awards, Billie Eilish and Finneas won Best Original Song for their James Bond anthem “ No Time to Die, '' BTS made a surprise appearance, Encanto won Best Animated Feature Film, and Will Smith won his first Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Serena and Venus Williams ' father in the family-sports biopic King Richard.
However, Smith's major win came after a physical and verbal altercation between Smith and comedian Chris Rock, which was caught entirely on-camera during the live broadcast of the ceremony.
Winner: Summer of Soul (... Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
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9th Circ.'s Hasty UnitedHealth Reversal Is Disappointing | The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our health care system in many ways over the past two years. While much of the focus has been on vaccines and treatment, COVID-19 has also caused an increasing demand for mental health treatment, [ 1 ] including treatment for substance use disorders. [ 2 ] The need for such services has been partially met by the huge step forward in obtaining insurance coverage for such services brought about by the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, [ 3 ] which requires equal coverage for behavioral health and physical conditions. However, despite the passage of more than a decade since the Parity Act's enactment,... | general |
Oscars 2022 Memes & Reactions: Best Jokes From the Academy Awards | It's increasingly rare for the Internet can come together as one for an award show, but Oscars 2022 proved the memes and jokes are back in full force. Even before the official ceremony got underway, social media was abuzz with tweets, TikToks, and hilarious thoughts on all things film. In case you were too busy swooning over the night's incredible fits, we 've got you covered with the very best Oscars memes and moments.
The fun officially began on the red carpet. After social media got over the shock of Timothée Chalamet's shirtless 'fit, they were ready to focus on the show, and kept the memes, jokes, and shoutouts coming as monologues and performances continued throughout the night.
Ready to laugh? Scroll through the best Oscars 2022 memes below.
There were looks on looks on looks, and social media was more than content to enjoy the red carpet direct from the couch. Oh and ICYMI, a few surprise guests were there too.
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It was a huge night for the former Twilight star and fans were more than willing to cheer her on.
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Fans were in their feelings over Beyoncé's performance of “ Be Alive ” from King Richard. While this is a night for movies as a whole, some viewers found it to be a night made for Oscar-nominated Beyoncé instead. And they would be right.
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Regina Hall received plenty of praise for her hilarious monologues. At one point, she invited a few select individuals on stage for “ personal COVID testing ” and she opened the show with a joke about Space Jam.
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The significant difference in height between these two Oscars presenters didn't go unnoticed, especially since Rachel was over here making jokes about her belated Oscars invite.
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Dressing up as the characters from their favorite films, the Oscars hosts had some fun movie-inspired jokes. Amy Schumer's Spiderman costume was especially beloved by some famous Marvel faces.
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No matter who ends up winning the night's biggest prize, there's one “ film ” that will remain forever in the hearts of social media users.
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A Prescription for the Customer-Centric Commercial Model in Pharma |
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It’ s time to close the gap between sales representatives’ priorities and physicians’ wants.
By Casey Carey, Giorgio Ortolani, and Michael Gaviño
Brief
Few pharmaceutical companies have uncovered the key to capturing the full potential of their products: physician advocacy.
Bain’ s recent global survey reveals that peer advocacy is one of the top influencing factors in physicians’ prescribing decisions. In fact, it’ s on par with the table stakes of insurance companies reimbursing the drug and relevant authorities including the drug in their treatment guidelines.
According to our survey, in the US, 77% of prescribers say that peer advocacy plays a significant role in their treatment selection compared with 80% citing reimbursement and inclusion in guidelines ( see Figure 1a). More than half of European physicians also hold peer advocacy in high regard ( see Figure 1b).
How can pharma companies generate peer advocacy? We’ ve previously found that 40% of physician advocacy for drugs is directly linked to customer experience and loyalty.
And yet, when it comes to customer experience, most pharma sales representatives are flying blind. Our survey results indicate a fundamental gap between what sales reps think doctors want from them and what doctors truly want from them, with sometimes a two- to threefold difference between how sales reps perceive the value of their roles and how physicians actually value those roles ( see Figure 2).
While both parties are aligned on physicians’ basic needs, sales reps vastly overestimate the appetite for certain services. Many believe they add value by providing educational materials and identifying new patient opportunities, but doctors see the most value in reps who provide trend data, facilitate patient support, and introduce them to other experts.
In other words, the roles that physicians value can significantly diverge from the traditional sales rep job description and incentives, which often focus solely on demand generation. These findings remain steady across countries and specialties, confirming a widespread trend: Doctors want customer relationship managers who they can “ pull ” on to help build frictionless practices; they don’ t need sales reps who “ push ” products and take up their time.
To close the growing chasm between sales reps and physicians, meet new preferences, and boost advocacy, pharma companies will have to overhaul their commercial models—or face a mounting struggle to deliver growth.
In many other industries, companies have started to place the customer at the center of the commercial model, using a more sophisticated, data-informed approach, yet few pharma companies have cracked the code. The traditional volume-based sales play has been a burden on physicians for some time now, inundating them with sales and marketing messages across channels. Covid-19 struck the final blow, straining the system, overwhelming physicians, and leading practices to further restrict access.
Even when the crisis eases, the situation is unlikely to change, permanently tipping the balance of the physician-rep relationship. The next generation of industry-leading pharma companies will be those that help physicians serve patients through a seamless, hassle-free experience. With a customer-centric approach, they will create loyal customer advocates and ultimately win outsize market share.
But achieving the level of sophistication required to succeed won’ t be easy. It often requires a full transformation of the commercial model. Pharma companies can get started by fundamentally shifting their mindsets, boosting their skill sets, and building up their toolkits.
To address the dissonance between physicians’ and sales reps’ notions of value-added services, sales reps will need to shift from a self-oriented mindset to a customer-oriented one. Currently, more than half of sales reps believe that cultivating a personal relationship with physicians is one of their most important roles, yet only 29% of doctors find a personal relationship valuable ( see Figure 3).
Instead, doctors care about services that lighten their loads and assist them in meeting patients’ needs. They want pharma companies to provide the linkages to patient support programs and to make their lives easier through access to a single source of content.
Similarly, too many sales reps overlook quick-win opportunities that could help them become more customer centric. For instance, doctors are 12.5 times more likely than sales reps to cite faster response times as a key opportunity for pharma companies to add value.
To deliver on a customer-centric mindset, pharma companies will need to foster a set of integral skills in their customer engagement managers. The best customer engagement managers will ensure coordination across patient managers, access managers, and medical science liaisons to better serve customers. These different roles will need to work together as a cohesive unit to deliver integrated account management.
In addition, top companies will spur innovation through centralized groups that equip the field with digital tools, data-based insights, and codified lessons from across siloes within the broader organization.
Pharma companies will also need to equip their field force with the appropriate digital tools. Artificial intelligence–integrated customer relationship management, patient and physician portals, digital companion apps, and predictable reimbursement are rapidly becoming minimum requirements for competition. Winning pharma companies will use data- and analytics-based platforms to convey the right messages to the right customers at the right times.
Moreover, the demand for digital services that help doctors support patients is growing: Around 60% of healthcare providers now say that digital tools to support patient education, provide physician support, and manage patient care are important when they consider working with a pharma product manufacturer ( see Figure 4).
Underlining the burgeoning opportunity in this space, investments in commercialization support services skyrocketed in 2020. Harvest Partners invested in ConnectiveRx ( formerly PSKW), a provider of technology-enabled patient support and adherence services for specialty and branded biopharma manufacturers. We expect the flurry of deal activity to continue over the coming years.
Beyond digital tools, leading companies also will build speed and repeatability into their commercial toolkits. In some organizations, for instance, it could make sense for a central group to develop a library of compliant, preapproved content. Reps can quickly pull this concise, snackable content off the shelf for any given situation, circumventing lengthy approval processes.
A commercial model transformation won’ t happen overnight. The winning model of the future will be dynamic and iterative. Once they’ ve set the changes around the organization’ s mindset, skill set, and toolkit in motion, leading pharma companies will install systems to constantly keep their finger on the pulse of doctors’ wants and needs. They will evolve their commercial model accordingly to delight prescribers, support the best patient outcomes, and achieve sustained growth.
Pharmaceutical companies have started betting big on RNA, but there are still several strategic decisions to make before the race is won.
Healthcare’ s resilience attracts both more capital and creative new forms of capital.
More private equity sponsors team up to win bids and spread risk.
Record-high valuations are forcing acquirers to get creative.
Big deals roar back, especially in Europe.
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US, Philippines kick off their largest-ever war games | Hi, what are you looking for?
The Philippines and the United States launched the largest-ever joint military drills in the archipelago nation.
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The Philippines and the United States launched the largest-ever joint military drills in the archipelago nation on Monday, signalling deepening defence ties as fresh tensions surface in the disputed South China Sea.
The war games are the last under outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, who previously threatened to cancel exercises and axe a key military deal with longtime ally the United States as he pivoted towards China.
Nearly 9,000 Filipino and American soldiers will take part in the 12-day training event across the main island of Luzon, which is usually an annual affair but was cancelled or curtailed during the pandemic.
Philippine military chief General Andres Centino said at the opening ceremony in Manila that the largest round of the Balikatan war games reflected the “ deepening alliance ” between the two countries.
US Major General Jay Bargeron said the “ friendship and trust ” between their respective armed forces would allow them to “ succeed together across the entire spectrum of military operations ”.
The exercises will cover maritime security, amphibious operation, live-fire training and counterterrorism, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
Recent manoeuvres between the two countries focused on potential conflict in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.
Since taking power in 2016 Duterte has moved closer to China, but has faced pushback from the Philippine public and concern in the military wary of Beijing’ s territorial ambitions in the waters.
Trillions of dollars in trade pass through the strategic sea and it is thought to contain rich petroleum deposits, making it a frequent source of regional friction.
China has ignored a 2016 ruling by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration that its historical claim is without basis.
It has reinforced its stance by building artificial islands over some contested reefs and installing weapons on them.
– Tensions spike –
The future of the war games was thrown into doubt after Duterte said in February 2020 that he planned to axe the Visiting Forces Agreement, which provides the legal framework for the United States to hold joint military exercises and operations in the Philippines.
But he walked back the decision last July, as tensions between Manila and Beijing over the South China Sea spiked following the detection of hundreds of Chinese boats parked at a reef off the Philippines.
On the eve of the joint drills, the Philippine Coast Guard accused its Chinese counterpart of steering one of its ships within metres of a Filipino patrol boat near the disputed Scarborough Shoal — a flashpoint between the two countries.
That came weeks after Manila confronted Beijing’ s ambassador over a Chinese navy ship “ lingering ” in the Philippines’ archipelagic waters.
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to media requests for comment on the war games.
But on the Scarborough Shoal incident, China’ s foreign ministry on Monday urged the Philippine ships to “ earnestly respect China’ s sovereignty ” over the area.
The exercises are being held in the shadow of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US and its allies are providing defensive weapons to Kyiv and imposing crippling economic sanctions on Moscow.
Duterte, whose six-year term ends in June, has expressed concern that the Philippines was “ involved ” in the conflict because of its security alliance with the United States.
That includes a mutual defence treaty and permission for the US military to store defence equipment and supplies on several Philippine bases.
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Under a shattered crescent hanger at Ukraine's Gostomel Airport the world's largest plane lies buckled and broken.
A federal appeals court upheld Biden’ s vaccine mandate for federal workers, while COVID-19 cases rise.
The fake logic is simple to the point of idiocy, but it’ ll work in information-starved Russia.
At least 52 people are killed, including five children, in a rocket attack on a train station in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk.
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Stocks rise for third day as Nasdaq 100 climbs | The information you requested is not available at this time, please check back again soon.
U.S. stocks climbed in afternoon trading in a rally underpinned by gains in megacaps and tech shares. Benchmark Treasuries reversed an earlier slide, while oil declined on China lockdown concerns.
The S & P 500 rose for a third day, closing up 0.7 per cent after falling as much as 0.6 per cent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 jumped 1.6 per cent. Both indexes settled just off session highs. Oil tumbled as China’ s worsening virus resurgence boosted concern over demand in the world’ s biggest crude importer.
Equity markets remained sensitive to headlines on the war in Ukraine, dipping earlier after a report several peace negotiators suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning after a meeting in Kyiv earlier this month.
“ This is a difficult market to make sense of because it’ s unusual that we have so many factors at work, ” Marc LoPresti, managing director of The Strategic Funds, said by phone. “ But I think at the end of the day, the American economy remains strong. American consumer demand remains strong. We’ re seeing continued improvement in the job market. All of those indicators do seem to imply that there is a healthy foundation in terms of the U.S. economy. ”
Tesla Inc. gained after saying it plans to seek shareholder approval for a move that would enable another stock split. Bloomberg earlier reported the electric-vehicle maker was extending the temporary shutdown of its car plant in Shanghai due to the surge in cases in the city.
Apple Inc. extended its rally to a 10th day, the longest run since 2010, clawing back losses earlier in the day sparked by a report that it is cutting production of its iPhone SE line. Crypto stocks gained as Bitcoin erased it 2022 losses.
The 10-year Treasury yield traded near 2.45 per cent, from a session high of 2.55 per cent. Earlier yields on five-year Treasuries rose above those on 30-year bonds, suggesting some investors expect an economic downturn. The dollar gained versus most of its major peers.
A growing number of money managers are betting equity indexes have already largely priced in bearish bond moves, as equity strategists from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to JPMorgan Chase & Co. reassure stock investors that there’ s no need to fret about U.S. Treasury yield curve just yet.
Still, the war in Ukraine continues to disrupt supplies of key commodities, stoking inflation risks and expectations of more aggressive Federal Reserve tightening. Meanwhile, global shares have recovered from the lows sparked by Russia’ s invasion.
In the latest geopolitical developments, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he will meet Russia and Ukraine delegations in Istanbul on Tuesday. President Joe Biden tried to temper comments calling for the removal of Vladimir Putin by saying the U.S. isn’ t seeking regime change in Moscow.
On Monday, Biden unveiled a US $ 5.8 trillion budget, with a proposal that emphasized deficit reduction, additional funding for police and veterans, and flexibility to negotiate new social spending programs.
Shopify announced a number of proposed changes to its governance and share structure on Monday.
An analyst who covers Canada’ s banks is warning of choppy waters ahead and is urging clients to take a more defensive approach as economic uncertainty threatens to send shares sharply lower.
Crude oil prices fell to their lowest level since before the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a spike of COVID-19 cases in China pulled down the energy sector and Canada's main stock index to start the trading week.
Traders are shunning technology stocks amid mounting risks from soaring Treasury yields and hawkish commentary from the U.S. Federal Reserve. | general |
Bitcoin price: Bitcoin rallies past $ 47,000 for the first time in 2022 | Some experts believe cryptocurrencies may gain more value this week.
The world's most popular cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, has broken even for the first time this year, Coin Desk reported. The altcoin has been on an upward trend for the past week, after crashing from its year-along highs in November last year.
Bitcoin, as well as other cryptocurrencies, saw a sharp uptick after the coronavirus pandemic began, a couple of years ago, even making a world record during this time. Bitcoin saw its values drop sharply towards the end of 2021 and while the currency is valued relatively higher than it was in its older past, investors and enthusiasts would be more interested in seeing it repeat its successes of 2021 and go beyond.
After a rather dull start to 2022, that saw the altcoin consistently shed value, Bitcoin is now showing signs of regaining this past glory. Over the past few days, the coin value has been on the rise and briefly crossed the $ 47,201 mark. While this is far from the highs of $ 65,000 that users saw last year, it is higher than the 50-day moving average of the currency, which currently stands at $ 41,085, according to a Bloomberg report.
Experts believe that the cryptocurrency lost some of its shine early in the year and banks withdrew the fiscal stimulus measures that were taken during the pandemic. As the Russian war was about to unfold, fears about the use of cryptocurrencies to sidestep economic sanctions, also kept the demand low.
Earlier this month, cryptocurrencies began their upward march, alongside U.S.-based stocks. It is not just Bitcoin but also Ether, Solana, Cardano, Dogecoin as well as Shiba Inu that have seen their values bloom and are also seeing the number of trades rise, Coin Desk reported.
Experts believe this week will see cryptocurrencies make more gains but warn of volatility as the quarter comes to an end, later this month.
With the recent gains, Bitcoin is up 1.4 percent this year, while the S & P 500 has seen a 4.7 percent decline, Bloomberg said in its report.
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Elon Musk and his Shanghai Gigafactory have COVID | Tesla CEO, Elon Musk has taken to Twitter to declare that he has supposedly contracted COVID-19, again.
Covid-19 is the virus of Theseus.How many gene changes before it’ s not Covid-19 anymore? I supposedly have it again ( sigh), but almost no symptoms.
Musk's unhappiness with COVID is well known. In the early days of the pandemic, Musk had called the panic associated with the virus `` dumb '' and later went ahead to defy the U.S. government guidelines to reopen the Tesla plant in California. The move saw over 400 factory workers testing positive for the virus, The New York Times had reported last March.
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Back in November of 2020, Musk had a hard time figuring out if he had contracted the virus.
Something extremely bogus is going on. Was tested for covid four times today. Two tests came back negative, two came back positive. Same machine, same test, same nurse. Rapid antigen test from BD.
Musk had later written that he had requested a PCR test for a conclusive result but never revealed the final result. His tweet earlier today likely confirms that he had contracted the virus back then and has done so once again now.
Musk had also predicted that the U.S. would see zero cases of COVID last April, Newsweek reported after the country saw two peaks, one in August and a more recent one in January this year.
What Musk clearly did not predict was the resurfacing of COVID in China. Now, the biggest virus hotspot in the Asian country, the city of Shanghai has now been locked down to conduct mass testing to contain the virus spread.
According to a Bloomberg report, the lockdown is being carried out in two phases, the first of which will be is to lockdown half of Shanghai city where the China Giga factory halts production for four days. Workers are likely to return to work on April 1st and the lockdown moves into phase two, the other half of Shanghai city.
Tesla cars built in the Shanghai factory not only serve local market demand but are also exported to Europe and other countries in Asia. Last month alone, the facility produced over 56,000 cars more than half of which were exported.
While the company spokesperson has confirmed that Tesla will implement the local government's instructions to curb the spread of the infection, the company will be keen to resume production at the earliest.
Like the rest of us, Musk's tryst with COVID continues.....
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eBook: Human Antibody Repertoires | This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 3099067.
Find the latest science, technology and partners in antibody engineering, immunobiology and next generation binders.
Profiling and identifying antibody repertoires is key to finding immune responses and desired therapeutic strategies. Different processes rapidly arose across the industry over the recent years, particularly in antibody discovery for COVID-19 vaccines.
In this ebook, we explore key research strategies and technologies applied to human antibody repertoires in the path to developing therapeutics and vaccines. We also look at screening processes, such as epitope mapping and next generation sequencing, which have enabled researchers to discover and optimize antibodies.
Biomedical researcher Dr Catarina Carrão explores the industry’ s challenges and innovations so far, while biotech writer Olivia Siviter revisits top insights presented at recent Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics conferences.
Explore or download the interactive eBook by clicking on the image below or here.
Copyright © 2022 Informa Connect Limited. Registered in England & Wales with number 01835199, registered office 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG. | tech |
FedEx Supply Chain closing four facilities as customer contracts expire | FedEx said in a statement that the closures were `` part of the normal course of business, '' although the company did not have any closures in California, Pennsylvania or Tennessee last year that warranted WARN notices.
A Moreno Valley, California, facility will close because FedEx Supply Chain is relocating some co-packing processes and shipping operations to Columbus, Ohio, `` at the request of its customer, '' according to a letter. Management and operation of a Pennsylvania facility will discontinue `` due to our customer's decision to transition its business to a new location that will be managed by a new third-party logistics provider, '' a company representative said in a Jan. 28 letter to local officials.
FedEx Supply Chain did not disclose the names of the customers with expiring contracts.
Major layoffs aren't rare occurrences among 3PLs providing warehousing services, especially when major customer contracts aren't renewed.
XPO Logistics closed multiple facilities in 2019 in which Amazon was the customer, Reuters reported. And CEVA Logistics provided notice last year that it would lay off 87 employees at its Carrollton, Texas, facility serving Raytheon. This was due to `` Raytheon moving the work to XPO Logistics, '' a CEVA representative said in a September letter to the Texas Workforce Commission. ( In August, XPO spun out its contract logistics business into GXO.)
Lead firm contracts with 3PLs typically last for three to five years before being rebid, according to a 2019 report from the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education and Working Partnerships USA.
`` Competition in the 3PL market is cutthroat, and a key determinant for whether one 3PL wins a contract over another is price, '' the report said. Researchers also noted that `` while 3PLs often offer a comprehensive suite of services for clients, there is little evidence that lead firms are, on the whole, seeking higher value-added services. Instead, transactional activities compose the bulk of 3PLs ' contracts. ''
FedEx Supply Chain provides a range of services such as warehousing and distribution, contract packaging and inbound logistics. It employed more than 10,000 people at approximately 110 facilities as of May 2021, according to FedEx's annual report.
FedEx does not break out Supply Chain's revenue in financial filings, but the company noted in its most recent quarterly report that FedEx Logistics, which Supply Chain is part of, has improved its operating income this fiscal year.
Topics covered: logistics, freight, operations, procurement, regulation, technology, risk/resilience and more.
The retailer's acquisition of a middle- and final-mile carrier as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold has allowed it to take more control over its delivery process.
Adopters face marketing, data and governance challenges before they can reap the technology's full benefits.
Topics covered: logistics, freight, operations, procurement, regulation, technology, risk/resilience and more.
Topics covered: logistics, freight, operations, procurement, regulation, technology, risk/resilience and more.
The retailer's acquisition of a middle- and final-mile carrier as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold has allowed it to take more control over its delivery process.
Adopters face marketing, data and governance challenges before they can reap the technology's full benefits.
Topics covered: logistics, freight, operations, procurement, regulation, technology, risk/resilience and more. | general |
Goldman, JPMorgan strategists say equities can weather bond rout | The information you requested is not available at this time, please check back again soon.
As a global bond selloff gathers pace, equity strategists from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to JPMorgan Chase & Co. reassured stock investors that there’ s no need to fret about U.S. treasury yield curve’ s inversion just yet.
“ Recessions don’ t typically start ahead of the curve inverting, and the lead-lag could be very substantial, as long as 2 years, ” JPMorgan strategists led by Mislav Matejka wrote in a note. “ Further, over this timeframe, equities tended to beat bonds handsomely, ” they said, adding that the peak in equity markets historically takes place around a year after the inversion.
Goldman Sachs’ s chief global equity strategist Peter Oppenheimer is of a similar view. “ As the shift in the risk moves much more towards inflation, equities are at least relatively speaking more attractive, they’ re a real asset, the dividends will grow over time with inflation, ” Oppenheimer said in a Bloomberg TV interview on Monday.
U.S. stocks are on course for their best month this year, braving the war in Ukraine and the prospect of more aggressive rate hikes by the Federal Reserve to tame inflation. While a spike in commodity prices has raised concerns about the economic outlook, exacerbating the steepest bond rout of the modern era, equities have so far remained largely immune to recession jitters.
“ Recessions only started on average 16 months after the inversion in the spread, and never before, ” JPMorgan’ s strategists said. As the 10-year-2-year curve “ is not outright inverted at present, the clock has not started ticking yet, ” and “ equities still offer supportive risk-reward over the medium term. ”
A growing number of money managers are betting equity indexes have already largely priced in bearish bond moves, while all signs suggest the U.S. economy remains in decent health. Some contrarian buy signals are now emerging. Bank of America Corp.’ s Bull & Bear Indicator is flashing buy on equities for the first time since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.
“ Typically, when the Fed is on a path to rapidly hike interest rates, financial conditions are usually tightening, restricting lending and weighing on growth prospects, which can put downward pressure on stocks, ” said Jeffrey Kleintop, chief global investment strategist at Charles Schwab. “ But that isn’ t happening now. Financial conditions in major countries, including the U.S., are actually easing. ”
Still, as yields rise, the fortunes of profitable and unprofitable companies will increasingly diverge, according to Ankit Gheedia, head of European equity and derivative strategy at BNP Paribas SA. Investors should therefore maintain a preference for quality and profitable companies globally, he said.
Higher borrowing costs are also likely to weigh more on expensive stocks, valued on future growth expectations. “ Real yields should start to rise, which will provide headwinds on growth stocks, but support value stocks, ” said Joachim Klement, head of strategy, accounting and sustainability at Liberum Capital.
Emmanuel Cau, head of European equity strategy at Barclays Plc, echoes that view, saying cheaper, so-called value stocks offer “ the best hedge against rising yields, as long as the macro backdrop remains supportive. ” A recent rebound in expensive technology stocks may run out of steam “ given their lofty valuations, ” Cau said.
Companies across sectors with high debt levels may also struggle if “ rates really do start to rise and the economy really does start to slow, ” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
To be sure, not everyone is so sanguine about yields having a contained impact on equity markets.
Morgan Stanley strategists led by Michael Wilson said Monday that headwinds to growth from the Fed’ s policy shift, high inflation and the war in Ukraine “ are not priced. ” The equity risk premium should be higher, they said, downgrading U.S. financials to neutral from overweight.
Shopify announced a number of proposed changes to its governance and share structure on Monday.
An analyst who covers Canada’ s banks is warning of choppy waters ahead and is urging clients to take a more defensive approach as economic uncertainty threatens to send shares sharply lower.
Crude oil prices fell to their lowest level since before the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a spike of COVID-19 cases in China pulled down the energy sector and Canada's main stock index to start the trading week.
Traders are shunning technology stocks amid mounting risks from soaring Treasury yields and hawkish commentary from the U.S. Federal Reserve. | general |
Iran: Jailed Environmentalist Ends Hunger Strike | Help us continue to fight human rights abuses. Please give now to support our work
Abrupt Return to Prison Despite Pledges
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( Beirut) – An Iranian-American-British conservationist convicted in Iran on bogus national security charges has ended his weeklong hunger strike, Human Rights Watch said today. Morad Tahbaz went on a hunger strike after his temporary release abruptly ended before the Iranian new year. Iranian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release him and other environmentalists wrongfully jailed with him.
On March 16, 2022, Iranian authorities released Tahbaz and allowed him to go to his family home in Tehran. But they abruptly detained him again two days later, despite an apparent agreement between Iranian and British authorities to guarantee his leave, leading him to embark on a hunger strike.
“ It is abhorrent that Iranian officials continue to use dual and foreign nationals detained in Iran as bargaining chips, ” said Tara Sepehri Far, senior Iran researcher at Human Rights Watch. “ It is also particularly disappointing that British authorities did not do enough to ensure Iran would uphold the conditions they agreed to for Tahbaz’ s furlough. ”
The authorities from Iran’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization have kept Tahbaz and colleagues from the local conservation group, the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, in detention since January 2018, accusing them of using an environmental project as a cover for espionage. Over the past four years, the authorities have tortured the detainees and committed other serious violations of their due process and fair trial rights, while failing to provide any evidence to support the bogus allegations against them.
In November 2019, an Iranian revolutionary court in Tehran sentenced Tahbaz and his colleagues to prison sentences ranging from 4 to 10 years on the charges that included “ collaborating with the enemy state of the United States. ” In February 2020, an appeals court upheld the 10-year prison sentenced imposed on Tahbaz as well as a demand to pay US $ 680,000, even though the court of first instance had found him innocent on the charge of “ illegitimate income. ”
On March 16, Iranian authorities released an Iranian-British national, Anousheh Ashoori, and allowed him to leave the country along with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an Iranian-British charity worker who was detained in Iran for over five years. The release came after the British government paid a £400 million debt from a failed 40-year-old arms deal. On that day, Liz Truss, the British foreign secretary, tweeted that “ I can confirm Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori will return to the UK today, and Morad Tahbaz has been released from prison on furlough. They will be reunited with their families later today. ”
An informed source told Human Rights Watch that on March 16, the authorities took Tahbaz home, accompanied by several government agents, who stayed at his house for 48 hours, then took him away again to an undisclosed location. On March 21, a spokesperson for the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office ( FCDO) said that Tahbaz was transferred to a hotel room in Tehran. The informed source said that after Tahbaz’ s family refused to meet with him at the hotel for the fear that the Iranian authorities would use it as a photo-op, the authorities returned Tahbaz to prison.
Tahbaz suffers from cancer and has contracted Covid-19 twice in detention, but has not had adequate medical care.
On February 10, 2018, family members of Kavous Seyed Emami, an Iranian-Canadian professor who was arrested with Tahbaz and other members of the organization, reported that Seyed Emami had died in custody under suspicious circumstances. Iranian authorities claimed that he died by suicide, but they have not conducted an impartial investigation into his death. They banned his wife from traveling until October 2019.
On several occasions senior Iranian government officials have indicated that they did not find any evidence to suggest that the detained activists are spies. On May 22, 2018, the Iranian Students News Agency reported that Issa Kalantari, the former head of Iran’ s Environmental Institution, said during a speech at a biodiversity conference that the government had formed a committee consisting of the intelligence, interior, and justice ministers of as well as the president’ s legal deputy, and that they had concluded there was no evidence to suggest those detained were spies.
“ Governments engaging with Iranian authorities should press them to release the wrongfully detained activists, ” Sepehri Far said.
Killings, Abductions, Torture, and Sexual Violence Against LGBT People by Armed Groups in Iraq | general |
Tesla jumps on plan to seek approval for another stock split | The information you requested is not available at this time, please check back again soon.
Tesla Inc. said it’ s planning a second stock split in roughly two years, giving a lift to shares that had been trading lower on news COVID-19 is again disrupting operations.
In an oddly worded tweet early Monday, Tesla said it will seek shareholder approval to authorize additional stock to enable a split. In a follow-up regulatory filing, the company said increasing the number of its common shares will allow for a split by way of a dividend. The ratio of the split is one of the details that will be worked out later.
Tesla rose 4.9 per cent to US $ 1,059.85 at 9:37 a.m. in New York, erasing earlier declines after Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk announced he again has COVID-19. Bloomberg News also reported earlier that the company was extending the temporary shutdown of its car plant in Shanghai due to the surge in cases in the city.
Tesla’ s board has accepted the management proposal, but authorizing the dividend still requires final approval, the company said in its filing. Tesla said it will release a definitive proxy statement later with details including the date and location of the annual meeting.
Companies including Alphabet Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. have announced splits early this year to reduce the price of their shares, making it easier for retail investors to afford them. Tesla soared after the company announced a 5-for-1 split in August 2020. The shares were added to the S & P 500 index later that year.
Tesla is one of just eight companies in the benchmark U.S. stock index with a four-digit share price, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. All of the companies have traded lower this year through last week’ s close.
“ We view Tesla’ s move following the likes of Amazon, Google, Apple and initiating its second stock split in two years as a smart strategic move that will be a positive catalyst for shares going forward, ” Daniel Ives, a Wedbush Securities analyst, wrote in a report. He rates Tesla’ s shares the equivalent of a buy with a US $ 1,400 target price.
Musk, 50, has been in a years-long feud with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over the agency suing him and Tesla in 2018 after he tweeted about taking the company private. A judge signed off last week on the SEC’ s plan to distribute the US $ 40 million penalties collected from the billionaire and the company to shareholders who lost money during that episode.
The SEC also pushed back last week against Musk’ s efforts to cease oversight of his Twitter posts, saying it’ s legitimate to investigate whether Tesla has institutional controls in place related to its disclosures and whether Musk is complying with them. The agency has been looking into tweets Musk sent in November about offloading some of his shares after his brother Kimbal sold about US $ 109 million worth of stock.
While the feds touted the spending in its budget as prudent, prominent Bay Street economist David Rosenberg said the extra fiscal stimulus could lead the Bank of Canada to hike its benchmark rate higher than originally thought.
Canada’ s unemployment rate fell to the lowest level since at least the mid-1970s, as the laboUr market posted another strong monthly employment gain.
Average Canadians might not realize how big a stake they have in the country’ s largest banks in their retirement portfolios; either directly in their RRSPs and TFSAs, or indirectly through mutual funds, ETFs, and pension plans.
Businesses are struggling to cope with an apparent sixth wave of COVID, as staffing shortages hamper sectors from health care to hospitality and retail — though the interruption remains more manageable than last winter's Omicron variant surge. | general |
Brian Madden's Top Picks: March 28, 2022 | The information you requested is not available at this time, please check back again soon.
With the first quarter drawing to a close, the breathtaking and virtually uninterrupted bull run in U.S. stocks off the pandemic lows two years ago has been broken, with U.S. major market indices poised for a down quarter. The Canadian S & P/TSX Composite index is set to eke out a modest gain for the quarter, bolstered by its concentration in energy and other commodities as inflation runs rampant and as geopolitical risk holds at multi-decade highs.
Tragic as the war in Ukraine is, and as much as it has captured investor attention and media headlines, it is not the primary reason for weakness in stocks this quarter. That’ s because geopolitical events rarely end economic cycles. We are positioning portfolios for slowing economic growth in the coming quarters as the economy laps a COVID re-opening and fiscal and monetary stimulus fueled 12 per cent growth rate in Q2 2021 – the fastest pace of growth since at least 1950.
We expect disinflation in the back half of the year as demand for durable goods is in many cases satiated, household finances are less flush than they were a year ago and as supply chain bottlenecks in many categories of manufactured goods are expected to be alleviated. Last but not least, disinflation will also emerge as the effect of gradually rising interest rates sets in. Under the circumstances we favour staple companies, utilities, rate sensitive banks, and other defensive businesses. Over the past few months, we have been reducing “ long duration ” equities like the high growth tech giants, as higher discount rates weigh upon their valuations in the marketplace, and as rising volatility curtails investor appetite for risk-taking and speculation.
Brian Madden, chief investment officer at First Avenue Investment Counsel, discusses his top picks: Parex Resources, Live Nation Entertainment, and TD Bank.
Parex is a mid-sized company producing approximately 53,000 barrels of oil per day in Columbia. Parex enjoys some of the highest netbacks ( operating margins) of any mid-to-large sized Canadian energy producer. The company is poised to grow production 12 per cent this year and has grown production at a 9 per cent compound rate over the last 5 years.
Crucially ( and refreshingly, for a resource company) the management team is very focused on profitability, such that cash flow per share grew 365 per cent over the last five years, and rare among oil producers, it remained profitable during 2020.
With no debt and $ 378M of cash on their books, Parex is well positioned to continue their pattern of returning cash to shareholders, something they have done prolifically the last four years, deploying over $ 640M to retire 23 per cent of their outstanding shares in the process accreting value to remaining shareholders.
Live Nation, parent company of Ticketmaster, is the largest live entertainment firm in the world. The firm controls 235 venues either owning, operating or holding exclusive booking rights for events. The firm is poised for a multi-year cycle of growth, as post-COVID pent up demand for concerts and sporting events unfolds.
Both price and volume are supportive of strong revenue growth this year, with 2022 sales expected to surpass 2019 levels by 20 per cent, bolstered by double digit ticket price increases and a deep pipeline of 45 major concert tours vs. 25 in a more typical year. Major concert tours typically span more than one calendar year, affording good revenue visibility looking out several years.
An internal cost cutting initiative undertaken during the pandemic realized $ 200M of structural cost savings that will benefit operating margins as activity picks back up this sector in 2022 and beyond.
TD is Canada’ s second largest bank and is on the verge of becoming America’ s sixth largest bank as well. TD earns a 16 per cent return on shareholder’ s equity and has grown earnings per share at an 8 per cent rate over the last decade, with a more than commensurate increase in its dividend as the firm has remained well capitalized through the cycle and remains the best capitalized major Canadian bank today.
The strength of their balance sheet affords them the flexibility to pursue the recently announced $ 13.4B acquisition of U.S. southeastern regional bank, First Horizon in an all cash deal expected to be 10 per cent accretive to earnings post realization of an anticipated US $ 610M in synergies.
Currently offering a 3.5 per cent yield, and with dividends likely to continue growing at a high single digit pace, we see a logical and visible path to continued low double digit total returns over a cycle, a pattern that has allowed TD and other Canadian banks to outperform the S & P TSX Composite in 18 of the last 25 years.
Brian Madden, chief investment officer at First Avenue Investment Counsel, discusses his past picks: NFI Group, Franco-Nevada, and Intact Financial Corporation.
Here are nine things you need to know about Budget 2022.
The federal government is taking sharper aim at real estate investors and property flippers in a bid to help halt the country’ s long-standing – and worsening – housing affordability problem.
The Liberal government is scaling back its strategy to single out Canada's most profitable banks and insurers with targeted tax measures, resulting in about $ 4 billion less in revenue than originally planned.
Talk of an upcoming recession is raising angst after a closely watched indicator flashed a warning sign, but experts say it could be a needed spark for investors to take a more active look at their portfolios.
The Toronto Blue Jays are preparing for their first home opener game at the Rogers Centre in front of a full stadium of fans since 2019. Mark Shapiro, president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays, says they’ re looking to reimagine their home stadium after receiving approval for significant upgrades over the next two years. He says fan experience needs to be compelling and it can’ t just rely on the team’ s position in the league. He also says they’ re looking at new revenue opportunities with teams now allowed to feature advertising on jerseys for the first time, adding it’ s important to grow revenue, so they can grow the team.
TD Bank plans to give most employees the option to return to the office this month and is aiming for workers to officially transition to their new working models by June.
A new study finds there’ s a growing acceptance of cryptocurrency-related investments among Canadian institutional investors, but firms are showing restraint in how much they’ re allocating towards those assets. | general |
Innovative business models could transform cotton supply chains | This article was originally published on World Resources Institute. Read it here.
Disruption of supply chains has been a hot topic over the last two years. Consumers in many countries are seeing empty store shelves, signs of disrupted production and logistics. When the coronavirus pandemic first hit, demand slumps hit factory owners and workers hard, with $ 40 billion worth of already-completed orders being canceled by clothing companies.
And yet, COVID-19 is just one of multiple pressures on supply chains. Recent sources of stress include intensifying trade disputes and political upheavals, labor shortages, as well as the climate crisis driving increasingly frequent high-cost natural disasters and changes in weather.
Beneath these cracks in supply chains lie deeper root causes — unsustainable production methods that extract and pollute, and unfair practices that distribute financial reward inequitably for producers, workers and others.
It’ s time to re-design the way supply chains work and reconsider what they prioritize to help ensure critical environmental and social needs are met. Unsustainable approaches to production, structural inequalities and power dynamics must be addressed. Those are essential for a supply chain — and economy — that is equitable and just, that stewards vital ecosystems on which we depend, and that is resilient to adapt to significantly altered climate and social conditions.
This is especially true in the case of agricultural commodities, such as cotton. Cotton is one of the world’ s most important natural fibers; it accounts for about 30 percent of all raw material used in the global textile market, and the sector supports the livelihoods of around 350 million people. Unless produced using sustainable practices, cotton can contribute significantly to greenhouse gas ( GHG) emissions, over-consumption of water and excessive pesticide use, among other severe issues. Half of irrigated cotton is already at extremely high risk of water stress, and that is expected to increase to two-thirds by 2040.
As part of the Cotton 2040 initiative, Forum for the Future and WRI have partnered to outline what a more resilient, regenerative and just cotton supply chain can look like. In particular, we have looked closely at the opportunity for new business models to help transform supply chains for that vision.
We are testing and refining a handful of criteria that would further define what a `` sustainable '' cotton supply chain — one that is just, regenerative and resilient — looks like.
As an overarching goal, everyone in a cotton supply chain will need to be able to cope with and adapt to shocks to our climate and economy. The supply chain must avoid environmental damage to and ultimately regenerate the resources and protect and replenish the ecosystems upon which it depends. And there must be support — from companies, governments and financial institutions — to ensure that transitions, adaptations and transformations are fair and equitable.
To achieve a just and regenerative cotton supply chain, innovation is needed. Specifically, this includes business models that change the way that value is recognized and shared; switching incentives from short-term profit to thriving long-term, and from rewarding extractive practices to rewarding stewardship that puts more in ( to ecosystems and society) than it takes out.
Forum for the Future and WRI looked for business model innovations and inspirations with transformative potential around the world and identified nearly 50 agricultural supply chain initiatives, of which 36 were related to cotton or textile supply chains. These included business model innovations, partnerships or technologies that sought to improve current ways of doing business.
Several types of business model innovations are identified in areas including: transparency and traceability; circularity; consumer behavior; farming practices; fair wages and farmer income; risk and price volatility. Among the cotton/textile supply chain initiatives, many focused on wages, farm practices, transparency and traceability.
In reviewing the examples, it became critical to understand where more business model innovation is needed. We looked to see which of our aspirational social and environmental criteria were most often left unaddressed and evaluated each example against a set of additional questions. This helped provide more granularity for our criteria for a sustainable supply chain. A snapshot of the results is shown in the graphic below.
It’ s important to note that most or all of these neglected areas of business model innovation are likely to have a disproportionate impact on women. If they are neglected, it will undermine equitable development as women are more likely to engage in informal or unrecognized work and are less likely to own the land on which they work.
To change the cotton system from one that is too often based on exploitation and inequity to one that is regenerative and just, innovations need to be transformative, enabling change at a systems level. We found too many innovations that fall short of this, prolonging the current system rather than facilitating a new one that meets the aspirations of a sustainable supply chain.
For example, several business models use waste material or offcuts to produce clothing. This helps make the current system `` less bad '' but does not intentionally cut out waste altogether. Similarly, there are programs that aim to reduce farmer poverty with market rates or price premiums for cotton, such as clothing brands paying a premium price to suppliers of certified cotton. But there is a lack of business models actively building robust farmer livelihoods based on regenerative practices.
In 2021, after identifying criteria and innovative initiatives that could meet them, Forum for the Future and WRI shared feedback gathered through workshops with business model experts and cotton supply chain stakeholders in India, several countries in Africa and the United States.
Each region had a unique set of priorities, but also some common interests. Coming out of these conversations there were several areas with potential for transformation in cotton business models. Specifically, the workshop participants prioritized business model innovations that:
Supply chains, for cotton and other materials, will face increasing climate, social and economic pressures. Even beyond the COVID-19 pandemic there are huge challenges on the horizon. For example, a recent report by Cotton 2040 and climate-risk specialists Acclimatise ( part of Willis Tower Watson’ s Climate and Resilience Hub), shows that all major cotton-growing regions will face severe climate risks by 2040. These challenges are also an opportunity to reimagine supply chains with business models that deliver more.
Forum for the Future and WRI offer a framework above for how to reimagine more resilient supply chains with regenerative practices and justice for people. A scan of existing business model innovations suggests interest and activities, many focused on improving farming practices, fair wages, transparency and traceability. But there seem to be gaps when it comes to informal workers, land rights, data protection and gender equity.
Most notably, there seem to be few business model innovations that fundamentally change the value proposition. In other words, we need to see more of the business models that change what's rewarded and how rewards are distributed across cotton supply chains. It will mean changes in relationships of actors across the system — such as apparel brands connecting directly with farmers, or traders supporting farmers in new ways. It will require full traceability and transparency. And it will require a recognition that just and regenerative supply chains are not just idealistic visions but are key to creating resilient supply chains that can meet societies’ needs in an increasingly climate-disrupted world. This is our challenge.
Now is the time to transform cotton supply chains and replace old business models with something better. We need nothing short of a just and regenerative future that can offer resilience so essential for future wellbeing.
Cotton 2040 will be testing and sharing more learning in 2022. But this is a shared challenge for all those involved and interested in transforming cotton and other agricultural supply chains. In 2022, let’ s:
Review the criteria above for a just and regenerative supply chain. Set them as your aim and challenge your own organization to shift sustainability aspirations from `` doing less bad '' to aiming for just and regenerative.
Partner with actors in your supply chain, and with other stakeholders across the industry, to test these models, learn what works and share your learning to enable adoption at scale. This could be pioneering payments for enhanced ecosystem services on regenerative farms. It could be unlocking new value from traceable and transparent data. As this article describes, there is a range of possibilities that can contribute towards a different set of just and regenerative outcomes.
Payment for ecosystem services ( e.g. ecosystem services market approaches, Impact Incentives, Pur Project)
Sourcing `` Cotton in conversion '' — enabling transition to regenerative production ( e.g. Patagonia)
Marketing a `` capsule wardrobe '' to consumers ( e.g. Ninety Percent)
Cooperatives plus vertical integration ( e.g. Divine Chocolate, Ethicus)
Publishing prices/margins throughout the supply chain ( e.g. Everlane, Uncommon Cacao)
Platform that enables farmers to collect and sell on-farm data ( e.g. Farmobile)
Customer demand is communicated to producers in real-time ( e.g. Bombyx)
Risk-sharing at times of crisis, e.g. contracts that share risk
Crop replacement models —aggregators/traders facilitate cross-sector support for farmers who are no longer able to produce cotton to grow a short-term cash crop.
New relationships and configurations across value chains support adaptation and transformation.
Cotton 2040 is facilitated by Forum for the Future and supported by the Laudes Foundation. Find out more here.
This article was co-written by Caroline Ashley, Charlene Collison, Hannah Cunneen and Neil Walker at Forum for the Future; with Eliot Metzger and Dorine Wytema at the World Resources Institute ( WRI). | esg |
No Quick Fix for Congestion That Continues to Plague Port Operations | Ocean cargo handlers are scrambling for solutions to the congestion that continues to plague major U.S. container ports, especially Los Angeles and Long Beach. But the ultimate answer might lie in something beyond their control: time.
To be sure, operations at Southern California ports have sped up in recent weeks. In January, there were 109 containerships waiting to get into the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex to unload their cargoes. As of late February, that number had fallen to 58, Port of Long Beach executive director Mario Cordero told the TPM22 conference in Long Beach, California.
Ocean carriers have been incentivized to accelerate movements in Southern California by the megaports’ threat to impose a dwell fee of $ 100 per day on import containers lingering at marine terminals for nine days or more. But the ports have repeatedly deferred activation of the fee, as the backlog of boxes has steadily decreased. The two ports say they have seen a decline of 62% in “ aging ” cargo on the docks since the fee was first announced on October 25 — all without actually levying it.
Other actions taken by the ports and carriers over the last two years include Long Beach’ s expansion of its Short Term Overflow Resource ( STOR) yard at Pier S, where the port plans eventually to build a seventh container terminal. Additional locations for the temporary storage of containers from the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland will be opening up in the coming weeks on land leased out by the state of California. In addition, Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka told TPM22, the ports are encouraging greater information-sharing among carriers and shippers, expedited pickup of containers during off-peak hours, expanded hours for local warehousing, and faster return of containers and chassis to the port for transport back to Asia.
As landlords that cede responsibility for day-to-day operations to private marine-terminal operators, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach can only do so much to facilitate more efficient handling of cargo on the docks and beyond. And recent moves such as requiring waiting containerships to anchor farther offshore, where they’ re not visible from land, are essentially cosmetic in nature. Nevertheless, West Coast port executives are acutely aware that chronic delays are resulting in lost business to facilities on the East and Gulf coasts, so they’ re taking an active role in getting carriers to step up the movement of containers over the docks.
Congestion at Southern California ports is nothing new; local cargo interests have been trying to cope with it for years. Their biggest initiative to date has been creation of the PierPass program in 2005, with the goal of extending operating hours at container terminals to include night and Saturday shifts. The additional cost of the program was to be offset by imposition of a traffic mitigation fee on cargo moving during regular hours.
Critics say PierPass hasn’ t had the desired impact on port congestion. It took 10 years for the program to implement a full second shift, Cordero noted. “ PierPass was originally constituted to reduce congestion at certain times, ” Federal Maritime Commission chairman Daniel Maffei told TPM22. “ The version they have now makes no attempt do that. ”
Three years ago, PierPass began charging the same fee for night operations as during the daytime, noted John Porcari, port envoy to the Biden Administration’ s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force. “ That took away the incentive [ to operate in off-peak hours ], ” he said. “ It’ s very different from the original intent.
Porcari called for renewed efforts to encourage the off-peak use of terminal gates. “ PierPass needs to evolve or be replaced by something that actually fulfills those objectives in a way it doesn’ t today, ” he said.
Ideally, Porcari said, shippers would like to see 24-hour operations at West Coast ports, even though the terminals claim that the late hours currently in effect aren’ t being fully utilized.
Efforts to further expand working hours, however, are running into another problem: lack of adequate labor. COVID-19 has reduced the workforce on the docks, as well as at inland facilities. Jeremy Nixon, chief executive officer of the Ocean Network Express ( ONE) carrier alliance, said ships haven’ t been able to obtain enough work gangs for efficient unloading. The answer, he believes, lies in terminal and warehouse automation, to a degree common at major European and Asia ports but not seen at many U.S. facilities today.
Ultimately, the problem of congestion and freight bottlenecks will require a long-term effort that takes into account all of the parties involving in moving and processing both international and domestic freight, including marine terminals, dockworkers, warehouses, railroads, intermodal terminals and truck drivers. “ Goods movement 24/7 is the future, ” said Porcari, “ but it won’ t work if containers have nowhere to go. There’ s no light switch that you can turn on here. ”
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Black patients with cancer fare worse with COVID-19, study shows: Structural racism, rather than disease, leads to inequities, authors write -- ScienceDaily | `` We saw worse COVID-19 illness at presentation, higher rates of hospitalization, higher rates of intensive care unit admission, higher rates of mechanical ventilation and worse death rates in Black patients compared to non-Hispanic white patients, even after making the two groups comparable in terms of type, status and treatment of cancer by statistical analysis methods, '' said senior and corresponding author Dimpy Shah, MD, PhD, assistant professor of population health sciences at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio ( UT Health San Antonio). Dr. Shah leads the cancer and infectious diseases epidemiology research program at the Mays Cancer Center, home to UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center. The program has specific focus on minority health and health disparities. Dr. Shah also serves as steering committee member, lead epidemiologist and patient advocacy co-chair for CCC19.
Structural racism
A framework of structural racism in the U.S. can explain the increased COVID-19 burden in Black patients, Dr. Shah and her co-authors wrote. Structural racism refers to the ways in which societies reinforce systems of health care, law enforcement, education, employment, benefits, media and housing, perpetuating discriminatory distribution of resources and attitudes, the authors wrote, citing a 2017 article by Zinzi D Bailey, ScD, et al., published in The Lancet.
`` Race in medicine is largely a social construct because the majority of differences in health outcomes between Black patients and white patients are due to systematic racialization, '' Dr. Shah said. `` Some of the societal root causes of health disparities, including lack of access to health care, social determinants of health, preexisting comorbidities and access to clinical research, are common to both cancer and COVID-19, and together these two diseases create a perfect storm. ''
Treatments
The researchers also noted differences in COVID-19 treatments provided to the two groups. Hydroxychloroquine was prescribed more in Black patients, and white patients had higher administration of remdesivir. Remdesivir is an antiviral drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA) to treat COVID-19 in adults and children 12 and older. Hydroxychloroquine, meanwhile, is a malaria drug. The FDA withdrew emergency use authorization of it after data indicated it is not effective in treating the coronavirus.
Although Black individuals represent 13% of the U.S. population, they account for 20% of COVID-19 cases and 23% of COVID-related deaths, the study authors noted.
`` We saw that Black patients with cancer and COVID-19 infection are facing a disproportionately higher burden of COVID-19 complications and death, '' said Sonya Reid, MD, MPH, assistant professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, who was a lead author of the study. `` This is unfortunately very similar to what we have seen with racial disparities in cancer outcomes. We now have to prioritize addressing the root causes of health disparities in order to achieve equitable care for all patients. ''
Cancer burden greater
Disparity is also seen in cancer epidemiology. The cancer burden is greater in Black individuals ( 461 new cancer cases per 100,000) than in white individuals ( 445 new cancer cases per 100,000). Mortality in Black individuals is higher ( 174 deaths per 100,000) than in white individuals ( 152 deaths per 100,000). This is a 15% difference in the cancer-associated death rate in Black patients compared to non-Hispanic white patients.
`` Black patients fare worse with cancer outcomes for a range of reasons, including access and many aspects that plague cancer health equity, '' said Ruben Mesa, MD, FACP, executive director of the Mays Cancer Center. `` The Mays Cancer Center is committed to improving cancer health equity across all peoples, and crucial knowledge from studies such as this help focus the needed work ahead. ''
Fair opportunity
`` Structural racism and discrimination create inequitable access to health care and other health-promoting assets for our vulnerable communities, including Blacks and Latinos, '' said Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio.
`` This issue warrants more research to change structures and systems toward health equity, where everyone has a fair, just opportunity to be their healthiest, and better quality of life for all our patients, '' said Dr. Ramirez, who serves as associate director of cancer outreach and engagement for the Mays Cancer Center.
The study is another step toward changing attitudes to hopefully change health, the leaders agreed.
`` There have been unfounded claims that structural racism does not exist, '' said Dr. Shah, a senior member of the CCC19 Racial Disparities Interest Group. `` Besides adding to the science of COVID-19 and cancer, this study is important because it is a call to action that structural racism still very much exists, and we can see the evidence of how it affects our minority patients with cancer. ''
`` Understanding and addressing racial inequities within the causal framework of structural racism is essential to reduce the disproportionate burden of diseases, such as COVID-19 and cancer, in Black patients and other minorities, '' the authors concluded. | science |
Russian Misinformation Seeks to Confound, Not Convince News and Research | As war envelops Ukraine, Russian sources have strived to create a miasma of disinformation about the invasion. Among ample efforts to distort reality, the Russian Ministry of Defense asserted recently that U.S.-backed labs in Ukraine have been developing bioweapons. Outlandish as this falsehood may be, Fox’ s Tucker Carlson gave it credence by arguing that the U.S. government’ s response was a “ cover-up. ”
As the Russia-Ukraine war intensifies, so too will the flow of disinformation. This is an age-old strategy Russia has long history of employing, and a playbook that others, most notably anti-vaccine activists, have borrowed from liberally. Yet, rather than focusing effort on convincing people of a falsehood, the Russian strategy takes a tack reminiscent of a strategy long employed by the tobacco industry: to sow so much doubt about what is true that it sends people into decision paralysis. Faced with a cacophony of wild and conflicting claims, people do nothing, unsure of what is right.
Despite constituting only a small part of our media diet, disinformation campaigns, in our digital world, can be devastatingly effective. We are intrinsically biased towards information that is emotionally visceral. We afford more weight to content that frightens or outrages us, with the ability to induce anger serving as the single greatest predictor of whether content goes viral. This propels the most visceral, divisive narratives to the forefront of discourse, creating a sound and fury of passionately debated claims and counter claims. In that atmosphere, it becomes increasingly difficult to ascertain what to believe, and easy to abandon the task of discerning the truth.
If we are not to fall victim to such rank dishonesty, it is crucial now that we question our sources more carefully than ever before.
Indecision and distraction have long been central to Russia’ s dezinformatsiya ( disinformation) policy, a term Stalin himself is credited with coining. While an ancient concept, Russia had by the imperial age mastered dark obfuscation techniques refined for the era of mass communication. By the dawn of the Soviet empire, they realized this potential on an industrial scale, establishing the world's first office dedicated to disinformation in 1923. In the 1960s, the KGB covertly sponsored American fringe groups, amplifying conspiratorial narratives about everything from the assassination of president John F. Kennedy to water fluoridation.
The goal, as KGB Major General Oleg Kalugin elucidated in 1998, was “ not intelligence collection, but subversion: active measures to weaken the West, to drive wedges in the Western community alliances of all sorts, particularly NATO, to sow discord among allies, to weaken the United States in the eyes of the people of Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America.... ”. Operation INFEKTION, a mid-1980s clandestine effort to spread the myth that AIDS was a CIA-designed bioweapon, was but one infamous exemplar. While utterly fictious, it resonated with communities ravaged by HIV and neglected by the callous indifference of the Reagan administration. Despite Russian intelligence taking responsibility for this lie in 1992, the legacy of AIDS denialism persists to this day worldwide.
During the Cold War, the doctrine of “ active measures ” was the beating heart of Soviet intelligence. This philosophy of political and information warfare had wide remit, including front groups, media manipulation, counterfeiting, infiltrating peace groups and even the occasional assassination.
And in our media-saturated era, Russia has been, by far, disinformation’ s most enthusiastic user. Take the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the contentious Brexit referendum; Russia appears to have influenced both via lies and distortions.
But disinformation is not solely confined to geopolitics. By summer 2020, the European Commission identified a concerted Russian drive to propagate COVID disinformation worldwide. From the outset of the pandemic, Kremlin-backed troll farms pushed the narrative that COVID was an engineered bioweapon, peddling the explosive fiction that 5G radio frequencies caused the virus—a lie that resulted in dozens of arson attacks on cell towers worldwide.
There is a dark irony in the observation that conspiracy-minded people can be weaponized in plots to which they’ re entirely oblivious. The enduring popularity of the virus-as-a-bioweapon mantra is a stark reminder that in the age of social media, such manipulation has become ever easier and more effective. Perhaps the most odious example of this is the cynical rise of anti-vaccine propaganda.
The sheer efficacy of vaccination is scientifically incontrovertible, and after clean water, immunization is the most life-saving intervention in human history. Despite this, the last decade has witnessed precipitous drops in vaccine confidence worldwide. The renaissance of once-virtually-conquered diseases prompted the WHO to declare vaccine hesitancy a top-10 threat to public health in 2019.
Vaccine hesitancy is a spectrum rather than a simple binary, and exposure to anti-vaccine conspiracy theories nudges recipients towards rejection. But critically, many who decline vaccination are not dyed-in-the-wool anti-vaccine zealots, but simply scared by what they have heard, unsure what to believe. Our tendency towards the illusory truth effect exacerbates this inertia, as the mere repetition of a fiction is enough to prime us to accept it, even if we know it to be false on an intellectual level. While Russia has often amplified anti-vaccine conspiracy theories to increase tensions, the anti-vaccine movements exist independently of these efforts, and are masters at sowing the seeds of doubt with torrents of conflicting and emotive claims.
This illustrates the grim reality that disinformation has no need for consistency and zero commitment to objective reality; claims are frequently contradictory, arguing both sides of the coin in exaggerated and divisive ways. This “ Russian firehose ” model of propaganda is high-output, contradictory and multichannel. The stream encourages us to sleepwalk into apathy, distrustful of everything. This renders us supremely malleable, and dangerously disengaged.
When it comes to vaccination, concerned parents often opt to stay with the devil they know, delaying or even rejecting vaccination rather than sifting through the symphony of conflicting claims to which they’ re subjected. Similarly, the outpouring of fictions about Ukraine, its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the war is designed to overwhelm our capacity to analyze, inducing us to implicitly accept uncertainty over aggressor and aggrieved—a manufactured doubt benefitting Russia and other nations.
Conviction is not the chief goal of disinformation; instilling doubt is. This is why anti-vaccine activists have been so successful online, and why Russian troll-farms push ample resources into hawking lies virtually everywhere. The ubiquity of these fictions gives them an implicit veneer of legitimacy, fueling polarization and distrust.
This is the strategy Putin continues to pursue; already Russian propaganda has tried to paint Ukraine ( or NATO / America) as aggressors with staged disinformation. This has been rendered less effective by the Biden administration’ s creative approach of releasing intelligence prior to the operation. Across social media, Russian front organizations still try to induce doubt, efforts that will only intensify as the war wages on. Truth, the old adage insists, is the first casualty of war. | science |
New nasal spray treats Delta variant infection in mice, indicating broad spectrum results -- ScienceDaily | The researchers, including at UBC, Université de Sherbrooke, and Cornell University, believe this is the first treatment of its kind proven to be effective against all COVID-19 variants of concern reported to date, including alpha, beta, gamma and delta. Published today in Nature, the research opens the door to developing a therapeutic spray for humans.
Variants of concern, including the recent Omicron variants, have reduced vaccine effectiveness, but senior author Dr. François Jean, associate professor in the UBC department of microbiology and immunology, says early, still unpublished results from his team show promise that N-0385 is also effective at blocking Omicron variant infections in human lung cells. `` Our unpublished results represent encouraging findings with the current rapid propagation of Omicron BA.2 around the world. ''
`` Unfortunately, with another wave of an Omicron variant hitting the U.K., Europe, and China and our knowledge of how these waves occur, this may be what we see in Canada in the near future. Once approved, this compound could be used in combination with already available drugs that inhibit the virus ' replication, to provide a stronger defense against COVID-19 variants of concern, '' says Dr. Jean, founder of FINDER, the state-of-the-art level three biocontainment facility where the work on SARS-CoV-2 variants was conducted.
The specially designed compound, named N-0385, blocks a particular human enzyme's activity, used by the virus to infect a host cell. The small molecule was developed by Drs. Richard Leduc, Éric Marsault, Pierre-Luc Boudreault and their team at Université de Sherbrooke. UBC researchers tested four variants, including Delta, in human lung cells and organoids, tissue cultures that can mimic the organ they're taken from, and found that N-0385 inhibits infection, with no evidence of toxicity. `` The compound is unique because it blocks entry at the cell surface, without having to get into the cell, which prevents it from causing any detectable cell damage. As well, it's highly potent, in that it needs only a tiny amount to work very effectively, '' says co-author Dr. Andrea Olmstead ( she/her), research associate in the department of microbiology and immunology.
In a preprint, the researchers at Cornell University led by Associate Professor Hector Aguilar-Carreno showed that genetically engineered mice infected with the virus causing COVID-19 and given a daily dose of the compound in a nasal spray for four days. All ten of the treated mice survived infection, compared with only 20 per cent of the untreated mice.
In the newly published paper, N-0385 was tested against the Delta variant, and was found to not only help with prevention of COVID-19, but also treatment 12 hours after infection, including with infection-related weight loss, and levels of the virus in the mice lungs, compared with controls.
The enzyme which N-0385 targets is present in nasal cells, where the virus tends to enter, making a nasal spray the most practical and effective way to administer the compound. In addition, no mutations relating to the virus which causes COVID-19 have been found in this enzyme's mechanism so far, as has occurred with other enzymes and COVID-19 variants, making it a useful target for defense against future strains of the virus, says Dr. Jean.
The compound has the potential to be used as a broad-spectrum treatment against other viruses which use the same mechanism, Dr. Jean says, including influenza viruses such as influenza A, H1N1, and influenza C. `` Even not knowing what you 've been infected with during flu season, you could potentially be prescribed a nasal spray to treat coronaviruses and the flu. ''
However, the spray should be used in combination with other drugs already on the market, he says, as the compound is an entry inhibitor, blocking entry of the virus to cells while other drugs reduce replication. `` The big picture is, there are multiple steps in the life cycle of a virus. The first step is entering a cell to pass on genetic material, then it goes on to replicate. So you would use both drugs: N-0385 could block most of the virus ' entry, making less work for the replicator drug. ''
The project teams are working with Ebvia, a private company, to secure funding for clinical trials. Future avenues of research at UBC and Université de Sherbrooke include optimizing N-0385 when used in combination with recently approved drugs to treat COVID-19.
This work was partly funded by the Coronavirus Variants Rapid Response Network, CIHR's SARS-COV-2 variants supplement, Stream 2, CIHR COVID-Rapid Research Funding, and Genome BC Rapid Response Funding ( RRF) for COVID-19 Research and Innovation Projects. | science |
Two Israeli police killed in attack claimed by Islamic State group | Hi, what are you looking for?
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Two police officers were shot dead in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group in the northern Israeli city of Hadera late Sunday as top US and Arab diplomats visited the Jewish state for an unprecedented regional meeting, authorities said.
Police said the two gunmen — Israeli Arabs identified by Israeli intelligence as local IS operatives — were killed by counterterrorism officers who happened to be nearby.
“ Two members of the Jewish ( state’ s) police force were killed and others were injured in an immersive commando attack, ” IS said in a rare claim of an attack inside Israel.
Emergency medical responders said “ two Israelis ” were killed in the attack — a man and a woman — with four other people taken to hospital and two more treated at the scene.
Police said “ two terrorists arrived at Herbert Samuel Street in Hadera, and began shooting at a police force there, ” resulting in two deaths.
Members of “ an Israeli counterterrorism force happened to be in a restaurant nearby and they ran out and neutralised the terrorists, ” police said in a statement.
Dudu Boani, the police deputy commander for the region, told reporters the two victims of the attack were police officers. He said the assailants were shot dead.
A government security official said the two assailants were IS operatives from Umm El Fahm, an Arab Israeli city.
Residents of the city, which is located near Hadera, said police had deployed heavily.
Defence Minister Benny Gantz’ s office said he was conducting a situation assessment with military, police and intelligence chiefs, while Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had arrived in Hadera and been briefed by police on the attack, his office said.
The army said in a statement that it was deploying additional forces in and around the occupied West Bank.
– ‘ Heinous’ attack –
Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, praised the attack, calling it a “ heroic operation ” and a “ natural and legitimate response ” to Israel’ s “ crimes against our people ”.
Islamic Jihad, another Gaza-based militant Palestinian movement, called the attack “ an eloquent message from our people against attempts to break our will ”.
On Tuesday, a man wielding a knife stabbed several people and ran over another in southern Israel, killing four, in one of the deadliest attacks in the country in recent years.
Authorities identified the attacker as an Israeli Arab who had previously been convicted for supporting IS.
As Sunday’ s attack took place, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid was hosting his counterparts from three Arab states that recently normalised ties with Israel, alongside Egypt’ s top diplomat and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at a resort in southern Israel, in a gathering that Israel called “ historic ”.
“ I briefed the participants of the Negev Summit on the details of the Hadera attack, ” Lapid said in a statement.
“ All the foreign ministers condemned the attack, sent their condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded. ”
“ Tonight’ s heinous terror attack is an attempt by violent extremists to terrorise and to damage the fabric of life here, ” Lapid said.
“ Israel will uncompromisingly fight terrorism, and we will resolutely stand together with our allies against anyone who tries to harm us. ”
An Israeli official told AFP that the attack had not prevented the gathering from taking place.
The ministers were dining together Sunday night, and on Monday were due to hold a series of meetings.
With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.
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Start-up receives Innovate UK backing for search platform | UK start-up Medwise AI, has been awarded a £311,000 Innovate UK Smart Grant to expand its artificial intelligence-powered clinical question-answering search platform into secondary care settings.
The 18-month project kicked off this month and will drive the evolution of the Medwise platform to support the healthcare workforce in acute medicine, enable NHSx Digital Technology Assessment Criteria ( DTAC) certification and review the technology within an academic research study. Medwise is partnering with 8fold governance on DTAC and will work together with Ysbyty Gwynedd, part of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, on a time-motion study to generate clinical evidence of the benefits of the search platform.
Founded in 2019, Medwise.ai is a Cambridge-based digital health company aiming to empower healthcare professionals to do their best work and provide better care to patients. Medwise’ s highly customisable search platform - based on AI and natural language processing technology - assists healthcare professionals in getting accurate clinical information at the point of care, searching a wide range of trusted national and local medical sources to help healthcare professionals get trusted and reliable answers to their clinical questions.
The COVID pandemic has increased pressure on the NHS and on clinicians. Over 6 million biomedical journals are published each year and, with clinical guidelines changing frequently, it is not humanly possible for healthcare professionals to assess all the available medical literature. Using Medwise’ s search platform, clinicians save 2.6 minutes on average per consultation, allowing them to focus on what they do best: provide the best patient care.
An Innovate UK funded pilot focused on COVID-related clinician searches estimated that Medwise could save the NHS in England £20 million per year. In response to demand from clinicians, the platform is now expanding into additional specialty areas, such as acute medicine.
Dr. Keith Tsui, co-founder of Medwise, said: “ Receiving the grant from Innovate UK is a huge endorsement for us - recognising the importance of an innovation that takes care of the overstretched clinical workforce, and improves the lives of patients at the same time. ”
Dr Chris Subbe, consultant physician in acute medicine and clinical senior lecturer at Bangor University, added: `` With the increasing speed at which knowledge generates new guidelines, doctors are fighting to keep up to date. The project with Medwise offers a potentially dramatically different way to access knowledge that matters right at the bedside. Having life-saving information available at the bedside when it matters most is an amazing prospect. '' | tech |
Sapporo struggles to increase international recognition as winter resort | One of the reasons why Sapporo is aiming to host the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics is to establish itself as a world-class urban snow resort.
The city hopes to be better recognized globally so that it can welcome more tourists from abroad and boost its economy.
Currently, foreign tourists are attracted to world-famous ski destinations such as Niseko, some 100 kilometers away from Sapporo, and tend to pass through Sapporo, tourism industry officials say.
The city still has a long way to go to become an internationally renowned tourist attraction, as challenges remain, including the shortage of luxury hotels.
“ If you stay in Sapporo, you can not only ski but also visit tourist spots and enjoy food in urban surroundings, ” Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto said in an interview with the Hokkaido Shimbun on Feb. 14, describing his dream of using the Olympic bid as an opportunity to promote the city worldwide as an urban resort.
There are six skiing areas in the city, including Sapporo Bankei and Sapporo Teine, that are between 20 minutes and an hour away by car from the city center.
About 80% of visitors to the ski areas are residents of Sapporo, and the ski areas’ popularity among foreign tourists remains low.
The city plans to draw more visitors — especially wealthy people, who stay for a long period of time — by issuing a pass that allows holders to visit all six of the city’ s skiing areas and packages winter sports with tourist activities such as the Sapporo Snow Festival and sampling local food.
It hopes to increase the number of tourists in winter, which is low compared with summer, but it will not be easy.
“ In China, the skiing population is rising mainly among the rich thanks to the Olympics, and they long for Hokkaido with its high-quality snow. But we don’ t have the impression that Sapporo is a ski resort, ” says Huang Wanlong, 61, who runs a ski slope in Zhangjiakou in China’ s Hebei province and previously worked for a Japanese firm.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, he spent a month every winter at a ski resort in the town of Rusutsu in western Hokkaido, bringing wealthy tourists from China.
“ Rich Chinese people like to stay in spacious luxurious rooms. Sapporo doesn’ t have many hotels with such rooms, and ski areas in the city are small as well, ” Huang said. “ If they were to travel all the way to Hokkaido, they would continue to choose Niseko and Rusutsu. ”
In Niseko, construction of accommodation facilities such as high-class condominiums has continued even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the number of hotel beds in the area has been increasing by around 1,000 to 2,000 every year in recent years.
A number of the hotel rooms cost from several hundred thousand yen to more than ¥1 million per night.
Hokkaido Railway Co. has announced a plan to open a Marriott International Inc. top-brand hotel in Sapporo in view of the Olympic bid, but it is uncertain whether the city can attract brisk investments, as Niseko has.
Even if Sapporo succeeds in building facilities fit for wealthy tourists, there is no guarantee that the city can draw in such people.
A tourism industry official in Hokkaido well-versed in tourist trends in Western countries said, “ Wealthy people are looking for something extraordinary, away from daily lives. They will choose Niseko, not Sapporo. Compared with other locations such as Kyoto, Sapporo is not particularly attractive as a city either. ”
The Hokkaido Shinkansen line is expected to be extended to Sapporo by the spring of 2031, but most of the passengers coming from Tokyo will likely be getting off midway at the town of Kutchan, near Niseko.
“ A tourist route might be created for people to shop in Tokyo, do sightseeing in Kyoto and engage in outdoor activities in Niseko, ” the official said.
Sapporo is facing mounting challenges in attracting not only wealthy visitors but also other tourists.
Jeong Jin-wook, 51, president of Shikinotabi Co., a travel agency in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido, that serves tourists from South Korea and Thailand, said Sapporo does not have a good environment for individual travelers.
Jeong points to the need to have traffic signs and food menus in multiple languages, as well as offering better access to ski areas.
“ While buses would be convenient for foreign people to use, there are few buses going directly to ski areas in the suburbs of Sapporo, ” Jeong said. “ It would be difficult for them to rent a car and drive to the areas, with road signs available only in Japanese and the hurdles of driving on winter roads.
“ As a result, many of them end up taking part in group tours, which means the number of individual travelers will stop growing if things are left as they are. ”
The Sapporo Municipal Government estimates that the economic impact of hosting the Games will be ¥350 billion for Sapporo alone and ¥450 billion for all of Hokkaido.
Akimoto expects further economic impacts, saying the estimates “ only include the direct impact, such as accommodation during the Games, and do not take into account the potential increase in skiers after the event. ”
However, Sapporo citizens are yet to be shown a clear blueprint for how those imagined gains will become a reality.
This section features topics and issues from Hokkaido covered by the Hokkaido Shimbun, the largest newspaper in the prefecture. The original article was published March 1. | tech |
Britain cedes control of bailed-out NatWest bank | Hi, what are you looking for?
Britain announced that it has ceded control of bailed-out bank giant NatWest, cutting its stake to below 50 percent.
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Britain announced Monday that it has ceded control of bailed-out bank giant NatWest, cutting its stake to below 50 percent for the first time since the global financial crisis.
The government has sold off another tranche of shares for more than £1.2 billion ( $ 1.6 billion, 1.4 billion euros), taking its holding from 50.6 percent to 48.1 percent.
The group was rescued with £45.5 billion of taxpayers’ cash in the world’ s biggest banking bailout at the height of the 2008 meltdown.
“ This is a landmark in the government’ s plan to return to private ownership the institutions brought into public ownership as a result of the 2007-2008 financial crisis, ” the Treasury said in a statement.
The UK had already returned state-rescued Lloyds Banking Group to full private ownership five years ago.
– ‘ Important milestone’ –
NatWest Chief Executive Alison Rose described Monday’ s news as an “ important milestone ”.
Britain has sold about 550 million shares at 220.5 pence per share to NatWest, which was formerly known as Royal Bank of Scotland ( RBS).
“ This sale means that the government is no longer the majority owner of NatWest Group and is therefore an important landmark in our plan to return the bank to the private sector, ” added Economic Secretary to the Treasury John Glen.
“ We will continue to prioritise delivering value for money for the taxpayer as we take forward this plan. ”
At its peak, the government owned 84 percent of the financial services giant but this has been gradually reduced.
The Edinburgh-based bank was ravaged by its badly-timed consortium takeover of Dutch bank ABN Amro at the top of the market in 2007, just before the financial crisis struck.
RBS has since undertaken a massive restructuring to sell assets, slash its balance sheet and axe thousands of jobs worldwide.
The bank returned to net profit in 2017 after nine straight annual losses.
The group’ s performance has been blighted, however, by litigation and conduct costs, including compensation for a mis-selling credit insurance scandal.
Rose, the first female CEO of a major UK lender, renamed the bank NatWest in a bid to move on from its troubled past.
In the wake of the pandemic, RBS sank into the red in 2020 after setting aside billions to cover potential Covid fallout.
But NatWest rebounded back into profit last year as the British economy recovered from Covid.
Since 2008, the group has axed its total workforce from almost 200,000 staff to 56,200 in 2021.
And it has dramatically slashed its balance sheet from £2.2 trillion to just £782 billion.
The bank exited 35 nations and currently operates in 19 countries.
– ‘ Champagne on ice’ –
NatWest shares rose 1.9 percent to 224.70 pence in late Monday morning trade on London’ s rising FTSE 100 index.
However, analysts cautioned about adverse fallout from soaring living costs in home market Britain.
“ Natwest is finally free of state control after well over a decade, ” said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
“ Any champagne might have to be put on ice given the challenges facing the bank from the cost-of-living crisis and the risks of mounting bad debts. ”
With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.
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India relaxes COVID-19 restrictions for international and domestic flights | Following the announcement of resuming international flights, India’ s Ministry of Civil Aviation has announced several relaxations to the existing COVID-19 regulations at airports and on flights.
According to the new rules by the ministry of civil aviation, cabin crew members are no longer needed to wear personal protective equipment ( PPE) kits and security personnel at airports can resume pat-down search of passengers, wherever needed.
Airlines also need not keep three seats vacant on international flights for medical emergencies, the government announced.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation ( MoCA), in its order, said that the restriction of keeping three seats vacant on international flights for handling medical emergencies related to COVID-19 stands removed.
`` Airlines may carry a few additional PPE protective gears, sanitizer and N-95 masks, to handle any respiratory infections related to cases on air, for passengers as well as the crew, '' the MoCA noted.
It said it had allowed full domestic flight operations from October 18, 2021, and has now decided to recommence scheduled international flight operations from March 27, 2022, `` in view of the declining COVID-19 cases, high level of vaccinations and prevailing COVID-19 situation ''.
The requirement of complete PPE kit for crew member stands removed.
`` However, use of face mask and maintenance of hand hygiene/sanitiser continue to be mandatory, '' it added.
The pat-down search by security personnel at airports is reintroduced, wherever needed, as per directions of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.
`` During the process, the security personnel must wear N-95 mask and sanitize hands after each pat-down search, besides following regular COVID-19 protocols, '' the order mentioned. | general |
AccessVR Lab at GCubed, VIPC, and Germanna Community | Stafford, Virginia, March 28, 2022 ( GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AccessVR and GCubed Enterprises, Inc. ( GCubed), in association with the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation ( VIPC), and Germanna Community College, are excited to announce that the Nation's First Immersive Learning Lab for Workforce Development is right here in Virginia! The coalition hosted an invitation-only preview event on March 28, at the GCubed office suite in Stafford, Virginia. Participants had an opportunity to experience live VR demonstrations, interact with in-person and virtual role players, engage with industry leaders, and consider how to plan for the workforce of the future.
The AccessVR Lab at GCubed will bring XR ( extended reality) immersive technologies to all sectors of society, creating a shared marketplace for the distribution of XR talent, services, products, and commercialized experiences here in the heart of Virginia’ s immersive technology corridor. XR is an umbrella term that describes all immersive technologies that merge or extend the reality humans experience by blending virtual and physical worlds or creating a fully immersive experience. These technologies may include augmented reality ( AR), virtual reality ( VR), and mixed reality ( MR).
“ We are excited that technologists in the Commonwealth are leading the way in the adoption of VR, AR, and MR technologies for workforce development. AccessVR and GCubed are emerging as thought leaders in the area of immersive training. Their abilities to help companies, colleges, public service agencies, and the military adopt these new technologies as immersive and effective job training tools is impressive. ” said VIPC Chief Technology Officer David Ihrie.
The lab will serve as a training center for future content creators via apprenticeships, internships, and career certifications, and it will be the first of a growing network of immersive learning labs accessible to Virginia citizens and businesses to share knowledge, resources, training, and partnering opportunities. The space includes a Development Studio, a Conference Room/Command Center, a TacMaze, 360 Video, and VR ( virtual reality) editing suites, and offices.
“ The lab is an exciting initiative that brings public/private government, corporate and academic leaders together to assist Virginia Commonwealth citizenry in accessing, adapting, and adopting the massive opportunities in virtual reality, ” said Chief Immersive Officer J.J. Ruscella.
“ With the proliferation of and advancement in XR technologies, the immersive virtual economy ( and the COVID 19 pandemic) has pushed the need for individuals and organizations to embrace new technologies to connect ideas and talent within the workforce of the future, said GCubed CEO and G3CS Founder Vernon Green Jr. “ We’ re joining forces with AccessVR to make immersive learning a pivotal component of training and education available to everyone in the commonwealth. We want to establish Virginia as a leader and destination for those seeking not only the XR technologies but the workforce that will be trained and prepared by these technologies. ”
For questions about the lab, contact Director of Government Relations and AccessVR Labs Matt Watson at mwatson @ accessvr.com, ( 540) 550-5935 or info @ accessvr.com.
AccessVRprovides immersive technology thought leadership and Extended Reality ( XR) production expertise in immersive learning, providing the innovation and the tools, strategies and knowledge to empower clients, partners, and citizens to engage the power of story within these technologies. It serves clients within the government, military, K-12 and higher education, healthcare, corporate and small business sectors to unlock human potential by expanding realities and contributing to a more connected and compassionate world. Accessvr.com
Founded in 2014, GCubed is a veteran-owned, 8 ( a) IT business with defense, civilian, and commercial past performance. Areas of expertise include network engineering, cybersecurity, and program management. The company is headquartered in Stafford, Va. with contractors across multiple sites in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. https: //gcubedinc.com.
Connecting Innovators with opportunities. The nonprofit operations arm of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority ( VIPA), VIPC is the commercialization and seed stage economic development driver in the Commonwealth that leads funding, infrastructure and policy initiatives to support Virginia’ s innovators, entrepreneurs, startups and market development strategies. VIPC collaborates with local, regional, state, and federal partners to support the expansion and diversification of Virginia’ s economy.
Programs include: Virginia Venture Partners ( VVP) | Virginia Founders Fund ( VFF) | Commonwealth Commercialization Fund ( CCF) | Smart Communities | Unmanned Systems | Entrepreneurial Ecosystems | Regional Innovation Fund ( RIF) | Federal Funding Assistance Program ( FFAP) for SBIR & STTR | University Partnerships | Startup Company Mentoring & Engagement. For more information, please visit www.VirginiaIPC.org. Follow VIPC on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook | general |
China's gasoline, gasoil exports to continue as COVID-19 hits domestic demand | Ira Joseph, directora de gas y electricidad de Platts Analytics, y Ryan Ouwerkerk, director de...
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China's oil companies are likely to continue exporting gasoline and gasoil in April to ease bulging inventories at home, as the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic takes a toll on domestic demand, market sources told S & P Global Commodity Insights on March 28.
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Market sources said refiners may not have much option other than shipping cargoes overseas, and the supply situation has changed, since an earlier request by the country's National Development and Reform Commission to temporarily suspend gasoil and gasoline exports, amid a rise in international oil prices.
However, China's anticipated exports of gasoline and gasoil in April at 416,000 mt and 140,000 mt, respectively, will be lower than March levels of around 500,000 mt for each product.
`` Stocks of gasoline have stayed relatively high over the past few weeks due to the resurgence of COVID-19, '' said a trade source in eastern China.
Stocks of gasoline at China's independent refineries have climbed by about 3 percentage points on the week as of March 24, or 87,300 mt, compared with a week-on-week increase of 2 percentage points as of March 17, according to a local energy information provider.
Although independent refineries have been marginal suppliers, they have often responded quickly to market changes.
China's daily number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to over 1,000 since March 12, standing at 1,219 March 27, according to data from the National Heath Commission. This has resulted in movement restrictions across 20 provinces and municipalities, including populated cities like Shanghai and Jilin province, sending nearly 30 million people into lockdowns, with epicenters of the outbreak accounting for around 30% of China's oil consumption in 2021, according to S & P Global.
Shanghai, which is China's on of the most populated cities and a consuming center of oil products, has decided to undergo a lockdown in two phases over March 28-April 5 to control an outbreak of the highly infectious omicron variant of the coronavirus.
As China witnesses a rising number of cases, oil demand is expected to drop by 650,000 b/d and 400,000 b/d in March and April, respectively, according to S & P Global.
`` The oversupply issue may ease a bit when Sinopec and PetroChina's maintenance period kicks in during April, which will cap oil product exports in the month, '' a Beijing-based analyst said.
Sinopec has shut 564,000 b/d of its refining capacity since mid-March for scheduled maintenance, while PetroChina will shut its 110,000 b/d Liaohe Petrochemical refinery for maintenance from early April.
Market sources said PetroChina will continue to export gasoline in April, a shift in its plan from a few weeks ago when it had no plans to export the transport fuel next month. Previously, the company only planned to export jet fuel.
One of its major exporter refineries in Dalian of northeastern Liaoning province has updated its export schedule with a plan to ship out 32,000 mt of gasoline in April, given the changing market situation. Prior to this, the refinery had only planned to export one jet fuel cargo, same as another of PetroChina's refineries in southern China.
`` Stocks of gasoline have been high because of the pandemic, '' said another refinery source in northeastern Heilongjiang province.
Private refining complex Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical will export at least 114,000 mt of gasoline in April, according to market sources.
According to a company source, the company will try to boost product exports by sending out gasoil cargoes to the overseas market.
Sources said ZPC is likely to trim down its refinery runs in April due to poor petrochemical margins, which will reduce its oil product output. Its run rate in March was more or less stable month on month at around 89%, compared with 88% in February.
Meanwhile, Sinochem, is likely to update its gasoline export plan, by adding 40,000 mt of the barrels into the outflows in April, according to market sources.
The state-owned firm is expected to be the lead exporter of gasoil in April, with at least 100,000 mt of the fuel from its Quanzhou Petrochemical in Fujian and ChemChina's refineries in Shandong, market sources said. The April gasoil outflow estimates have been raised from 80,000 mt a few weeks ago.
In addition to this, Sinopec Tianjin Petrochemical is also expected to export 40,000 mt of gasoil in April, according to a company source.
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Oil falls as Shanghai lockdown boosts fears over weaker demand | In this article
Oil prices fell more than $ 5 on Monday as fears over weaker fuel demand in China grew after its financial hub of Shanghai launched a planned two-stage lockdown on Monday to contain a surge in COVID-19 infections.
The market kicked off another week of uncertainty, buffeted on one side by the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, the world's second-largest crude exporter, and the expansion of COVID-related lockdowns in China, the world's largest crude importer. [ nL2N2VU0G0 ]
Brent crude futures traded $ 5.27, or 4.4%, lower at $ 115.44 per barrel.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate ( WTI) crude futures slid 4.8%, or $ 5.48, to trade at $ 108.42.
Both benchmark contracts rose 1.4% on Friday, notching their first weekly gains in three weeks, with Brent surging more than 11.5% and WTI climbing 8.8%.
`` Shanghai's lockdown prompted a fresh sell-off from disappointed investors as they expected such a lockdown would be avoided, '' said Kazuhiko Saito, chief analyst at Fujitomi Securities Co Ltd.
China's financial hub of Shanghai launched a planned two-stage lockdown of the city of 26 million people on Monday, closing bridges and tunnels, and restricting highway traffic in a scramble to contain surging local COVID-19 cases.
Saito said that the bullish reaction to a missile attack by Yemen's Houthis on a Saudi oil distribution facility had run its course on Friday.
But, he expected the oil market to turn bullish when the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC) and allies, known as OPEC+, meet on Thursday, as the group was `` less likely to raise oil output at a faster pace than in recent months ''.
Analysts have varying estimates of how hard Russian oil exports could be hit by economic sanctions imposed on Moscow by the United States and its allies following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Some reckon that one million to three million barrels per day of Russian oil might not make it to the market.
Russia exports between 4 million and 5 million barrels of crude every day, making it the world's second-largest exporter behind Saudi Arabia.
OPEC+ has so far resisted calls from major consuming nations to step up an output boost. The group has been raising output by 400,000 barrels per day ( bpd) each month since August to unwind cuts made when the COVID-19 pandemic hit demand.
`` Oil prices will likely stay above $ 100 a barrel for a while as global supply will only get tighter as supply from Russia declines while the United States is headed to driving season, '' said Tetsu Emori, CEO of Emori Fund Management Inc.
Global stockpiles are at their lowest since 2014.
To help ease tight supply, the United States is considering another release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve ( SPR) that could be bigger than the sale of 30 million barrels earlier this month, a source said.
`` But given the already-low inventories, there will be limited release of SPR, which is seen as another supporting factor to the market, '' Emori said.
U.S. drillers added oil rigs for a 19th month in a row but at the slowest pace since 2020 even though the government urged producers to boost output. | business |
Even the Biggest 'Bridgerton ' Fans Don't Know These Surprising Facts | Every product on this page was chosen by a Harper's BAZAAR editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
Hold on to your tiaras and satin gloves, because Bridgerton is ( almost!) back. The Regency-era romance was a runaway hit when season 1 came out, largely due to its extravagant fashion and truly steamy scenes. While you won't see the Duke of Hastings this time around, Anthony Bridgerton is coming in hot as the new focal character and is bringing all the drama you 've been missing.
Before you start your binge-watch, we want you to ask yourself this: How much do you really know about the show? From how many original outfits were created in season 1 ( hint: it's over 4,000!) to who almost played the Duke of Hastings before Regé-Jean Page was cast, these surprising Bridgerton facts are so juicy, they 'd even impress Queen Charlotte — and we all know that's no easy feat. WATCH BRIDGERTON ON NETFLIX
Yep, that's why Lady Whistledown's voice sounds so familiar! Julie Andrews recorded all of her parts over Zoom in a New York studio. `` We sent her the scripts, she ended up reading the scripts and loving the scripts. And she said yes, '' showrunner Chris Van Dusen told StarLifestyle.
You know, the creative genius behind Grey's Anatomy, How to Get Away With Murder, and Scandal? Bridgerton is the producer's very first project with Netflix, but not her last: She signed $ 150 million deal with the streaming service in 2017. Her second project was Inventing Anna.
Julia Quinn wrote eight books in the Bridgerton series, giving the show plenty of content to work with. The novelist also serves as a consultant for producers. `` I really felt like it was in such good hands that I didn't need to micromanage in any way, '' she told Town & Country.
The character was created for the show and the author of Bridgerton thinks it was a great call. `` Queen Charlotte is the biggest new character and she's fantastic in every way. I go back and forth between: 'Wow, I wish I 'd put her in the books. ' And: ' I 'm glad I didn't put her in the books because I wouldn't have done her as great as they do her here, ' '' Julia Quinn told Town & Country.
Old Hollywood fans would recognize those curled bangs anywhere. `` When I did Daphne's first fittings she had these amazing eyebrows and the looks that we started doing reminded me of Audrey Hepburn, '' hair and makeup artist Marc Pilcher told Insider. `` When I Googled the images of Audrey I just looked at the pictures and thought 'My god that's Daphne to a T. ' ''
`` I know Ellen [ Mirojnick ], the costume designer, had been to the Christian Dior exhibition at the V & A so she had all these 1950s necklines and 1950s prints, '' Marc Pilcher told Insider. `` So I made Lady Featherington into a red-headed Elizabeth Taylor. ''
Queen C took some style tips from Queen B. `` When I researched Queen Charlotte and found out that she was of African descent, it gave me so much more scope to create her beautiful looks, '' Marc Pilcher told Vogue. As the hair stylist later told Essence: `` I was picking through some images and then I saw Beyoncé Knowles in Austin Powers Goldmember and that's when I thought, 'That's what I want. ' I wanted the biggest afro someone had ever seen. ''
That beautiful look involved a ton of work, and took the hair department three to four weeks to complete. To get that volume, four to five wigs were sewn together.
A team of over 200 people worked on the elaborate looks for five months. Between hats, shawls and overcoats, a total of 7,500 pieces were created for 5,000 outfits. Daphne Bridgerton had 104 different looks alone!
He previously starred in Shonda Rhimes's 2018 legal drama For the People. We're definitely watching that ASAP.
Though the actor left on good terms, he wasn't thrilled with the direction Shonda Rhimes and her team had his character heading in. His role in season 2 `` would have kept him a player but not the focal point of the show, ” a source told Page Six. He later told Variety he enjoyed his `` one-season arc '' that allowed him to `` contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on. ''
It was during a conversation with show creators and producers, that Jonathan landed the role of Anthony Bridgerton instead. `` It wasn't until I was talking to the production company and Chris Van Dusen, the showrunner, and at the end of the meeting we 'd spoken about family, and men in society, and women in society, and our own personal experiences, '' he told Oprah Daily. `` And they said, 'Have you thought about Anthony? We're gon na send you some scripts to read because we think you might be an Anthony. ' ''
`` I first auditioned for Lady Danbury. But it went to the marvelous, marvelous Adjoa Andoh, who is a dear friend. Then they came back and said, 'Would you attend a self-taping for Queen Charlotte? ' '' the actress revealed.
A.k.a. the famous estate where Princess Diana spent her teen years. `` The interior of Bridgerton House was inspired by my visit to Althorp when I was developing the show. Elegance. Opulence. And that # staircase, '' show creator Chris Van Dusen said on Twitter.
If the Wilton House looks familiar, that's because it was used for the exterior shots of the Duke's home. Then the inside was turned into Queen Charlotte's bedroom, `` presentation chamber, '' parlour and garden, Lady Danbury's library, and Clyvedon Castle's dining room. Fun fact: Part of The Crown was filmed here, too!
That enchanting ivy and flowing wisteria? All fake. It was edited in to add to the home's dramatic flair. Other CGI shots include exteriors of the opera house and the London streets.
The show's soundtrack often features classical remakes of popular hits, like Taylor Swift's `` Wildest Dreams '' and Ariana Grande's `` thank u, next. '' As Bridgerton's composer, Kris Bowers, put it, orchestral versions of modern songs make the 19th century characters more relatable
Gunter's Tea Shop was one of London's most popular hotspots during the time, located in Berkley Square.
Specially, 19th century boxer Bill Richmond, who's often dubbed as `` Britain's first Black sports star. '' Richmond was so beloved and well-respected, he served as an usher at King George IV's coronation in 1821.
Remember that scene with Simon and Daphne in the rain? That moment — along with all the other steamy ones in the show — was inspired by 1995's Pride and Prejudice. `` Obviously Colin Firth coming out of that lake with the white shirt is seared in my mind, '' Chris Van Dusen told the Los Angeles Times. `` But I wanted to see a period piece that went further than that. ''
Those moments are treated like stunts, and were choreographed by intimacy coordinator Lizzy Talbot, who was hired to keep the actors feeling comfortable. `` When you're treating the intimacy scenes in the same way that you are treating the stunt rehearsals, as you are treating the dance rehearsals, it takes the awkwardness and the fear out of them because it's just another scene at that point, '' she told The Sunday Times.
Jonathan Bailey and Sabrina Bartlett couldn't stop laughing when it came time for their characters, Anthony and Siena, to get together under a boxing ring. `` We were rehearsing for that in a hotel and we kept getting notifications from production asking, 'Are you ready yet? ' and we were dissolving into laughter so often. It was a bit of a slow day! '' Lizzy Talbot shared with Insider.
The entire show is filled with little hidden message meant for readers of the books — from the Bridgerton family being really good at croquet to images of bumblebees ( like the one hiding on this door knocker!). Sorry, you 'll have to read the books to learn more!
Though the novels don't mention anything about race, producers felt it was important to accurately represent their characters. `` I think that working with historians, it became very clear that 19th century Regency London was a lot more diverse and a lot more colorful than people thought it to be, '' Chris Van Dusen told Collider. In fact, many believe Queen Charlotte was the first biracial member of the British royal family.
Behind the scenes, cast and crew call the Featherington family `` the Regency Kardashians. '' And yes, the actresses who play them do too. Why? `` There's the three daughters, and then the pushy mom, '' Nicola Coughlan ( Penelope Featherington) told Entertainment Weekly. Makes sense.
The Pomeranians aren't just adorable little costars — they're based on history. The real Queen Charlotte was known for her love of the toy breed, and owned several of them throughout her life.
There's Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth.
The moment Simon, the Duke of Hastings, revealed his feelings for Daphne to Queen Charlotte — you know the one — is a fan favorite scene. But it almost didn't happen, because Queen Elizabeth needed the space at London's Lancaster House where it was shot to host an event, so cast and crew had to quickly wrap up.
Certain sets aren't sets at all, like the Duke of Hasting's bedroom. When possible, cast and crew filmed inside preserved 19th century homes, but the people who care for these spaces often demand to be in the room while filming happens, to make sure nothing is damaged or moved. ``... they wouldn’ t leave. The idea of a closed set is absolutely sacrosanct. But for these room monitors, their jobs were more sacrosanct to them. So they were in the scenes with us, '' director Julie Anne Robinson told Deadline.
No spoilers here, promise! But Lady Whistledown being unmasked in the first season was shocking not just for fans, but for the author of the books as well. `` I 'm watching the rough cuts and all of a sudden at the end, I was like, 'What?! ' I had no idea. It was really funny, my reaction. I thought it was a secret, and I think I ended up emailing Caitlin [ Scott, who works at Shondaland ] in all caps: `` I HAVE QUESTIONS, '' Julia Quinn told Town & Country.
Instead of placing the focus on romance, Bridgerton was almost made into an `` epic war-drama. '' Producers eventually chose to follow more closely along with the books.
At least if author Julia Quinn has anything to say about it. `` I love her so much that I 'm not sure I could create somebody good enough for her, '' she told Oprah Daily. `` I think she's reached a point where she's an independent woman and she's happy. ''
While some of the pieces are real, others have been altered to fit the story. For example, in one scene, the head and collar of 1600s artist Juan de Pareja was digitally superimposed to make him an aristocrat. `` The resulting composite image transforms an actual portrait of an enslaved artist into an imaginary one of a Black aristocrat, presumably meant to represent one of the Queen’ s ancestors, '' Getty's Richard Rand wrote.
Fans couldn't help but fall in love with Eloise and Penelope's sweet friendship on the show — and the actresses who play them, Claudia Jessie and Nicola Coughlan, are just as close. `` We had four wonderful directors on this show too and they were like, 'We really love Peneloise. ' And we 'd say, 'We love them too! ' '' Nicola told Seventeen.
After filming wrapped for season 1, it became hard for the cast to stay in touch because of the COVID-19 pandemic. `` Lockdown made it really hard. But there's Zoom and a WhatsApp group that's still pumping in our pockets, '' Jonathan Bailey told Oprah Daily. `` Me and Phoebe have grown incredibly close and the bros, the two Lukes [ Luke Newton and Luke Thompson ] are really close as well. ''
Who better to get advice from than actual fans? `` I spent a lot of time lurking on online book forums to see what fans thought, '' the actress told The Guardian. `` I realized that [ Penelope ] is this really beloved character, because she's not this perfect girl that all the boys love. She's a complete wallflower. So I thought, 'OK, I really, really wan na do that justice. ' ''
It's no coincidence that Queen Charlotte is portrayed as always being in the know. `` She was definitely very much a part of the social scene during Regency times, so having her with us was important from a historical perspective as well, '' Chris Van Dusen told ET Online.
Filming season 2 wasn't easy, as production was shut down multiple times due to positive COVID-19 cases. According to The Sun, a situation occurred after the cast and crew's tests were allegedly mixed up, delaying everything. `` The tests were cross-contaminated, meaning they all had to be done again, '' a source said.
English shoe brand Malone Souliers partnered with the show on a special Bridgerton line, complete with all the intricate details and polished styles Regency fashion is known for.
If you happen to be a history buff and catch a line or two that's wrong, don't worry: `` We honored the history, of course, but we're not beholden to it. Even though we're set in the 19th century, we wanted things to feel relatable. We wanted audiences to see themselves in these characters, '' Christ Van Dusen told The Daily Express. | general |
Crude oil futures tumble after Shanghai locks down city for testing | In this episode of the Oil Markets Podcast, S & P Global Commodity Insights editors Paul Hickin, Emma...
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Crude oil futures tumbled in mid-morning Asian trade March 28 after the Shanghai government locked down half the city for mass testing as COVID-19 cases there hit a record high.
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At 11 am Singapore time ( 0300 GMT), the ICE May Brent futures contract was down $ 2.79/b ( 2.31%) from the previous close at $ 117.86/b, while the NYMEX May light sweet crude contract was $ 3.02/b ( 2.65%) lower at $ 110.88/b.
Half of Shanghai will be locked down for four days starting March 28 for mass testing, with the other half to into lockdown in the subsequent four days, the local government said in a statement.
Residents will not be allowed to leave home and public transport and ride-hailing services will be suspended, the local government said in the statement. Private cars will also be barred from the road unless necessary.
This comes after the city reported a record 3,450 asymptomatic cases and 50 symptomatic cases March 27, the city government said on its official WeChat account. This was up from 2,631 asymptomatic cases and 47 symptomatic cases the previous day.
`` The market has come under pressure with the latest COVID developments in China, '' said ING analysts Warren Patterson and Wenyu Yao in a March 28 note. `` Authorities have decided to impose a staggered lockdown in order to carry out mass testing. This action yet again highlights that China is not willing to drop its zero-COVID policy and so continues to be a downside risk for the market, '' they said.
The move will bring to mind previous lockdowns imposed by Chinese authorities and the resultant hit to oil demand. The front-month ICE Brent crude contract had plunged as low as $ 116/b in early morning trade March 28, though it later recouped some losses.
Investors this week will also be keeping watch on the OPEC+ group's next meeting on March 31. Analysts expect the group to stand pat on its gradual monthly production increases despite oil prices hovering at multi-year highs.
`` The upcoming OPEC meeting will also be on watch this week, which may likely see a muted response from the group to current geopolitical tensions, as members may stick to its current production schedule of a gradual 400,000 bpd increase in oil supplies, '' said IG market strategist Yeap Jun Rong. `` If it holds true, it may aid to underpin oil prices and support further upside. ''
Dubai crude swaps and intermonth spreads were higher in mid-morning trade in Asia March 28 from the previous close.
The May Dubai swap was pegged at $ 105.94/b at 11 am Singapore time, up $ 1.63/b ( 1.56%) from the March 25 Asian market close.
The April-May Dubai swap intermonth spread was pegged at $ 4.67/b at 11 am, up 6 cents/b over the same period, and the May-June intermonth spread pegged at $ 3.42/b, up 32 cents/b.
The May Brent/Dubai EFS was pegged at $ 11.92/b, down 11 cents/b.
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The 11 Most Awkward Moments From the 2022 Oscars | We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love. Promise.
Not every moment was seamless….
As an awards show, the Oscars have delivered a lot of surprises throughout the years. This is the event that gifted the world Nicole Kidman’ s alien clap and the La La Land/Moonlight mix-up, after all. With any risky televised production, not everything always lands, but that’ s part of the fun!
The 2022 Oscars has followed in this legacy by delivering a few hilarious, not-so-according-to-plan memories for the celebrities and audience alike. So many weird cutaways! So much stilted banter between presenters! So much awkwardness! Here are the most awkward moments to add to Oscars lore for years to come ( including that viral Will Smith/Chris Rock moment).
So this was definitely more WTF than funny, but Rachel Zegler, one of West Side Story’ s main actors, just…didn’ t get an Oscars invite. She’ s filming Snow White for Disney in London right now, but still! West Side Story got a bunch of Oscar nominations, so it was all very weird. Thankfully, after Rachel spoke up about it on social media, the Academy and Disney worked to rectify the situation, meaning Rachel ultimately got to attend her first Oscars. She even joked about the moment while presenting with Jacob Elordi, quipping, “ And I never thought I would be here six days ago. Dreams really can come true—pretty fast too. ”
After being snubbed for her role in House of Gucci, Lady Gaga decided to ditch the Oscars red carpet in order to attend Elton John’ s Academy Awards viewing party instead. However! She did arrive later ( in a new’ fit, ofc) in order to present an award with Liza Minnelli, so better late than never!
In a controversial change, eight award categories were announced ahead of time, including Riz Ahmed’ s win for the short film The Long Goodbye. Although the win was pretty damn historic ( he’ s the first Muslim to win the Oscar for live-action short film), nobody outside the room could watch it happen and most people ended up finding out about the win via Twitter. Biiig fail.
Riz Ahmed just won an Oscar and nobody outside the room could watch it happen, this is a MISERABLE way to learn about Oscar winners Academy.
It’ s no secret that fans weren’ t too thrilled by Nicole Kidman’ s casting as Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos, but the internet ( mostly) got over it after seeing the finished product. However! The movie still didn’ t get a ton of love from the Academy, as it earned only three nominations, all for acting…and Nicole made it clear she wasn’ t super happy about it on the red carpet. During her E! interview, Nicole alluded to the snub, saying, “ All of the work we do is only possible because of the people behind the scenes. ” Hmm….
While Regina Hall’ s COVID-19-themed bit ( where she brought a handful of single male stars—such as Simu Liu and Timothée Chalamet—onstage for “ random Covid testing, ” even performing “ Covid pat-downs ” on Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin) got plenty of laughs, the joke didn’ t land with everyone. Some criticized the Oscars for allowing a COVID-19 joke after so many have lost their lives throughout the pandemic, while others just found the bit cringey and objectifying.
While presenting the award for Best International Feature Film, presenters Simu Liu and Tiffany Haddish got real flirty…and while some people were feeling their chemistry, others thought the bit felt more uncomfy than sexy—especially when Simu made that voulez-vous coucher avec moi joke to Tiffany right out of the gate. 😳
After Drive My Car nabbed the award for Best International Feature Film, Ryusuke Hamaguchi took the stage to give a speech—but he barely got his moment to shine. The music started to play—twice—while he was speaking, and although he eventually got his chance to thank everyone, the disrespect was pretty evident.
The disrespect to Ryusuke Hamaguchi….Cutting him off twice and pushing him off the stage. Very annoyed # Oscars
Although Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher have been working tirelessly to help those affected by the war ( even starting a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised $ 35 million), Mila’ s message about Russia’ s invasion of Ukraine while presenting at the Oscars was surprisingly vague, instead alluding to “ recent global events. ”
The somber In Memoriam segment is a classic part of the Oscars, and while there’ s usually an awkward oversight or two, what made it weird this year was the choice to make it into a super-upbeat musical interlude, complete with gospel singers, dancers, and a series of celeb cameos that included Jamie Lee Curtis holding a rescue dog named Mac and Cheese. It was…definitely a choice. Oh, and to make things worse, Bob Saget and Norm Macdonald were seemingly both excluded.
Yes, ofc we’ ve got ta talk about THAT moment. While presenting an award, Chris Rock cracked a joke about Will Smith’ s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith ( who’ s spoken openly about having a hair-loss condition), looking like the star of G.I. Jane 2 due to her low fade cut. The joke apparently didn’ t sit well with Will, who then took to the stage to slap Chris and tell him to “ keep my wife’ s name out of your f * cking mouth, ” all of which was censored. From the silence of the audience and the look on Chris’ s face, it def seems like the reaction was 100 percent unscripted.
Will then won the Best Actor award for his performance in King Richard—and as expected, his speech was all kinds of uncomfortable following his tense moment with Chris. In a lengthy speech, he apologized to his fellow nominees, he cried a lot, he accidentally spit while talking ( and acknowledged it), and he concluded by saying he hoped the Academy would invite him back. Truly! Wild! Times! | general |
Spain targets €16bn to help mitigate price inflation from Ukraine war | The government will offer some €6bn in tax breaks and direct aid with another €10bn in loans for small- and medium-sized companies as part of a sweeping package of policies to counter surging costs, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in Madrid.
Spain plans to hand out about €16bn to households and businesses through the end of June to mitigate the impact of the war in Ukraine.
The government will offer some €6bn in tax breaks and direct aid with another €10bn in loans for small- and medium-sized companies as part of a sweeping package of policies to counter surging costs, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in Madrid. The package will be approved later on Tuesday by the Spanish cabinet, he said.
Spain, together with Portugal, will send a proposal this week to the EU to cap gas prices, on the back of a special authorisation announced late last week by Brussels authorising the two countries to intervene in power markets.
The government is betting that a combination of economic aid and finding a way to decouple gas prices from electricity costs will help defuse internal tensions. Spanish inflation in February reached the highest in more than 30 years and power prices have been setting new records for months.
Other measures announced by Mr Sanchez included an offer to households for a 20c discount on fuel, with the Spanish government paying 15c and fuel providers the rest. He also proposes a discount in place through June 30; lower electricity charges by €1.8bn; and some €360m in aid for agriculture and €68m for the fish industry.
Meanwhile, global oil prices slid but European wholesale gas prices rose again in the latest session. Oil prices tumbled more than 6% after China's financial hub of Shanghai launched a lockdown to curb a surge in Covid-19 infections, prompting renewed fears of demand destruction. | general |
New Gateway to Virginia’ s Emerging Immersive Technology | Richmond, Virginia, March 28, 2022 ( GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AccessVR and GCubed Enterprises, Inc. ( GCubed), in association with theVirginia Innovation Partnership Corporation ( VIPC), and Germanna Community College, are excited to announce that the Nation's First Immersive Learning Lab for Workforce Development is right here in Virginia! The coalition hosted an invitation-only preview event on March 28, at the GCubed office suite in Stafford, Virginia. Participants had an opportunity to experience live VR demonstrations, interact with in-person and virtual role players, engage with industry leaders, and consider how to plan for the workforce of the future.
The AccessVR Lab at GCubed will bring XR ( extended reality) immersive technologies to all sectors of society, creating a shared marketplace for the distribution of XR talent, services, products, and commercialized experiences here in the heart of Virginia’ s immersive technology corridor. XR is an umbrella term that describes all immersive technologies that merge or extend the reality humans experience by blending virtual and physical worlds or creating a fully immersive experience. These technologies may include augmented reality ( AR), virtual reality ( VR), and mixed reality ( MR).
“ We are excited that technologists in the Commonwealth are leading the way in the adoption of VR, AR, and MR technologies for workforce development. AccessVR and GCubed are emerging as thought leaders in the area of immersive training. Their abilities to help companies, colleges, public service agencies, and the military adopt these new technologies as immersive and effective job training tools is impressive. ” said VIPC Chief Technology Officer David Ihrie.
The lab will serve as a training center for future content creators via apprenticeships, internships, and career certifications, and it will be the first of a growing network of immersive learning labs accessible to Virginia citizens and businesses to share knowledge, resources, training, and partnering opportunities. The space includes a Development Studio, a Conference Room/Command Center, a TacMaze, 360 Video, and VR ( virtual reality) editing suites, and offices.
“ The lab is an exciting initiative that brings public/private government, corporate and academic leaders together to assist Virginia Commonwealth citizenry in accessing, adapting, and adopting the massive opportunities in virtual reality, ” said Chief Immersive Officer J.J. Ruscella.
“ With the proliferation of and advancement in XR technologies, the immersive virtual economy ( and the COVID 19 pandemic) has pushed the need for individuals and organizations to embrace new technologies to connect ideas and talent within the workforce of the future, said GCubed CEO and G3CS Founder Vernon Green Jr. “ We’ re joining forces with AccessVR to make immersive learning a pivotal component of training and education available to everyone in the commonwealth. We want to establish Virginia as a leader and destination for those seeking not only the XR technologies but the workforce that will be trained and prepared by these technologies. ”
For questions about the lab, contact Director of Government Relations and AccessVR Labs Matt Watson at mwatson @ accessvr.com, ( 540) 550-5935 or info @ accessvr.com.
AccessVRprovides immersive technology thought leadership and Extended Reality ( XR) production expertise in immersive learning, providing the innovation and the tools, strategies and knowledge to empower clients, partners, and citizens to engage the power of story within these technologies. It serves clients within the government, military, K-12 and higher education, healthcare, corporate and small business sectors to unlock human potential by expanding realities and contributing to a more connected and compassionate world. Accessvr.com
Founded in 2014, GCubed is a veteran-owned, 8 ( a) IT business with defense, civilian, and commercial past performance. Areas of expertise include network engineering, cybersecurity, and program management. The company is headquartered in Stafford, Va. with contractors across multiple sites in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. https: //gcubedinc.com.
Connecting Innovators with opportunities. The nonprofit operations arm of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority ( VIPA), VIPC is the commercialization and seed stage economic development driver in the Commonwealth that leads funding, infrastructure and policy initiatives to support Virginia’ s innovators, entrepreneurs, startups and market development strategies. VIPC collaborates with local, regional, state, and federal partners to support the expansion and diversification of Virginia’ s economy.
Programs include: Virginia Venture Partners ( VVP) | Virginia Founders Fund ( VFF) | Commonwealth Commercialization Fund ( CCF) | Smart Communities | Unmanned Systems | Entrepreneurial Ecosystems | Regional Innovation Fund ( RIF) | Federal Funding Assistance Program ( FFAP) for SBIR & STTR | University Partnerships | Startup Company Mentoring & Engagement. For more information, please visit www.VirginiaIPC.org. Follow VIPC on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook | general |
Battle over beer sales heating up in Japan | A beer sales battle is intensifying in Japan, with major makers switching their targets from restaurants to people who drink at home as demand for drinking parties and holiday outings remains sluggish amid the prolonged coronavirus crisis.
Beer prices dropped following a liquor tax revision in October 2020. Sales of canned beer are growing thanks to a shift from so-called third-segment quasi-beer, for which the tax rate was raised, and robust home-related demand amid the pandemic.
In February, Asahi Breweries Ltd. fully renewed its Super Dry beer for the first time since its launch in 1987 although some in the firm had been cautious about the revamp of the flagship product, which has numerous fans.
Earlier this month, Asahi Breweries set up a special sales area for the renewed product at an Ito-Yokado supermarket in Tokyo’ s Ota Ward. Super Dry sales at the shop in early March jumped around 50% from a year before.
Kirin Brewery Co. recently renewed its Spring Valley Hojun 496 craft beer, released only last year. The company sees the move as an “ opportunity for regrowth evolving around canned products, ” Kirin Brewery President Hideki Horiguchi said.
The company aims for a 50% year-on-year rise in Spring Valley Hojun 496 sales, hoping that it will grow into a new mainline product after its popular Ichibanshibori beer.
Suntory Beer Ltd. is launching variants of The Premium Malt’ s and other products to meet diverse tastes of consumers.
Sapporo Breweries Ltd. has enhanced the flavor of its mainstay Black Label beer. The company is also seeking to bolster sales by renewing its membership website. | tech |
Marker Movers Asia, March 28-April 1: COVID-19 lockdowns in China weigh on Asia's commodity markets | In this episode of the Oil Markets Podcast, S & P Global Commodity Insights editors Paul Hickin, Emma...
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After settling at its highest price in over a decade on April 7, the NYMEX Henry Hub prompt-month...
This week: Chinese steel makers are set to cut output due to COVID-19 lockdowns, China's car manufacturers are raising alarm over rising prices of nickel and lithium, Asian consumers will track USDA's planting intentions report for key grain and oilseed crops and spotlight is on S & P Global Commodity Insights ' Asia Energy Transition Conference.
But first, oil markets are closely watching for any signs of further COVID-19 related lockdowns in top Asian oil consuming nations like China and South Korea. New clusters of COVID-19 infections in China, South Korea, Vietnam, and Hong Kong may set back the recent resurgence in oil demand. However, industry sources said the possibility of a sharp pull back in consumption appears remote.
Except for China, none of the other countries have announced any new restrictions to personal mobility or economic activity.
In its latest projections for Asia, S & P Global lowered its 2022 Asian oil demand growth to 1.1 million barrels per day.
In metals, more blast furnaces are likely to halt operations in China's Tangshan city this week. City-wide lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted delivery of raw materials to local steel mills.
However, traders in eastern Shanghai and southern Guangdong said that steel demand has fallen faster than production. Steel sales are currently around 50% -60% of the levels seen last year.
China's lithium carbonate prices may also see a correction. The prices had hit a record high of Yuan 510,000 per metric ton earlier this month amid strong demand and supply tightness. More than 20 energy manufacturers have raised their sale price due to the rally in costs of lithium and nickel. China's car makers and some government agencies have raised alarm over the surge in prices of power battery raw materials as it will adversely impact China's electric vehicle industry.
That brings us to our social media question for the week: Will the rally in lithium and nickel prices hurt China's EV industry? Share your thoughts on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Staying with the theme of energy transition, the first edition of the Asia Energy Transition Conference will be held on March 30 and 31. The virtual conference will see top industry experts in the region discuss pathways to a low carbon future and the opportunities and challenges of greening Asia's energy systems.
International carbon markets, the role of carbon capture and storage technologies, maritime decarbonization and the emergence of hydrogen as a fuel of the future will be some of the topics of discussion.
In agriculture, Asian buyers will track US Department of Agriculture's quarterly stocks report.
It will provide insights on the supply of wheat, corn and soybeans in the US. US is a major exporter of grains to many Asian countries including Japan, South Korea, and China. The US will also release its annual prospective plantings report this week. The report will give an idea of the farmers ' planting intentions for key crops for the upcoming marketing year. With food supplies from Black Sea region stuck due to the war in Ukraine, the survey will give an indication of grain and oilseeds supply in the year.
And finally, in Asian thermal coal markets, buyers from China are expected to return to the market to replenish inventories ahead of the summer. Amid a supply crunch in the market, world's largest exporter Indonesia is likely to hold on to bullish offer levels. Tight supply is expected to support Australian high-ash coal prices as well. However, trade sources expect buying interest to wane due to steep price increases.
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Even the Biggest 'Bridgerton ' Fans Don't Know These Surprising Facts | We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love. Promise.
Hold on to your tiaras and satin gloves, because Bridgerton is ( almost!) back. The Regency-era romance was a runaway hit when season 1 came out, largely due to its extravagant fashion and truly steamy scenes. While you won't see the Duke of Hastings this time around, Anthony Bridgerton is coming in hot as the new focal character and is bringing all the drama you 've been missing.
Before you start your binge-watch, we want you to ask yourself this: How much do you really know about the show? From how many original outfits were created in season 1 ( hint: it's over 4,000!) to who almost played the Duke of Hastings before Regé-Jean Page was cast, these surprising Bridgerton facts are so juicy, they 'd even impress Queen Charlotte — and we all know that's no easy feat. WATCH BRIDGERTON ON NETFLIX
Yep, that's why Lady Whistledown's voice sounds so familiar! Julie Andrews recorded all of her parts over Zoom in a New York studio. `` We sent her the scripts, she ended up reading the scripts and loving the scripts. And she said yes, '' showrunner Chris Van Dusen told StarLifestyle.
You know, the creative genius behind Grey's Anatomy, How to Get Away With Murder, and Scandal? Bridgerton is the producer's very first project with Netflix, but not her last: She signed $ 150 million deal with the streaming service in 2017. Her second project was Inventing Anna.
Julia Quinn wrote eight books in the Bridgerton series, giving the show plenty of content to work with. The novelist also serves as a consultant for producers. `` I really felt like it was in such good hands that I didn't need to micromanage in any way, '' she told Town & Country.
The character was created for the show and the author of Bridgerton thinks it was a great call. `` Queen Charlotte is the biggest new character and she's fantastic in every way. I go back and forth between: 'Wow, I wish I 'd put her in the books. ' And: ' I 'm glad I didn't put her in the books because I wouldn't have done her as great as they do her here, ' '' Julia Quinn told Town & Country.
Old Hollywood fans would recognize those curled bangs anywhere. `` When I did Daphne's first fittings she had these amazing eyebrows and the looks that we started doing reminded me of Audrey Hepburn, '' hair and makeup artist Marc Pilcher told Insider. `` When I Googled the images of Audrey I just looked at the pictures and thought 'My god that's Daphne to a T. ' ''
`` I know Ellen [ Mirojnick ], the costume designer, had been to the Christian Dior exhibition at the V & A so she had all these 1950s necklines and 1950s prints, '' Marc Pilcher told Insider. `` So I made Lady Featherington into a red-headed Elizabeth Taylor. ''
Queen C took some style tips from Queen B. `` When I researched Queen Charlotte and found out that she was of African descent, it gave me so much more scope to create her beautiful looks, '' Marc Pilcher told Vogue. As the hair stylist later told Essence: `` I was picking through some images and then I saw Beyoncé Knowles in Austin Powers Goldmember and that's when I thought, 'That's what I want. ' I wanted the biggest afro someone had ever seen. ''
That beautiful look involved a ton of work, and took the hair department three to four weeks to complete. To get that volume, four to five wigs were sewn together.
A team of over 200 people worked on the elaborate looks for five months. Between hats, shawls and overcoats, a total of 7,500 pieces were created for 5,000 outfits. Daphne Bridgerton had 104 different looks alone!
He previously starred in Shonda Rhimes's 2018 legal drama For the People. We're definitely watching that ASAP.
Though the actor left on good terms, he wasn't thrilled with the direction Shonda Rhimes and her team had his character heading in. His role in season 2 `` would have kept him a player but not the focal point of the show, ” a source told Page Six. He later told Variety he enjoyed his `` one-season arc '' that allowed him to `` contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on. ''
It was during a conversation with show creators and producers, that Jonathan landed the role of Anthony Bridgerton instead. `` It wasn't until I was talking to the production company and Chris Van Dusen, the showrunner, and at the end of the meeting we 'd spoken about family, and men in society, and women in society, and our own personal experiences, '' he told Oprah Daily. `` And they said, 'Have you thought about Anthony? We're gon na send you some scripts to read because we think you might be an Anthony. ' ''
`` I first auditioned for Lady Danbury. But it went to the marvelous, marvelous Adjoa Andoh, who is a dear friend. Then they came back and said, 'Would you attend a self-taping for Queen Charlotte? ' '' the actress revealed.
A.k.a. the famous estate where Princess Diana spent her teen years. `` The interior of Bridgerton House was inspired by my visit to Althorp when I was developing the show. Elegance. Opulence. And that # staircase, '' show creator Chris Van Dusen said on Twitter.
If the Wilton House looks familiar, that's because it was used for the exterior shots of the Duke's home. Then the inside was turned into Queen Charlotte's bedroom, `` presentation chamber, '' parlour and garden, Lady Danbury's library, and Clyvedon Castle's dining room. Fun fact: Part of The Crown was filmed here, too!
That enchanting ivy and flowing wisteria? All fake. It was edited in to add to the home's dramatic flair. Other CGI shots include exteriors of the opera house and the London streets.
The show's soundtrack often features classical remakes of popular hits, like Taylor Swift's `` Wildest Dreams '' and Ariana Grande's `` thank u, next. '' As Bridgerton's composer, Kris Bowers, put it, orchestral versions of modern songs make the 19th century characters more relatable
Gunter's Tea Shop was one of London's most popular hotspots during the time, located in Berkley Square.
Specially, 19th century boxer Bill Richmond, who's often dubbed as `` Britain's first Black sports star. '' Richmond was so beloved and well-respected, he served as an usher at King George IV's coronation in 1821.
Remember that scene with Simon and Daphne in the rain? That moment — along with all the other steamy ones in the show — was inspired by 1995's Pride and Prejudice. `` Obviously Colin Firth coming out of that lake with the white shirt is seared in my mind, '' Chris Van Dusen told the Los Angeles Times. `` But I wanted to see a period piece that went further than that. ''
Those moments are treated like stunts, and were choreographed by intimacy coordinator Lizzy Talbot, who was hired to keep the actors feeling comfortable. `` When you're treating the intimacy scenes in the same way that you are treating the stunt rehearsals, as you are treating the dance rehearsals, it takes the awkwardness and the fear out of them because it's just another scene at that point, '' she told The Sunday Times.
Jonathan Bailey and Sabrina Bartlett couldn't stop laughing when it came time for their characters, Anthony and Siena, to get together under a boxing ring. `` We were rehearsing for that in a hotel and we kept getting notifications from production asking, 'Are you ready yet? ' and we were dissolving into laughter so often. It was a bit of a slow day! '' Lizzy Talbot shared with Insider.
The entire show is filled with little hidden message meant for readers of the books — from the Bridgerton family being really good at croquet to images of bumblebees ( like the one hiding on this door knocker!). Sorry, you 'll have to read the books to learn more!
Though the novels don't mention anything about race, producers felt it was important to accurately represent their characters. `` I think that working with historians, it became very clear that 19th century Regency London was a lot more diverse and a lot more colorful than people thought it to be, '' Chris Van Dusen told Collider. In fact, many believe Queen Charlotte was the first biracial member of the British royal family.
Behind the scenes, cast and crew call the Featherington family `` the Regency Kardashians. '' And yes, the actresses who play them do too. Why? `` There's the three daughters, and then the pushy mom, '' Nicola Coughlan ( Penelope Featherington) told Entertainment Weekly. Makes sense.
The Pomeranians aren't just adorable little costars — they're based on history. The real Queen Charlotte was known for her love of the toy breed, and owned several of them throughout her life.
There's Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth.
The moment Simon, the Duke of Hastings, revealed his feelings for Daphne to Queen Charlotte — you know the one — is a fan favorite scene. But it almost didn't happen, because Queen Elizabeth needed the space at London's Lancaster House where it was shot to host an event, so cast and crew had to quickly wrap up.
Certain sets aren't sets at all, like the Duke of Hasting's bedroom. When possible, cast and crew filmed inside preserved 19th century homes, but the people who care for these spaces often demand to be in the room while filming happens, to make sure nothing is damaged or moved. ``... they wouldn’ t leave. The idea of a closed set is absolutely sacrosanct. But for these room monitors, their jobs were more sacrosanct to them. So they were in the scenes with us, '' director Julie Anne Robinson told Deadline.
No spoilers here, promise! But Lady Whistledown being unmasked in the first season was shocking not just for fans, but for the author of the books as well. `` I 'm watching the rough cuts and all of a sudden at the end, I was like, 'What?! ' I had no idea. It was really funny, my reaction. I thought it was a secret, and I think I ended up emailing Caitlin [ Scott, who works at Shondaland ] in all caps: `` I HAVE QUESTIONS, '' Julia Quinn told Town & Country.
Instead of placing the focus on romance, Bridgerton was almost made into an `` epic war-drama. '' Producers eventually chose to follow more closely along with the books.
At least if author Julia Quinn has anything to say about it. `` I love her so much that I 'm not sure I could create somebody good enough for her, '' she told Oprah Daily. `` I think she's reached a point where she's an independent woman and she's happy. ''
While some of the pieces are real, others have been altered to fit the story. For example, in one scene, the head and collar of 1600s artist Juan de Pareja was digitally superimposed to make him an aristocrat. `` The resulting composite image transforms an actual portrait of an enslaved artist into an imaginary one of a Black aristocrat, presumably meant to represent one of the Queen’ s ancestors, '' Getty's Richard Rand wrote.
Fans couldn't help but fall in love with Eloise and Penelope's sweet friendship on the show — and the actresses who play them, Claudia Jessie and Nicola Coughlan, are just as close. `` We had four wonderful directors on this show too and they were like, 'We really love Peneloise. ' And we 'd say, 'We love them too! ' '' Nicola told Seventeen.
After filming wrapped for season 1, it became hard for the cast to stay in touch because of the COVID-19 pandemic. `` Lockdown made it really hard. But there's Zoom and a WhatsApp group that's still pumping in our pockets, '' Jonathan Bailey told Oprah Daily. `` Me and Phoebe have grown incredibly close and the bros, the two Lukes [ Luke Newton and Luke Thompson ] are really close as well. ''
Who better to get advice from than actual fans? `` I spent a lot of time lurking on online book forums to see what fans thought, '' the actress told The Guardian. `` I realized that [ Penelope ] is this really beloved character, because she's not this perfect girl that all the boys love. She's a complete wallflower. So I thought, 'OK, I really, really wan na do that justice. ' ''
It's no coincidence that Queen Charlotte is portrayed as always being in the know. `` She was definitely very much a part of the social scene during Regency times, so having her with us was important from a historical perspective as well, '' Chris Van Dusen told ET Online.
Filming season 2 wasn't easy, as production was shut down multiple times due to positive COVID-19 cases. According to The Sun, a situation occurred after the cast and crew's tests were allegedly mixed up, delaying everything. `` The tests were cross-contaminated, meaning they all had to be done again, '' a source said.
English shoe brand Malone Souliers partnered with the show on a special Bridgerton line, complete with all the intricate details and polished styles Regency fashion is known for.
If you happen to be a history buff and catch a line or two that's wrong, don't worry: `` We honored the history, of course, but we're not beholden to it. Even though we're set in the 19th century, we wanted things to feel relatable. We wanted audiences to see themselves in these characters, '' Christ Van Dusen told The Daily Express. | general |
Single Pair Ethernet Market Size Worth $ 3.6Bn, Globally, by | New York, March 28, 2022 ( GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Insight Partners published latest research study on “ Single Pair Ethernet Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type ( Infrastructure & Device Components and Software & Services) and Application ( Robotics & Automation, Machinery, Energy, Automotive & Transportation, and Others) ”, the global single pair ethernet market growth is driven by increasing demand for industrial automation, IIoT-based applications, adoption of industrial robots, inclination towards having access on real-time monitoring applications, and smart devices, demand for faster communication and self-diagnostic reporting with lesser downtime.
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Single Pair Ethernet Market: Competitive Landscape and Key DevelopmentsAnalog Devices, Inc., LAPP Group, LEONI, PHOENIX CONTACT India Pvt. Ltd., and TE Connectivity Ltd. are among the key players profiled in the single pair ethernet market study. In addition, several other essential market players were studied and analyzed to get a holistic view of the global single pair ethernet market size and its ecosystem.
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In 2022, Analog Devices announced that the company will invest €100 million over the next three years in ADI Catalyst, a 100,000 square foot custom-built facility for innovation and collaboration located at its campus in the Raheen Business Park in Limerick, Ireland.
In 2021, Belden announced a new partnership with Dynamics, which is a provider of factory automation, hardware and software solutions. This strategic technology alliance agreement is a robust cybersecurity solution to market with best-in-class technology to protect industrial networks.
The single pair ethernet market is segmented on the basis of offering and type. Based on type, the infrastructure & device components held the largest share as SPE is becoming prevalent in manufacturing industries globally. For higher demand for IIoT based applications, automation, and industrial communication, the demand for infrastructure and device components used in SPE is increasing. Based on application, robotics & automation hold a dominant share in the market owing to increasing internet access and Industry 4.0. Analog Devices, Inc.; Belden Inc.; HARTING Technology Group; LAPP Group; LEONI; PHOENIX CONTACT India Pvt.Ltd.; Siemon; TE Connectivity Ltd.; Wiedmuller Interface GmbH & Co. KG; and Wurth Elektronik are a few key players that were profiled during this market study. In addition to these players, several other important market players were studied and analyzed during this market research study to get a holistic view of the global single pair ethernet market and its ecosystem.
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The increasing deployment of robots in manufacturing industries in countries such as China, Japan, India, and South Korea is a major factor driving the single pair ethernet market in APAC. Further, the countries have a large automotive sector which produces notable number of vehicles and with the regional automotive players increasing their EV product line the demand for single pair ethernet is projected to witness major traction. Meanwhile, the growing deployment of renewable projects is another factor which is create opportunities for single pair ethernet market players. Meanwhile, increasing industrialization in Middle East & Africa and Latin America along with increasing number of data centers will create growth opportunities for single pair ethernet market.
The major stakeholders in the single pair ethernet market include component & raw material providers, single pair ethernet manufactures, system integrators, and end users. It also includes industry associations and regulatory bodies which helps in regulating the adoption of SPE in various end use cases. Components such as switch & chipsets, magnetics, connectors, cables, patch cords, plugs, sockets, couplers, and other accessories are the components used in SPE. These components are used to manufacture SPE for numerous purposes, therefore are supplied to manufacturers such as HARTING Technology Group; Belden Inc.; Analog Devices, Inc.; and Phoenix Contact. Later the SPE is used in various type of devices like HMI/monitors, controls, actuators, sensors, vision sensors, edge computer, testing equipment, and many more. In addition to the key ecosystem players, there are several other peripheral stakeholders involved in the market which play a crucial role in enabling the growth and technology advancements related to single pair ethernet.
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Single Pair Ethernet Market: Application OverviewBased on application, the single pair ethernet market is segmented into Robotics & Automation, Machinery, Energy, Automotive & Transportation, and Others. The Automotive & transportation segment is expected to hold a significant share in the global single pair ethernet market. SPE was first developed in the automotive industry, where smaller and more powerful devices were required. Ethernet systems are being deployed in increasing numbers in today's vehicle versions. The handling and motion of robotics are becoming more sophisticated. Multi-axis motion necessitates the use of numerous extra motors and actuators. At the same time, robots have been able to handle everything from light bulbs to iron assemblies owing to sensors in their fingertips. These capabilities necessitated the installation of sensors and electronics in inaccessible locations. One of the biggest issues with advanced robotics is connecting all of these components. SPE enables the communication between controllers, motors, actuators, and sensors by reducing cable size and increasing bandwidth.
About Us: The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials.
Contact Person: Sameer JoshiE-mail: sales @ theinsightpartners.com Phone: +1-646-491-9876Press Release: https: //www.theinsightpartners.com/pr/single-pair-ethernet-market | general |
China tackles growing Covid outbreak with lockdown and testing in Shanghai | China began its most extensive coronavirus lockdown in two years on Monday to conduct mass testing and control a growing outbreak in Shanghai as questions are raised about the economic toll of the nation’ s “ zero-Covid ” strategy.
Shanghai, China’ s financial capital and largest city with 26 million people, had managed its smaller previous outbreaks with limited lockdowns of housing compounds and workplaces where the virus was spreading.
But the citywide lockdown that will be conducted in two phases will be China’ s most extensive since the central city of Wuhan, where the virus was first detected in late 2019, confined its 11 million people to their homes for 76 days in early 2020. Millions more have been kept in lockdown since then.
Shanghai’ s Pudong financial district and nearby areas will be locked down from Monday to Friday as mass testing gets underway, the local government said. In the second phase of the lockdown, the vast downtown area west of the Huangpu River that divides the city will start its own five-day lockdown on Friday.
Residents will be required to stay home and deliveries will be left at checkpoints to ensure there is no contact with the outside world. Offices and all businesses not considered essential will be closed and public transport suspended.
Already, many communities within Shanghai have been locked down for the past week, with their housing compounds blocked off with blue and yellow plastic barriers and residents required to submit to multiple tests for Covid-19.
Shanghai’ s Disneyland theme park is among the businesses that closed earlier. Automaker Tesla is also suspending production at its Shanghai plant, according to media reports.
Panic-buying was reported on Sunday, with supermarket shelves cleared of food, beverages and household items. Additional barriers were being erected in neighbourhoods on Monday, with workers in hazmat suits staffing checkpoints.
In-person observations of the April 5 Tomb Sweeping Festival have been cancelled and memorials will instead be held online.
Some workers, including traders at the city’ s stock market, were preparing to stay within a Covid-19 “ bubble ” for the duration of the lockdown.
Li Jiamin, 31, who works in the finance industry, said she had packed several days of clothing and supplies, and her company was sorting out sleeping and eating arrangements.
“ The overall impact is still great, ” Li told the Associated Press, pointing especially to losses suffered by workers in the informal sector who have no such support.
Shanghai detected another 3,500 cases of infection on Sunday, though all but 50 were people who tested positive for the coronavirus but were not showing symptoms of Covid-19. While people who are asymptomatic can still infect others, China categorises such cases separately from “ confirmed cases ” — those in people who are sick — leading to much lower totals in daily reports. | general |
REFINERY NEWS ROUNDUP: More European plants stop buying Russian crude | In this episode of the Oil Markets Podcast, S & P Global Commodity Insights editors Paul Hickin, Emma...
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Oil companies and refiners in Europe are increasingly moving away from purchases of Russian crude following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
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Norway's state-controlled Equinor is to stop trading or transporting Russian oil, it said late March 14, following a decision to exit its Russian joint ventures in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
Shell was one of the first energy companies to cease all spot purchases of Russian oil and products. BP, Italy's Eni and Saras, Spain's Repsol and Cepsa, Portugal's Galp, Finland's Neste, Sweden's Preem, and Poland's PKN have also suspended all new purchases of oil and oil products from Russia.
TotalEnergies pledged to end all purchases of Russian oil by year-end and Austria's OMV said it had stopped acquiring Russian crude for its three refineries. ExxonMobil's French refiners are looking for alternative sources and Varo Energy has `` not entered into any new Russian crude purchases since the beginning of the conflict. '' Gunvor's Ingolstadt refinery in Germany is also not processing any Russian crude.
Meanwhile, PKN Orlen, Poland's largest oil refiner, said March 14 it had purchased a spot cargo of 130,000 mt of Norwegian crude as part of moves to diversify away from Russian supplies. The tanker was unloaded at the Naftoport crude terminal near Gdansk, the company said. PKN currently sources about 50% of its feedstock for its main Polish refinery in Plock from Russia, the company said, down from 98% in 2013. Separately, PKN CEO Daniel Obajtek said during a news conference that the company was ready to suspend imports at any moment should an embargo be introduced against buying Russian crude.
Lithuania's Orlen Lietuva refiner will move completely away from processing Russian crude and plans to process only oil from Saudi Arabia, according to local media reports citing Lithuanian officials. Russian crude has represented around two-thirds of the refinery's slate in recent years after it started diversifying its crude sources from 2014, according to reports citing a refinery official.
Italy's Saras said the Russian-Ukraine conflict was making it increasingly important to diversify oil and energy supply, but added that its location in the Mediterranean allowed it to guarantee supplies as well as the production of electricity required for its operations. Refinery runs at its Sarroch plant in Sardinia increased to 25.8 million-26.3 million barrels ( 3.4 million-3.6 million mt) in the fourth quarter of last year, compared with 22.2 million barrels ( 2.9 million mt) in the equivalent period in 2020, according to the company's financial results presentation. Saras also posted an increase in refinery runs for the full year 2021, rising to 95 million-95.5 million barrels ( 12.9-13.1 million mt), according to preliminary data, up from 83 million barrels in 2020. The recovery in refinery margins, particularly diesel ones, only took hold in the second half of the year, with the first half still weighed down by the effects of the pandemic, the company said.
Spanish energy company Cepsa increased throughput by 5% year on year at its refineries in 2021, to 20.3 million mt, or 408,000 b/d, it said March 16. The refining rate was 81% for the full year, up from a 78% in the pandemic-hit 2020, Cepsa said. The refining rate increased to as high as 88% in the third quarter, ending the year with a 87% rate in the fourth quarter.
Polish refiner Grupa Lotos increased throughput in the fourth quarter of 2021 by 4.2% year on year to 2.612 million mt as a rebounding economy saw higher demand for both diesel and gasoline, the company said March 23. Utilization of the Gdansk refinery was at maximum capacity. Demand for diesel and gasoline in Poland in October-December rose by 6.8% and 9.8% year on year respectively due to easing COVID-19 restrictions, the company said in a Q4 results report.
Israel's Bazan reported 83% utilization at its Haifa refinery in 2021, up from 80% in 2020, when utilization was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Q4 its utilization was 90%, up from 70% in the year-ago quarter. However its 2021 utilization was affected by a malfunction at its CCR facility. The CCR was halted in early May following a breakdown. The repairs took several weeks, it said. Had this outage not occurred and had feedstock supply via the EAPC pipeline not been discontinued for eight days in Q3, it would have had 85% utilization in 2021, it said. The refinery processed 9.178 million mt of feedstock over 2021, including crude and heavy vacuum diesel, compared with 8.705 million mt in 2020. In the fourth quarter alone, throughput was at 2.466 million mt, up from 2.065 million mt in Q4 2020.
ExxonMobil's French downstream subsidiary Esso SAF said March 24 that its Gravenchon refinery processed 10.2 million mt in 2021, operating at more than 80% utilization. The refinery represents 20% of France's refining capacity. Fos processed 5.1 million mt in 2021, operating at over 86% utilization in the second half of the year. The refinery represents 10% of France's refinery capacity. The company said its results improved on rising demand. In 2021, French demand for diesel rose 11%, for gasoline by 21% and for jet fuel by 9%, Esso said, citing CPDP data.
French road fuel deliveries totaled 3.749 billion liters in February, up 10.1% year on year, but down 1.8% compared with pre-pandemic February 2020 levels, according to industry group UFIP Energies et Mobilites March 16, citing data from the country's oil industry committee CPDP. Diesel deliveries in February were up 6.8% on the year, while gasoline consumption jumped 21.9%. However, compared with February 2020, diesel consumption was down 4.4%, while gasoline consumption increased 7.5%.
Separately, the FCC unit at Sonatrach's Augusta refinery located in the Southern Italian island of Sicily was operating normally March 15, according to a source close to the refinery. The FCC unit suffered a technical issue on March 14 afternoon between 5 pm and 6 pm local time, causing workers at the plant to restart its compressor, according to the source.
Germany's Schwedt refinery had restarted its FCC unit following a glitch March 11, according to traders. However the unit was not running at full capacity. In other news, Germany's economy ministry has launched an investigation into Russia's Rosneft expanding its ownership of the PCK Schwedt refinery in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last month, the ministry has confirmed. Rosneft announced last November that it had exercised a preemption right for a 37.5% share of the Schwedt refinery being sold by Shell, in a move set to increase its shareholding in the plant from 54.17% to 91.67%.
Meanwhile, France's Feyzin will be halting its petrochemical plant for maintenance, according to local media reports. The refinery will continue normal operations. Maintenance will start March 23 and will last for around nine weeks. A restart is expected in late May.
Part of a unit at ExxonMobil's Rotterdam refinery was halted following a brief fire March 18, according to local reports. The fire occurred at a transformer and was extinguished shortly. Part of an aromatics unit was shut down.
No major maintenance was planned for Romania's Petrobrazi refinery in 2022, the company said March 17.
* * The ISAB refinery in Sicily is currently running a series of maintenance and upgrade works on pumps, compressors, pipelines, jetties, desulfurization and conversion units, both at its north and south refinery plants. The maintenance had started earlier in March.
* * Norway's Mongstad will undergo planned maintenance in Q2, the company said. The works will start April 23 and last around six weeks. The refinery had previously postponed works that were planned for 2020.
* * API's refinery in the Italian coastal town of Falconara Marittima, which suffered a fire at its thermal cracking unit in February, has been restarted and was operating normally along with the entire refinery, a source close to the refinery said March 17. The refinery has been operating as usual since the Feb. 24 fire, barring the thermal cracking unit which had been placed offline for examination and damage testing prior to being restarted earlier this week.
* * Romania's Petromidia will suspend operations for a planned technological turnaround between March 11-April 3. The company will also suspend operations at its Vega facility, `` which operates with finished and semi-finished materials from Petromidia. '' The technological shutdown `` is a necessity for the good functioning of the refinery units, '' Rompetrol said, adding that a general turnaround is carried out every four years and technological shutdown every two years. Meanwhile, crude oil deliveries to Romania's Petromidia refinery are not expected to be impacted by the outage of the CPC terminal on the Black Sea, Rompetrol said March 24. Petromidia has `` benefited from major investments in modernizing and streamlining production processes '' and has the `` ability and flexibility to process different types of crude oil. '' The share of CPC crude is `` low compared to other types of crude oil currently in use, '' the company said. The refinery has crude stocks which will `` ensure the operation of the refinery for a period of time, depending on the level of utilization. ''
* * ExxonMobil's Antwerp refinery is currently carrying out maintenance works, according to market sources. The works, whose extent has not been confirmed, are likely to last until the end of March.
* * ExxonMobil's French downstream subsidiary Esso SAF said March 24 that its Fos-sur-Mer refinery in southern France is currently operating at full capacity in order to supply the French market, while works at the Gravenchon plant near Le Havre are expected to be completed in `` a few weeks. '' Gravenchon has been undergoing partial maintenance since Feb. 23. Gravenchon has maintenance planned, of the type that is carried out every six to seven years and involves the main parts of the refinery, such as the alkylation unit, FCC and a gofiner, Esso said.
* * Spain's Bilbao refinery was halting its G2 diesel desulfurization unit in plant 2, it said March 24. The refinery started a general turnaround on Feb. 15 that impacted several units, including the larger crude distillation unit 2, VDU and coker. The refinery will be running at 50% capacity for the turnaround that will last until April 5. During the halt, work will be carried out on the coker as well as other units in the conversion area of the refinery. The refinery halted its AK3 alkylation unit Feb. 17 and its vacuum unit V3 Feb. 18. It halted on March 3 the P2 platforming unit and N1 naphtha desulfurization unit. On March 1 it halted the G4 diesel desulfurization unit, H3 hydrogen production unit and cogeneration CG6 units. The larger crude distillation unit 2, VDU and coker were taken off Feb. 15.
* * France's Donges refinery commenced its restart March 16, the refinery said. The restart will last around two weeks. During the maintenance, which started in late November, Donges has also been building a new desulfurization unit. TotalEnergies halted operations at Donges on Nov. 30, 2020 due to weak margins. Meanwhile, a new railway to bypass the Donges plant, meaning other rail traffic will not have to pass through the site, is set to start operations in October. Work on the railway, which has been a condition for modernizing the refinery, started in 2020. The French government, local authorities, railway operator SNCF and TotalEnergies signed a memorandum of intent in 2016 to build the railway bypassing the refinery. TotalEnergies has said previously that, following the bypass agreement, it would proceed with the planned upgrade. The bypass was due to be ready in 2022.
* * Germany's Heide has completed planned works, the refinery said March 28. `` The work on the affected production facilities was completed on schedule. The restarting process of the production facilities has been finished, '' it said. It had previously said it was planning partial works from Feb. 28 to March 25. Only some units were affected.
* * Italy's Eni is considering converting its Livorno refinery into a biorefinery that will produce hydrogenated biofuel, according to local media reports. Livorno can also produce biojet as well as lubricants. The plan has been discussed at a meeting with the authorities and labor unions organized by the ministry of economic development. The company however has asked for the sector to be supported by the government and a further discussion will follow.. Last year, the company unveiled plans to stop refining crude and suspend all related activities at the Livorno refinery by end 2022, according to information provided by labor unions.
* * Spain's A Coruna has started planned work on four conversion units, Repsol said March 11. The company will invest Eur10 million in the work, which started March 10 and is expected to last 33 days. During the work, Repsol will carry out work on the hydrotreatment unit that will boost biofuel output. The work will allow it to process vegetable oils alongside used cooking oil to produce 5,500 mt/year in 2022, with the volume rising to 10,500 mt/year by 2024. The remainder of the work, which will generally target sulfur reduction units, will aid the overall transformation of the refinery to produce more biofuels and other low-carbon fuels.
* * Croatia's Rijeka refinery continues with its maintenance, according to market sources. The company declined to comment. It had said previously that the refinery started a planned temporary shutdown for a catalyst replacement at the end of October 2021. The maintenance was to also be used for works on other units. According to media reports, the maintenance also involves modification of the hydrodesulfurization reactor at the hydrocracker.
* * Denmark's Crossbridge Energy Fredericia refinery started planned maintenance on some of its units Feb. 26. The refinery will run at reduced capacity during the shutdown. The refinery was renamed to Crossbridge Energy Fredericia after its acquisition by US-based Postlane Partners from Shell in January 2021.
* * Poland's second largest refiner Grupa Lotos said that it will start the shutdown of refinery units for maintenance at its Gdansk refinery on March 9. The partial turnaround will shut down 50 of the refinery's 65 installations and is expected to last until April 16. The bulk of the maintenance will be carried out in March and individual units will be restarted in early April. The last stage of the project will involve the renovation of the hydrogen generation unit between April 17 and May 14. This is the second part of the planned overhaul, with the first stage taking place between February and May last year. Lotos said it estimates that `` the maximum throughput reduction attributable directly to the shutdown will be approximately 7% on an annual basis '' but that it is implementing `` operational measures '' to minimize this.
* * A planned maintenance on the FCC unit at Israel's Haifa is underway. The works `` began as planned and as previously announced during the first quarter of 2022, '' the company said, adding that they are due to finish by the end of Q1. Bazan has previously said that it has delayed scheduled maintenance of the FCC at Haifa from Q2 2021 to the first half of 2022 when there would be also maintenance at all the Carmel Olefin facilities. The company would carry out maintenance of the FCC alongside maintenance at all the Carmel Olefin facilities in the first quarter of 2022.
* * TotalEnergies ' Antwerp refinery is due to carry out maintenance this spring, according to traders. The works will most likely take place in April.
* * Turkey's Tupras reported an extensive maintenance schedule for 2022. For its Izmit refinery, periodic maintenance of the isomerization unit lasting five weeks was reported to be ongoing. Periodic maintenance of the vacuum and desulfurizer units were reported as planned for Q1, each lasting three weeks, with periodic maintenance of the crude oil and vacuum unit and the HYC unit both planned for the end of Q3 and both lasting six weeks. For its Izmir refinery, periodic maintenance of the vacuum unit and lubes complex were reported as ongoing during Q1, both lasting six weeks. The company said that in Q4 at Izmir it plans to revamp the crude unit, CCR & isomerization unit and desulfurizer -- all lasting nine weeks -- and the HYC unit, expected to last four weeks.
Seasonal maintenance of the crude oil and vacuum unit at Tupras ' Batman plant was reported as ongoing for 13 weeks during Q1 with further work on the same unit planned for four weeks in Q4.
* * In the second half of 2022, Repsol will carry out a smaller turnaround at its Tarragona refinery, which will involve the isomax and hydrocracker units.
* * Greece's Hellenic Petroleum plans full turnaround at its Elefsina refinery in the first half of 2022. The maintenance at Elefsina was brought forward by an incident at the end of January, when the whole refinery was halted and the maintenance started, Hellenic said. The works will last until the end of March for half of the refinery and the flexicoker will start a few weeks later. Traders had reported that the incident occurred at the coker.
* * Greece's Hellenic Petroleum plans full turnaround at Thessaloniki in the second half of the year. The maintenance at Thessaloniki will last between six and eight weeks.
* * MOL will schedule the bulk of its 2022 maintenance activities in the first half of the year, including works at MOL Petrochemicals, as well as at the distillation and conversion units of its Danube and Slovnaft refineries.
* * OMV plans a general maintenance at the Burghausen refinery between June 22-Aug. 7. It has previously said the turnaround would be in Q3. The turnaround will include also the Borealis polyolefin production site. The last turnaround took place in 2014, followed by a partial shutdown of the refinery in May 2018. `` In order to continue to ensure safe, environmentally friendly operation and the efficiency of the plants, all plants will be shut down during the turnaround, cleaned and inspected, '' the company said. In addition, expansion work will be carried out to increase ethylene and propylene production. The turnaround will be used to expand and modernize the steam cracker and subsequently increase the capacities for ethylene and propylene production, S & P Global Platts has reported previously. The expansion is expected to facilitate increased annual ethylene and propylene production by around 50,000 mt/year.
* * Shell plans to end crude processing at the Wesseling site within the Rhineland refining complex in 2025 as the facilities are repurposed for non-fossil fuel feedstocks and renewable hydrogen production. Shell outlined plans for the facility to take a variety of new biogenic and waste feedstocks, underlining that no final investment decision had yet been taken, and crude processing would still take place at the adjoining Godorf site. The Wesseling portion of the Rhineland refinery accounts for half the overall refining capacity, or 8 million mt/year.
* * OMV said that a turnaround is planned at Schwechat in Q2.
* * Lithuania's Orlen Lietuva plans to suspend operations for a major maintenance in May. The works will last from May 22 to June 14.
* * Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam -- formerly known as the Pernis refinery -- which will undergo major maintenance between end January-end June, will ensure continuity of the plant's operations during the works so that while one installation is shut down, another will continue production, the company said.
Therefore no total shutdown will be involved, and the refinery will stock `` enough product to ensure continuity of supply for the time an installation is down for maintenance. '' The maintenance aims to further improve the safety, reliability and efficiency of the refinery's installations as well as to carry out `` legally required inspections and repairs, '' the refinery also said.
* * Italy's Sannazzaro de Burgondi refinery, which was taken partially offline for large-scale maintenance works in July 2021, will remain offline for the whole of next year, a source close to the refinery told S & P Global Platts. Sources said maintenance was being carried out on the plant's slurry technology ( EST) unit, which was taken offline following a fire in 2016, as well as on the refinery's hydrocracking unit, the visbreaking plant and the gas depuration unit, among others.
Eni's EST plant had originally been scheduled to restart last year but was kept offline amid the nationwide slump in demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
* * Gunvor Group said that its Ingolstadt refinery in Germany will undertake projects focused on heating systems and exchangers `` to continue improving its energy efficiency and reduce its emissions. '' A planned turnaround in 2023 will allow additional reductions, by carrying out projects on the FCC.
* * Czech Unipetrol said that following the turnaround at its Litvinov plant in Q2'20 the refinery has prepared production for a new four-year cycle. Thus, the next turnaround is due in 2024.
* * Two months of maintenance at the Sarpom refinery in Trecate, Italy, originally scheduled for October 2019 have been pushed back. Details on which units at the refinery will be upgraded as part of the maintenance -- of the kind needed every 3-4 years -- had yet to emerge.
* * The Holborn refinery near Hamburg, northern Germany, plans its next turnaround in 2023. Its previous maintenance was in the autumn of 2018. The refinery carries out major works every five years.
* * Total's Feyzin is considering mothballing a visbreaker unit as demand for heavy fuel is gradually declining and the unit works on average no more than three days a month.
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Dow rises more than 300 points, Nasdaq jumps 1.8% as Wall Street builds on winning streak | Stocks rose on Tuesday, extending Wall Street's winning streak as traders monitored ceasefire negotiations in Europe and key levels in the bond market.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 338.30 points, or 0.97%, to close at 35,294.29. The S & P 500 gained 1.23% to 4,631.60, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.84% to 14,619.64. The Dow and S & P 500 have advanced in four straight trading sessions.
Auto stocks were some of the biggest gainers, with Ford rising 6.5% and GM gaining more than 4%. Travel stocks outperformed as well, with Caesar's Entertainment surging 5.6% and American Airlines adding 5%.
In tech, Netflix climbed more than 3% and Snap jumped 4.5%. Shares of Moderna rose 4.4% after U.S. regulators approved an additional Covid vaccine booster shot for people age 50 and over.
Traders kept a close eye on the bond market, where the yield for the 5-year Treasury note traded above the 30-year yield at times on Tuesday, an inversion that stoked some recession fears.
The spread between the 2-year and 10-year yields, which economists see as more predictive of a potential recession, also narrowed perilously close to inversion on Tuesday. Some bond pricing sources said the curve did invert, but CNBC data showed that traded just about flat but did not technically invert.
Even when the yield curve correctly predicts a recession, it can still be more than year before the slowdown happens, history shows. Investors appeared to shake off the recession fears on Tuesday.
`` Our base case is that the US economy can avoid a recession, lowering the threat of a sustained downtrend in stocks. As such, investors should brace for higher rates—including potentially adding exposure to value and financial stocks which tend to outperform as central bank policy tightens—without overreacting by exiting equity markets, '' Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management, said in a note to clients.
Growing hope for a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire appeared to help investor sentiment on Tuesday. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said Tuesday that the country will `` drastically '' reduce military activity near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
To be sure, both sides have said in recent days they are not close to reaching a deal. Ahead of the negotiations in Turkey, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on that `` nothing is agreed upon unless everything is agreed upon. '' Stocks gave back some of their gains on Tuesday after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. was focused on Russia's actions more than its words.
Futures for U.S. crude benchmark West Texas Intermediate briefly fell below $ 100 per barrel on Tuesday morning before rebounding to about $ 104 per barrel.
`` There's some clear optimism there, but I think the real question is going to be how long do the economic impacts last, '' said Yung-Yu Ma, chief investment strategist at BMO Wealth Management.
The invasion of Ukraine, along with a hawkish turn from the Federal Reserve, led to a rocky start to the new year for stocks. However, the S & P 500 has now rebounded nearly 11% since March 14.
`` It's not quite lipstick on a pig but this move does take some of the sting off of what has been a weak Q1 for equities.... The question for stocks as an asset class is whether the improvement seen in March was a bounce of impressive degree but limited duration, or the beginning of an extended rally that could carry the indexes to new highs, '' Willie Delwiche, investment strategist at All Star Charts, said in a note to clients.
In corporate news, shares of FedEx rose more than 3% after the company announced that founder Fred Smith would step down as CEO on June 1 and be replaced internally. Health care giant UnitedHealth Group announced a deal to buy LHC Group for $ 170 per share, sending the smaller company's stock up nearly 6%.
On the economic front, the conference board's consumer confidence index came in at 107.2, below the 107.5 expected, according to Dow Jones. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed 11.3 million job openings, higher than the 11.1 million expected. | business |
Seeking Consultant for Kenya Qualitative Study | As global momentum around care reform builds, government, civil society organizations, donors and faith-based organizations are increasingly taking steps to shift the focus of policies, practices, and funding from residential care solutions towards family strengthening and family-based care. However, changes at the global and national levels, including to laws and policies that increase regulation of residential care and limit its use, often don’ t translate into immediate changes to service systems. It is common for there to be a significant lag in implementation and enforcement of new policies and regulation. This is exacerbated in some countries where most residential care services are privately run and funded, and where governments have historically had little regulatory oversight or control. In these contexts, the transition or closure of residential care services may not be directly initiated by government per se, rather may occur as residential care service providers respond to various influences that encourage transition, constrain their current operating environment, or both. These influences can include changes to laws, policies, procedures and increasing regulation as well as advocacy and awareness raising efforts, changing donor sentiments and redirection of resources, dissemination of learning and research findings, funding constraints, increasing visibility of positive alternatives to residential care, availability of technical and financial support to transition and peer learning and exchange. Whilst the range of factors that may influence a given residential care service to transition may be ‘ known’ in theory, what is less well understood is the interplay between the factors and how they contribute towards an environment that is increasingly enabling of transition. Improving understanding of which influences are more or less catalytic and how they cumulate, could assist with the development of more targeted strategies to promote shifting of service systems away from residential models, and the prioritization of certain steps in the care reform process.
Kenya is one such country where momentum for care reform has been increasing, and where a growing number of charitable children’ s institutions ( CCIs) have or are undergoing transition; many as part of wider care reform and others as result of COVID mandates. Practitioners working in Kenya have anecdotally reported a decline in resistance from CCIs towards transition and an uptick in the number of CCI’ s seeking technical support to transition in accordance with changes to national child protection and care policies. Yet others are beginning to show signs of increased awareness. This has occurred without full roll out of national laws and policies related to care reform, which means many CCIs who have undergone or commenced transition have largely done so voluntarily and in the absence of a specific government directive mandating their closure.
Efforts to reform the care system in Kenya have included a combination of top-down government led strategies, such as the recently endorsed National Care Reform Strategy, donor engagement strategies and resourcing, and direct engagement and awareness raising amongst CCIs, including those run by faith-based groups and religious denominations. Peer exchange and outreach has also increased in Kenya with directors and staff of organizations who formerly ran CCIs now providing support to other CCIs to undergo transition. The range of strategies that have been employed to encourage transition make Kenya an ideal environment to study the interplay of top down, bottom up and horizontal influences and strategies, and examine which ones or combinations, are having the greatest influence on CCI’ s decision to transition.
The purpose of this study is therefore to better understand these influences from the perspective of CCI directors and decision makers, what influences and what creates an enabling environment and what, if any, implications these findings have for local, national, and global care reform strategies and approaches.
This study is designed to be a small insights based qualitative study comprising semi structured in-depth interviews with approximately 25 CCI directors from Kenya. The interviews will seek to identify and explore the range of factors that led to the decision by the CCI directors/boards to undergo transition and the interplay between factors. An interview guide will be developed to guide interviews and ensure consistency. Participation from care leavers will be sought for the development of the tools. Interviewees will be identified in partnership with CTWWC and other partners/members of the Transitioning Working Group with Kenyan based transition projects. Interviews will be conducted in-person or over zoom by the in-country consultant.
A findings report will be produced, highlighting the key themes emerging from the interviews. In addition, a set of short illustrative case studies taken from the interviews will be developed. The anticipated audience for these resources includes policy makers, practitioners supporting transition and organizations involved in supporting or developing country level care reform strategies.
The consultant will be the primary person responsible for the implementation of the research project. The scope of work for the consultant includes the following:
The consultant will be required to liaise with BCN and CTWWC, however will be responsible to the BCN Senior Technical Advisor.
The total length of the consultancy is 20 days.
Rebecca.nhep @ bettercarenetwork.org
Copyright ©2021 Better Care Network. All rights reserved. | general |
China is shutting down Shanghai in two phases to control Covid | BEIJING — China's biggest city Shanghai began a two-stage lockdown Monday as authorities attempt different strategies to maintain growth, while trying to control the country's worst Covid-19 outbreak since the pandemic began.
Shanghai, a city of 26 million people on the southeastern coast of China, is a hub for finance and international business in the country. The city is also home to the world's largest container-shipping port.
The Shanghai Stock Exchange remains in operation. The exchange announced Sunday night that stock issuance applications and other paperwork can be done online, with deadline relaxations as needed.
The city-wide lockdown measures include orders to work from home as well as the suspension of public transit and ride hailing, Shanghai city announced Sunday night. Previously, only specific neighborhoods had faced temporary lockdowns to control pockets of outbreaks.
The initial phase will run from Monday to Friday morning and apply to the eastern part of the city where the financial center is, the city said. The second phase will apply to the western part of the city, and run from Friday morning to the afternoon of the following Tuesday, April 5, municipal authorities said.
`` The lockdown and mandatory testing district by district in China's largest city, key transportation hub and financial center are highly likely to disrupt the city's commercial activity, '' said Bruce Pang, head of macro and strategy research at China Renaissance.
`` We think that in the near term, China will stick to its zero-tolerance approach, pursuing [ its ] zero-Covid position as one of the world's strictest virus elimination policies, '' Pang said.
Tesla, whose Shanghai factory is located in the area covered by the first stage of the lockdown, reportedly halted production for at least a day on Monday, according to Bloomberg, citing sources. The electric car company did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
The emergence of the highly transmissible omicron variant has made controlling outbreaks harder and increased uncertainty for business operations. Local governments across China have attributed the latest wave of cases to the omicron subvariant BA.2.
China has stuck to a strategy of lockdowns and quarantines to control Covid outbreaks, while maintaining economic growth. The policy helped the country rebound from the initial shock of the pandemic in early 2020, with relatively few infections and deaths compared with other parts of the world.
This time around, economists don't expect lockdowns that last only a week or so to have a major impact on the national economy for the full year. Travel restrictions and stay-home measures affect consumer spending and services more than factory production, since workers can often stay on-site at industrial parks.
In Shanghai, officials have emphasized in the last few weeks how the city would not lock down and instead use a neighborhood-specific approach. Even in Sunday's announcement, the city claimed the two-part lockdown was for conducting virus tests in batches.
Shanghai International Port Group, which manages the city's ports, said in an online statement Monday that other than for extreme weather, production units maintained 24-hour operations.
Read CNBC's latest global coverage of the Covid pandemic:
And rather than a blanket ban on travel in and out of Shanghai during the two-stage lockdown, authorities said people in the city wanting to leave — by highway, train or airplane — will need a negative virus test within 48 hours of departure.
Shanghai's two airports, including one focused on international travel, and three train stations are still operating normally, the municipal transportation authority said Monday morning.
New confirmed cases in the city have remained elevated, with even higher numbers of asymptomatic cases.
Shanghai reported 3,450 asymptomatic cases for Sunday, the most for any province-level region in mainland China. The city reported 50 new confirmed Covid cases for that same day.
All 3,500 affected individuals are in isolated treatment or isolated medical observation, the city said.
The latest update on March 15 to the national policy for Covid prevention and control said mild and asymptomatic cases can be managed at quarantine centers, rather than needing hospital care which would add to China's already stretched health-care system.
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Nationwide, the northern province of Jilin accounts for most of the new confirmed locally transmitted cases — 1,086 of the 1,219 reported for the mainland on Sunday. Although the latest Covid wave has touched provinces across China, the number of new confirmed cases a day in most regions is below 10.
The capital city of Beijing reported no new locally transmitted confirmed cases or asymptomatic cases for Sunday.
In an indication of how authorities are trying to limit cross-country travel, China's national railway operator announced Saturday that travelers would not be able to book tickets for April 8 or future dates. Sales for those later times are set to resume April 2, the railway operator said. | business |
Oil slides more than 8% as Shanghai lockdown prompts demand fears | Oil declined more than 8% at the lows of the day on Monday as concerns over new lockdowns in China and the potential impact on demand sent prices tumbling.
West Texas Intermediate crude futures, the U.S. oil benchmark, slipped 8.25% to trade at $ 104.50 per barrel. International benchmark Brent crude traded 7.4% lower at $ 111.61 per barrel.
However, both contracts recovered some losses during afternoon trading on Wall Street. WTI ended the day at $ 105.96 for a loss of about 7%. Brent settled 6.77% lower at $ 112.48 per barrel.
`` Today's price slide is attributable first and foremost to concerns about demand now that the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai has entered into a partial lockdown, '' Commerzbank said Monday in a note to clients.
China is the world's largest oil importer, so any slowdown in demand will weigh on prices. The nation uses around 15 million barrels per day, and imported 10.3 million barrels per day in 2021, according to Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates.
`` The magnitude of [ the ] sell-off reflects fears that Covid lockdowns in China could spread, significantly impacting on demand at a time when the oil market is trying to find alternatives to Russian oil supplies, '' Lipow said Monday.
Another round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia is slated for this week, which Commerzbank said was also contributing to oil's slide.
Crude is coming off its first positive week in the last three, with WTI and Brent ending the week 8.79% and 10.28% higher, respectively.
The oil market has been marked by heightened volatility since Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the end of February. Prices shot above $ 100 per barrel the day of the invasion and kept climbing. WTI topped $ 130, rising to its highest level since 2008, while Brent almost reached $ 140.
But prices didn't remain there for long, and on March 14 WTI traded under $ 100. The volatile action reflects, in part, the many unknowns around the future of Russia's oil.
The International Energy Agency warned that three million barrels per day of Russian oil output is at risk come April as Western sanctions prompt buyers to shun the nation's oil. But analysts have noted that Russian oil is still finding buyers for the time being, especially from India.
Traders say the recent volatility also stems from non-energy market participants using crude as an inflation hedge. In recent weeks, open interest has decreased, making the market susceptible to even larger intraday swings.
Despite Monday's slide, oil held above $ 100.
`` We still expect that Brent crude will continue to rally as the market continues to price in a rise in energy supply risk amid immense supply disruptions, '' TD Securities said Monday.
`` The right tail in energy markets is still fat... The set-up is still ripe for higher energy prices, '' the firm added. | business |
Scientists Find Ways To Reconstruct Ancient Scents | Past scents can be recovered from scent archives by extracting molecules using a variety of different methods. With successful detection and identification of the molecular composition of samples, ancient sources of smell can then be identified. Credit: Michelle O’ Reilly
In recent years, millions of people worldwide have suffered the loss of smell due to COVID-19. Even those who have avoided infection with the new coronavirus experience the world of scent differently now due to the very masks that provide protection from the virus. This loss of olfaction has highlighted the important role of smell in how we perceive and navigate the world, and underscored the connections between olfaction and mental and physical health.
Scent has always been an integral component of the human experience, but up until now, the past has remained largely odorless. Most scents come from organic substances that decay quickly, leaving little for archaeologists to investigate thousands of years later. Now a team of researchers from the MPI for the Science of Human History is looking for new ways to bring the smellscapes of the past back to life and using smell to study past experience, behavior, and society.
“ Tracking scent in the deep past is not a simple task, ” says Barbara Huber, the lead author of the paper, “ but the fact that history records expeditions of discovery, wars, and long-distance exchange to acquire materials with strong olfactory properties – like incense and spices – reveals how significant scent has been for humankind. ”
Scent data can be contextualized within the framework of relevant historical texts and visual representations, as well as the archaeological and environmental records. Connecting these different sources of information enables the reconstruction of critical aspects of ancient lifeways and society ( indicated by arrows emerging from the blue circle). The icons in the outer area of the figure represent examples of some of the themes that can be addressed through this approach ( grey boxes indicate broad headings). Credit: Michelle O’ Reilly
Understanding the sensorial dimension of human history and the use of odorous and aromatic substances can contribute knowledge about many aspects of the past – including ritual, perfumery, hygiene, cuisine, trade, and commerce. But because scent is part of how we experience, understand, and navigate the world, ancient scents can also provide insight into more general aspects of the past, from social hierarchy and social practices to group identity.
“ Scent is a powerful and underappreciated aspect of human experience, ” notes Professor Nicole Boivin, senior author of the study and Director of the Department of Archaeology at the MPI Science of Human History “ Smells reach our brain fairly directly and motivate us in critical ways – whether to avoid danger, identify something that is good for us, or remember something from our past, for example. ”
“ Using only traces of scented substances preserved in archaeological artifacts and features, ” adds Huber, “ novel methods are revealing the powerful odors that were a cardinal feature of ancient lived realities, and that shaped human action, thoughts, emotions, and memories. ”
By leveraging potent new biomolecular and omics approaches, such as proteomic and metabolomics techniques, and linking new data with information from ancient texts, visual depictions, and the broader archaeological and environmental records, researchers stand to open up new aspects of the ancient world, our changing societies and cultures, and our evolution as a species. The authors of the new paper hope that more research into the rich ‘ smellscapes’ of the past will provide insight into the sensory worlds of long ago, and the diverse ways that people have captured scents from nature in order to shape human experience.
Reference: “ How to use modern science to reconstruct ancient scent ” by Barbara Huber, Thomas Larsen, Robert N. Spengler and Nicole Boivin, 28 March 2022, Nature Human Behaviour. DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01325-7 | tech |
Spotify rolls out Covid disclosures after Joe Rogan boycott | In this article
Spotify is rolling out a Covid content advisory tab on podcasts and other content that mentions the coronavirus.
Spotify promised the feature, a small blue tab that directs to its Covid-19 information hub, nearly two months ago. It comes after a handful of musicians and creators boycotted the platform for its airing of `` The Joe Rogan Experience, '' which they say spread Covid-19 vaccine misinformation.
Spotify said it began to roll out the feature to users on Feb. 2, but CNBC spotted it in the app for the first time on Monday. The company didn't say why it might not have been visible before now, but software updates typically roll out over several weeks or months.
`` On January 30, 2022, Spotify announced plans to add a content advisory to any podcast episode that includes a discussion about COVID-19, '' a spokesperson told CNBC. `` Three days later, on Feb 2, we launched the content advisory on our platform and we 've been adding it to episodes that include discussion about COVID-19 on a rolling basis ever since. Today, the COVID content advisory appears on ~1.4 million podcast episodes on our platform. ''
Host Joe Rogan also faced accusations from medical professionals that he has repeatedly spread conspiracy theories about Covid-19.
Spotify had been under fire for hosting the episodes. It bought the exclusive streaming rights to `` The Joe Rogan Experience '' podcast in a deal reportedly worth at least $ 200 million.
After the scandal, Spotify promised to add content advisories that would connect users with public health resources. Rogan later praised the company's decision but defended his booking of controversial guests.
`` I 'm not trying to promote misinformation, I 'm not trying to be controversial, '' Rogan said at the time `` I 've never tried to do anything with this podcast other than to just talk to people. ''
Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. | business |
Studi di Jawa Barat: pandemi berimbas pada kesehatan mental para tenaga kesehatan | Kasus COVID-19 yang begitu banyak dalam dua tahun terakhir mengakibatkan sejumlah tenaga kesehatan harus terus menerus merawat pasien COVID dengan gejala parah di rumah sakit.
Di fasilitas kesehatan, pasien datang dan pergi, baik karena sembuh atau tidak berhasil diselamatkan nyawanya. Sementara, tenaga kesehatan tetap bekerja di sana.
Riset yang kami lakukan selama Mei-September 2020 dengan data dari 200 responden di Jawa Barat menunjukkan bahwa tenaga kesehatan di rumah sakit rujukan COVID-19 memiliki status kesehatan mental lebih rendah. Para dokter mengalami gejala gangguan stres pasca trauma atau post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD) yang lebih parah.
Kesehatan mental yang memburuk berhubungan dengan status kesehatan dan kondisi kesehatan keseluruhan yang dirasakan para tenaga kesehatan. Level stres yang tinggi dan masalah kesehatan mental ini bisa menyebabkan berkurangnya kepuasan pada pekerjaan, penurunan kesehatan dan kualitas hidup dalam jangka panjang, dan berisiko menurunkan kualitas pelayanan.
Masalah ini perlu mendapat perhatian serius dari para pengelola fasilitas kesehatan, pemerintah, dan pembuat kebijakan agar keadaannya tidak terus memburuk. Apalagi, pandemi ini belum menunjukkan tanda - tanda akan selesai dalam waktu dekat.
Riset meneliti peran kesehatan mental dan kepuasan kerja terhadap kualitas hidup di kalangan tenaga kesehatan yang merawat pasien COVID-19 di rumah sakit rujukan. Studi dilakukan dengan survei online. Mayoritas dari responden adalah perawat, apoteker, dokter umum, dokter spesialis dan asisten laboratorium.
Ada lima hal yang menjadi kekhawatiran pekerja kesehatan yakni ( 1) takut penularan dan infeksi virus, ( 2) dampak COVID pada keluarga, ( 3) meninggal dan isolasi, ( 4) keamanan pribadi, dan ( 5) stigma sosial. Kehawatiran itu masuk akal karena kenyataanya ada peningkatan tekanan pekerjaan semasa pandemi.
Selain itu, banyak pula tenaga kesehatan yang meninggal akibat COVID. Per Oktober 2021, secara global ada sekitar 180 ribu tenaga kesehatan meninggal dunia. Sekitar 2.000 kasus di antaranya dari Indonesia. Itu terjadi saat cakupan vaksinasi di Indonesia masih rendah.
Riset-riset serupa di negara lain juga menunjukkan temuan yang hampir serupa. Studi yang meninjau 13 riset dan melibatkan 33,062 responden menunjukkan kelaziman tenaga kesehatan mengalami kecemasan dan depresi mencapai 23,2 persen dan 22,8 persen. Sekitar 38,9% responden dari lima riset menunjukkan mereka mengalami insomnia.
Sebuah riset di Cina juga menunjukkan insiden gejala stres pasca-trauma ( PTSS) di kalangan tenaga kesehatan yang berhadapan pasien COVID mencapai 28,7%. Sedangkan pekerja kesehatan yang tidak merawat pasien COVID yang mengalami hal serupa kurang dari separuhnya, yaitu 13%. Artinya, para tenaga kesehatan yang merawat pasien COVID memiliki risiko dua kali lipat lebih mengalami stres setelah trauma.
Studi-studi serupa saat wabah SARS dan MERS menunjukkan sepertiga dari tenaga kesehatan mengalami sindrom kelelahan. Ini sangat mungkin terjadi selama pandemi COVID.
Selain level kelelahan, ada juga masalah kepuasan terkait kerja dan pekerjaan yang menjadi sumber motivasi penting untuk mencegah kelelahan selama wabah. Menjaga kepuasan kerja tetap pada level tinggi di kalangan tenaga kesehatan merupakan hal penting untuk mencapai kualitas tinggi dari layanan medis.
Di Indonesia, studi ini merupakan riset pertama yang mengeksplorasi kesehatan mental, gejala PTSD, kepuasan kerja, dan kualitas hidup di kalangan tenaga kesehatan selama pandemi COVID-19.
Dari riset ini, tampak bahwa status kesehatan menunjukkan perbedaan signifikan berdasarkan tempat kerja. Sementara, gejala PTSD berbeda pada dokter umum, dokter spesialis, perawat dan tenaga kesehatan lainnya.
Tenaga kesehatan yang bekerja di rumah sakit rujukan COVID-19 memiliki status kesehatan yang lebih rendah dibanding dengan tenaga kesehatan yang bekerja di fasilitas kesehatan non-rujukan.
Tenaga kesejahatan yang bekerja secara aktif berhubungan pasen COVID mungkin terpapar lebih banyak tekanan fisik dan mental karena beban kerja yang lebih tinggi. Risiko terinfeksi COVID juga tinggi karena tenaga kesehatan berada lebih lama di rumah sakit untuk merawat pasien.
Dokter umum dan dokter spesialis mengalami gejala PTSD yang lebih parah dibandingkan dengan perawat dan tenaga kesehatan lainnya. Pada saat wabah COVID-19, banyak tenaga kesehatan terinfeksi, yang dapat meningkatkan tekanan psikologis rekan-rekan mereka.
Selain risiko infeksi tenaga kesehatan mungkin mengalami stres eksistensial dan rasa sakit kehilangan pasien dan rekan kerja. Menyaksikan rekan-rekan yang kehilangan nyawa karena pandemi bisa menjadi pengalaman yang traumatis dan dehumanisasi.
Dari riset ini, kami menemukan masalah kesehatan mental di antara tenaga kesehatan akan meningkatkan kemungkinan berkembangnya gejala PTSD. Lingkungan yang keras, suasana yang menyedihkan, pengalaman melihat kematian, dan tekanan beban kerja selama pandemi dapat mengancam kehidupan dan menimbulkan trauma psikologis tenaga kesehatan. Hal-hal tersebut turut meningkatkan kerentanan mereka terhadap PTSD.
Masalah kesehatan mental seperti kecemasan dan depresi sangat berkorelasi dengan gejala PTSD pada tenaga kesehatan yang bekerja langsung dengan pasien COVID-19. Situasi kerja mereka akan terus-menerus menempatkan mereka dalam situasi yang menantang dan penuh tekanan.
Melihat lonjakan jumlah pasien yang terinfeksi, kematian tanpa ampun, dan keadaan yang terisolasi lantaran COVID-19, kurangnya sumber daya manusia serta kendala teknis lainnya berpotensi membuat PTSD di kalangan tenaga kesehatan semakin berkembang.
Walau merasa khawatir, para responden riset di Jawa Barat juga punya sumber kekuatan dan semangat. Di antaranya adalah religiusitas, sistem pendukung sosial yang kuat, tanggung jawab moral profesi, protokol keselamatan dan kesehatan COVID, penerimaan dan perilaku positif menuju masa depan.
Dukungan sosial yang diterima oleh tenaga kesehatan membuat mereka merasa lebih tenang, dimengerti, dan diperhatikan oleh orang-orang terdekatnya.
Hasil ini sejalan dengan riset sebelumnya menunjukkan bahwa dukungan sosial berkorelasi negatif dengan masalah kesehatan mental seperti depresi dan kecemasan, kesepian, dan masalah tidur selama COVID-19.
Riset ini memberikan pemahaman yang lebih baik tentang faktor-faktor yang dapat menurunkan dan meningkatkan kualitas hidup para tenaga kesehatan. Hasil ini bisa digunakan oleh para pengelola fasilitas kesehatan, pemerintah, dan pembuat kebijakan untuk membuat regulasi pengaturan kerja bagi para tenaga kesehatan. Misalnya pengaturan dan pembagian tugas serta mekanisme kerja yang lebih aman, nyaman dan proporsional.
Selain itu, hasil riset ini juga bisa digunakan untuk merancang penyediaan layanan psikologis untuk mengatasi masalah psikologis yang muncul akibat pandemi COVID 19, misal kecemasan, depresi, stres dan lainnya agar tidak berkembang menjadi lebih parah.
Hal ini akan sangat bermanfaat untuk menjaga kondisi kesehatan mental, kualitas hidup, dan kualitas kerja para tenaga kesehatan.
Artikel ini terbit atas kerja sama The Conversation Indonesia dan Pusat Unggulan Iptek Perguruan Tinggi Inovasi Pelayanan Kefarmasian Universitas Padjadjaran. | business |
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