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National gymnasts reach FIG Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup finals [ PHOTO ] | Azerbaijani athletes Ivan Tikhonov and Nikita Simonov have reached the finals at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup.
Tikhonov scored 13.933 points in parallel bars exercises, while Simonov ranked sixth by scoring 14.266 in rings exercises.
After three competitions of the World Cup held in different countries, the World Cup in Baku is considered to be the final stage. Three best results out of four will define the holders of the FIG Cup in separate apparatus.
The qualifications will run from March 31 to April 1 while the finals are scheduled for April 2-3.
The AGF Trophy will be presented to the gymnasts who received the highest scores.
The participants of the World Cup in Baku include such well-known athletes as Croatian gymnast, silver medalist of the Olympic Games Beijing-2008, European and World Championships Ude Filip, Turkish gymnast, bronze medalist of the Summer Olympic Games Tokyo-2020, bronze medalist of the European Games, two-time winner of the European Championships Arican Ferhat, winners and prize-winners of the World and European Championships Matvey Petrov ( Albania), Hoeck Vinzenz ( Austria), Fraser Joe ( UK), Tvorogal Robert ( Lithuania) and others.
Azerbaijan is represented at the 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).
Tickets can be purchased at the iTicket.az and all ticket offices. Tickets cost 7 AZN ( $ 4) for qualifications and 12 AZN ( $ 7) for finals.
Spectators under 18 must have a valid COVID-19 vaccine certificate, immunity certificate or COVID-19 vaccine medical contraindication form. | general |
UK politics: P & O Ferries facing criminal and civil investigations after mass sackings of seafarers – as it happened | This live blog has now closed, you can find our latest UK political coverage here
Andrew Sparrow
Fri 1 Apr 2022 16.48 BST First published on Fri 1 Apr 2022 09.31 BST
From 2.31pm BST
14:31
The Insolvency Service has announced that it has launched a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding P & O Ferries decision to sack, without notice, 800 of its workers. In a statement it said:
Following its enquiries, the Insolvency Service has commenced formal criminal and civil investigations into the circumstances surrounding the recent redundancies made by P & O Ferries.
As these are ongoing investigations, no further comment or information can be provided at this time.
P & O Ferries has admitted that it broke the law by not consulting unions about the redundancies. It also appears to have broken the law by not giving advance notice to the authorities of the redundancies in the countries where its ships are registered.
4.45pm BST 16:45
P & O must not be allowed to get away with its scandalous and unlawful treatment of staff.
This criminal and civil investigation by the Insolvency Service must get to the bottom of what happened – and not shy away from serious sanctions and big financial penalties.
Firms who behave like corporate gangsters deserve far more than a slap on the wrist.
14 countries have some form of nationwide ban on conversion therapy – with all recent legislative bans being trans inclusive. Unless we keep pressure on the UK Govt, we risk lagging even further behind ➡️ https: //t.co/fKR871r62X # BanConversionTherapyhttps: //t.co/vxW8M4tcKG
This is from the Equality Network, a Scottish LGBTQ+ group.
The contrast with the UK Prime Minister, who has betrayed trans people over conversion practices and gender recognition, and has added insult to injury by making `` jokes '' at their expense, is stark.Trans people are not safe under this UK Government. # tdov https: //t.co/1p9qjfaMeK
And in an article for the Guardian, Jayne Ozanne, the founder of the Ban Conversion Therapy coalition, says excluding trans people from the ban would be “ utterly unforgiveable ”.
Updated at 5.05pm BST
4.23pm BST 16:23
Ed Miliband, the shadow secretary of state for climate and net zero, told Radio 4’ s World at One that he was in favouring of offering discounts on energy bills to people living near windfarms. Asked about the option, he said:
That’ s definitely something that should be looked at, and communities being able to be responsible for or own these wind turbines.
There is now and there has been consistently significant majorities of public support for onshore windfarms.
The reason why these things have been blocked is because the government introduced a planning system that said there needed to be unanimous consent in local areas, so if one person objected, it couldn’ t go forward.
Now that doesn’ t sound like a very democratic way to go forward. So sure, incentives, but we have to unblock the system.
Ministers are reportedly looking at the case for offering discounts to people living near new windfarms. But in his evidence to the Commons liaison committee on Wednesday, Boris Johnson sounded distinctly lukewarm about onshore wind. In his Times column today, James Forsyth says political opposition to windfarms in the Conservative party was just too strong. He writes:
Two quick options [ to increase energy supply ] are onshore wind farms and fracking; the former has the potential to dent electricity bills before the next election. But I understand the official strategy, while not ruling these out, won’ t push for them either. The problem is ‘ politics, MPs and planning’, according to one of those close to the decision. Both onshore wind and fracking have vocal opponents in the Tory parliamentary party, so won’ t happen.
Onshore wind’ s fate was perhaps sealed when Chris Heaton-Harris, who led the charge against wind farms under David Cameron, was made chief whip. One Johnson ally tells me the problem with onshore wind is ‘ the party hate it’ and that the PM has had ‘ people screaming in his ear’ about what trouble would be stirred up if ministers changed planning laws to push them through.
Updated at 4.36pm BST
4.08pm BST 16:08
4.06pm BST 16:06
And this is from Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, on the news from the Insolvency Service that P & O Ferries is facing a formal criminal investigation over the way it sacked its 800 workers.
BREAKING 🚨The Insolvency Service has reviewed P & O Ferries’ actions and placed it under criminal investigation for its actions.Peter Hebblethwaite stood before MPs and admitted to breaking the law, and his actions must now be scrutinised.
3.30pm BST 15:30
Jasper Jolly
Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the RMT transport union, has welcomed the news that P & O Ferries is now subject to a formal criminal investigation. He said:
This is long overdue but now gives clear grounds to detain P & O’ s ship whilst the criminal and civil investigations are completed, and justice is delivered for our members in face of this corporate hostility.
Updated at 3.46pm BST
3.00pm BST 15:00
Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, has published on his Twitter account the letter he received from the Insolvency Service confirming that a criminal investigation into P & O Ferries was under way.
Following my letter to the Insolvency Service last week, formal criminal and civil investigations into P & O Ferries have now commenced.Transport Secretary @ GrantShapps and I will continue to follow this matter closely as the investigations progress. pic.twitter.com/CdtInufaIS
This decision will come as a relief to ministers. Boris Johnson was seen to have jumped the gun last week when he told MPs at PMQs last week that he believed the company had definitely broken the law ( that was before the company’ s chief executive admitted this at a select committee) and that the company would be taken to court. Earlier this week Labour suggested he was making it up.
Updated at 3.01pm BST
2.47pm BST 14:47
ScotRail, the Scottish rail company, has been taken back into public ownership from today. At an event to mark this at Glasgow Queen Street station, Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’ s first minister, said it was now up to the Scottish government to show that nationalisation was a good idea. She said:
We have a duty now that the railways are in public ownership to demonstrate to people that it brings advantages - not just in the principle of public ownership, but in the practical experience of that as well.
On fares, Sturgeon stressed that they were 20% lower in Scotland than in England. But she added:
For many people it is still a serious issue of affordability. This is one of the key issues that we need to take forward. Obviously, we need to marry that up with the issues around service provision, reliability and accessibility of services, and also the consideration around the change to travel patterns that have come from the pandemic.
Sturgeon said that there would be a review of fares with the result published before the end of the year.
To celebrate ScotRail being welcomed into public ownership, up to four children will be able to travel with an adult for free on Scottish trains this weekend.
Dutch firm Abellio had run the trains since 2015 before being stripped of the contract.
Updated at 2.57pm BST
2.31pm BST 14:31
The Insolvency Service has announced that it has launched a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding P & O Ferries decision to sack, without notice, 800 of its workers. In a statement it said:
Following its enquiries, the Insolvency Service has commenced formal criminal and civil investigations into the circumstances surrounding the recent redundancies made by P & O Ferries.
As these are ongoing investigations, no further comment or information can be provided at this time.
P & O Ferries has admitted that it broke the law by not consulting unions about the redundancies. It also appears to have broken the law by not giving advance notice to the authorities of the redundancies in the countries where its ships are registered.
1.42pm BST 13:42
Keir Starmer has said that the government should go ahead with the full ban on conversion practices. But he has also claimed that the government is using the story as a means to distract attention from the cost of living crisis. Speaking on a visit to Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, he said:
The government should just keep to its promises on this [ the proposed full ban on conversion practices ].
But look, let’ s be honest and clear about what’ s happening today: the government is trying to get us all to talk about conversion therapy because they don’ t want us focusing on the cost of living crisis, on the increase in energy bills, where they’ ve got such a pathetic response.
So it’ s wrong, the government should keep to its promises.
But, you know, this is classic Conservative, trying to sort of distract people over here, when really the issue is the cost of living and energy prices.
On social media is it common to see people claiming that the only reason story X is in the news is because the government wants to distract attention from story Y. Normally these comments include a reference to a dead cat. And more often than not they are wrong, too, because news is a lot more chaotic than that, and government spin doctors have less power to shape the agenda than some people assume.
It is surprising that Starmer is using the “ distraction ” line because Paul Brand, the ITV journalist who broke the story, is confident that the leak was not deliberate.
Some interesting theories this morning that this was somehow a ploy by the government to leak the document and then offer a partial ban at the last minute. It wasn’ t. The leak did not come from anyone helpful to the govt and No 10 were panicked by the backlash. https: //t.co/kJVYk6X0ID
Also, if the government really did want people to be talking about conversion practices this morning, it would actually be saying something about the story itself, and putting up a minister to publicise it. But that has not happened, and the only confirmation of last night’ s partial U-turn has come via briefings from unattributable sources.
Updated at 2.12pm BST
12.50pm BST 12:50
Coronavirus infection levels have hit an all-time high in England with one in 13 thought to have had Covid in the most recent week, data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed. And last week almost 5 million people in the UK are estimated to have been infected. My colleague Nicola Davis has the story here.
Updated at 12.54pm BST
12.22pm BST 12:22
Lisa O'Carroll
Labour understands Northern Ireland better than the Conservative party, one of the staunchest unionists in the country, the DUP MP Ian Paisley, has claimed.
In an interview with GB News, Paisley, whose father the Rev Ian Paisley was for decades the most prominent and hardline figure in unionism, he said:
The Conservative party today is becoming more and more an English nationalist party that doesn’ t really understand what’ s going on in Scotland, certainly in Northern Ireland, and in other regions.
We’ ve always had a better deal from Labour.
Any time we’ ve had a Labour prime minister or a Labour secretary of state, they’ ve understood Northern Ireland, usually better.
Their bark has been worse than their bite you might say. We’ ve always kind of had the fear, will Labour take us in a particular direction closer to a united Ireland? But their bark about that and their actual bite has been very, very different.
Updated at 12.38pm BST | general |
‘ A tumultuous period’: Josh Frydenberg on being treasurer during Covid and the 2022 election | Political editor Katharine Murphy and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg reflect on his terms in parliament with the Morrison government, and discuss the political outlook across the country in the lead-up to the 2022 election: the rise of independents and how he hopes Australians will see national security threats in the region as a case for voting Liberal
How to listen to podcasts: everything you need to know
Presented by Katharine Murphy. Produced by Allison Chan and Karishma Luthria. Executive producer Miles Martignoni
Fri 1 Apr 2022 20.00 BST
Learn more:
The Guardian is editorially independent. And we want to keep our journalism open and accessible to all. But we increasingly need our readers to fund our work. | general |
Researchers find new strategy for preventing clogged arteries -- ScienceDaily | `` We 've shown in this research that we need CMA to protect against atherosclerosis, which becomes severe and progresses when CMA declines -- something that also happens when people get older, '' said Dr. Cuervo, professor of developmental and molecular biology and of medicine, the Robert and Renée Belfer Chair for the Study of Neurodegenerative Diseases, and co-director of the Institute for Aging Research at Einstein. `` But equally important, we 've proven that increasing CMA activity can be an effective strategy for curbing atherosclerosis and halting its progression. ''
An Impressive CMA CV
CMA keeps cells functioning normally by selectively degrading the many proteins that cells contain. In CMA, specialized `` chaperone '' proteins bind to proteins in the cytoplasm and guide them to enzyme-filled cellular structures called lysosomes to be digested and recycled. Dr. Cuervo has deciphered many of the molecular players involved in CMA and shown that CMA, through its timely degradation of key proteins, regulates numerous intracellular processes including glucose and lipid metabolism, circadian rhythms and DNA repair. She also found that disrupted CMA allows damaged proteins to accumulate to toxic levels, contributing to aging and -- when the toxic buildup occurs in nerve cells -- to neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's disease.
Dr. Cuervo's achievements were recognized in 2019 when she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences ( NAS). In 1996, the NAS began inviting its newly elected members to submit a special Inaugural Article to PNAS that would underscore the member's scientific contributions. Due to COVID-19 pandemic-related delays, today's paper on CMA's protective role against atherosclerosis is Dr. Cuervo's inaugural PNAS paper and adds to her body of work on the importance of CMA.
Fighting Back Against Plaque
Cardiovascular disease ( CVD) is the world's leading cause of death, with more than 80% of those CVD deaths due to heart attacks and strokes. CVD, in turn, is usually associated with atherosclerosis: the buildup of plaque ( a sticky material consisting of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances) within the walls of arteries. Accumulating plaque hardens and narrows arteries, preventing them from delivering oxygenated blood to heart muscle ( leading to heart attacks), the brain ( strokes), and to the rest of the body.
To investigate CMA's role in atherosclerosis, Dr. Cuervo and colleagues promoted atherosclerosis in mice by feeding them a fatty Western diet for 12 weeks and monitoring CMA activity in plaque-affected aortas of the animals. CMA activity initially increased in response to the dietary challenge; after 12 weeks, however, plaque buildup was significant, and virtually no CMA activity could be detected in the two types of cells -- macrophages and arterial smooth muscle cells -- that are known to malfunction in atherosclerosis, leading to the buildup of plaque within arteries.
`` CMA seemed to be very important in protecting macrophages and smooth muscle cells -- helping them function normally despite the pro-atherosclerotic diet -- at least for a while, until their CMA activity basically came to a halt, '' said Dr. Cuervo. She noted that feeding the high-fat diet to mice totally lacking in CMA activity produced even stronger evidence of CMA's importance: plaques nearly 40% larger than those in control animals that were also on the high-fat diet.
Of Mice and Also Men
The researchers found evidence that weak CMA activity correlates with atherosclerosis in people too. Some patients who have had strokes undergo a surgical procedure, known as carotid endarterectomy, that removes plaque-affected segments of their carotid arteries to reduce the risk of a second stroke. Dr. Cuervo and her colleagues analyzed CMA activity in carotid artery segments from 62 first-stroke patients who were followed for three years after their surgery.
`` Those patients with higher levels of CMA following their first strokes never got a second one, while second strokes occurred in nearly all the patients with low CMA activity, '' said Dr. Cuervo. `` This suggests that your CMA activity level post-endarterectomy could help in predicting your risk for a second stroke and in guiding treatment, especially for people with low CMA. ''
Turning Up CMA, Tuning Out Atherosclerosis
The study is the first to show that turning up CMA could be an effective way to prevent atherosclerosis from becoming severe or progressing. The researchers genetically `` upregulated '' CMA in mice that were fed a pro-atherosclerotic, high-fat Western diet and later compared them with control mice fed the same diet for 12 weeks. The CMA-boosted mice had greatly improved blood lipid profiles, with markedly reduced levels of cholesterol compared with the control mice. Plaque lesions that formed in the genetically altered mice were significantly smaller and milder in severity compared with plaques in control mice. Fortunately, people won't need genetic alteration to benefit from this finding.
`` My colleagues and I have developed drug compounds that have shown promise for safely and effectively increasing CMA activity in most mouse tissues and in human-derived cells, '' said Dr. Cuervo. Einstein has filed intellectual property on this underlying technology.
The PNAS paper is titled `` Protective role of chaperone-mediated autophagy against atherosclerosis. '' Other Einstein authors were Julio Madrigal-Matute, Ph.D., Dario F. Riascos-Bernal, Antonio Diaz, M.D., Ph.D., Inmaculada Tasset, Ph.D., Adrian Martin-Segura, Ph.D., Susmita Kaushik, Ph.D., Simoni Tiano, M.D., Matthieu Bourdenx, Ph.D., Gregory J. Krause, M.S., Nicholas Sibinga, M.D., Fernando Macian, M.D., Ph.D., and Rajat Singh, M.D. The paper's other co-corresponding author is Judith C. Sluimer, Ph.D., of Maastricht University Medical Centre in The Netherlands and the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. | science |
Study shows COVID-19's lingering impacts on the brain: Researchers found severe brain inflammation and injury consistent with reduced blood flow or oxygen to the brain, including neuron damage and death -- ScienceDaily | Now, researchers at Tulane University have shown in detail how COVID-19 affects the central nervous system, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.
The findings are the first comprehensive assessment of neuropathology associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in a nonhuman primate model.
The team of researchers found severe brain inflammation and injury consistent with reduced blood flow or oxygen to the brain, including neuron damage and death. They also found small bleeds in the brain.
Surprisingly, these findings were present in subjects that did not experience severe respiratory disease from the virus.
Tracy Fischer, PhD, lead investigator and associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the Tulane National Primate Research Center, has been studying brains for decades. Soon after the primate center launched its COVID-19 pilot program in the spring of 2020, she began studying the brain tissue of several subjects that had been infected.
Fischer's initial findings documenting the extent of damage seen in the brain due to SARS-CoV-2 infection were so striking that she spent the next year further refining the study controls to ensure that the results were clearly attributable to the infection.
`` Because the subjects didn't experience significant respiratory symptoms, no one expected them to have the severity of disease that we found in the brain, '' Fischer said. `` But the findings were distinct and profound, and undeniably a result of the infection. ''
The findings are also consistent with autopsy studies of people who have died of COVID-19, suggesting that nonhuman primates may serve as an appropriate model, or proxy, for how humans experience the disease.
Neurological complications are often among the first symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection and can be the most severe and persistent. They also affect people indiscriminately -- all ages, with and without comorbidities, and with varying degrees of disease severity.
Fischer hopes that this and future studies that investigate how SARS-CoV-2 affects the brain will contribute to the understanding and treatment of patients suffering from the neurological consequences of COVID-19 and long COVID.
The COVID-19 pilot research program at the Tulane National Primate Research Center was supported by funds made possible by the National Institutes of Health Office of Research Infrastructure Program, Tulane University and Fast Grants. | science |
Azerbaijan confirms 47 more COVID-19 cases, 49 recoveries | Azerbaijan has detected 47 new COVID-19 cases, 49 patients have recovered, and two patients have died, Trend reports citing the Operational Headquarters under Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers.
Up until now, 791,979 people have been infected with coronavirus in the country, 781,938 of them have recovered, and 9,694 people have died. Currently, 347 people are under treatment in special hospitals.
To reveal the COVID-19 cases, 4,339 tests have been carried out in Azerbaijan over the past day, and a total of 6,706,012 tests have been conducted so far.
Some 12,879 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 in Azerbaijan on March 31.
The first dose of the vaccine was injected into 909 citizens, the second one to 1,240 citizens, the third dose and the next doses to 10,115 citizens. Some 615 citizens were vaccinated with a booster dose after a positive test result for COVID-19.
Totally, up until now, 13,469,201 vaccine doses were administered, 5,325,295 citizens received the first dose of the vaccine, 4,825,873 people - the second dose, 3,088,723 people - the third dose and the next doses. | general |
Denver, Colorado Vacation Ideas - Denver Restaurants and Hotels | We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love. Promise.
Mountains, beer, and lots of eye candy... What more could you ask for?
Raise your hand if the BFF vacation you planned in 2020 got canceled because of COVID-19. Because, hey, hi, hello, my hand is raised.
Before a global pandemic happened, my friends and I thought it’ d be fun to meet in Denver, Colorado. We wanted to check out the hiking scene, partake in some boozy brunches, and catch up on the latest drama with each other. But when COVID-19 came in and basically said nope, not happening, we put those plans on pause.
More than a year later though, when it was safe to travel again and all of us got vaccinated, we decided to resurrect those plans to have the most epic girls ' trip. And even though it happened much later than we originally planned, it was totally worth the wait—and negative COVID-19 tests.
So if your hand is still raised from my initial question, let me put you on to Denver, Colorado as the perfect let’ s-party-but-also-chill vacation.
Trust me, you don’ t need to be on a beach to ~get away from it all~ with your besties. Some fresh Denver air will do just the trick.
We decided to stay at HALCYON, which is located right in the middle of a neighborhood called Cherry Creek, aka Denver’ s best-kept secret. It’ s pretty much right outside of the city ( I’ m talking like a 15-minute car ride) with the best shopping and dining experiences you could ask for.
JSYK: HALCYON hooked my friends and I up for a free stay in exchange for reviewing it. But honestly, paid for or not, it would be my go-to choice whenever I return to Denver. It should be yours too.
We also received a complimentary 2022 Civic Sedan rental to review, courtesy of Honda, because a) we didn’ t want to be at the mercy of Uber all weekend and b) we wanted to venture a little outside of Denver to find some hiking trails. It was a winner: Not only does it look fancy and drive well, but it's not going to break the bank, either. The hotel valet asked about it multiple times because he was in the market for a new car. Take a look for yourself:
Once we had the hotel and car taken care of, we booked the majority of our restaurant reservations so we didn’ t have to worry about eating at the wrong places or waiting a long time. As a foodie who also has a type A personality, this was a must.
HALCYON offers two dining options: Local Jones and Quality Italian. Local Jones is more casual, Quality Italian is lil more upscale.
When we weren’ t in the mood to head into the city, we took the elevator down to eat at the convenient and cozy Local Jones. We all split some wine, dug into some steak, chicken, and salad ( all of which we received for free in order to review), and the vibes overall were immaculate.
It was crowded, but not too packed to where you couldn’ t get a table, and the overall ambiance really was what made it shine. Like, picture the biggest, most amazing bar surrounded by newly renovated tables all around. Yes, please.
Now like I said earlier, there's also Quality Italian as an option, but you’ ll definitely want to make a reservation here beforehand. It was crowded literally every night, and while we didn’ t get a chance to eat there, it’ s on my list for next time.
We also ate at Happy Camper for brunch ( yum), Avanti for dinner ( double yum), and Viewhouse for dinner another night ( triple yum). All three of these places are located in downtown Denver and have more of a `` going out '' scene, so it was super fun. Moral of the story: We did not eat bad food in Denver once. Not once!
If Denver is known for anything besides weed and mountains, it’ s day-drinking some beers. The city is like an ale lover's heaven. We personally only really checked out Blue Moon’ s brewery and Denver Beer Company—mainly because one of my friends is gluten-free, so we had to go to places we knew would have those options.
But honestly, it all worked out well, and I could see myself spending a whole day just bouncing around Denver’ s RiNo district next time. It's filled with cute hole-in-the-wall breweries all within walking distance from each other.
Now the breweries were fun and all, but going to HALCYON’ s secret and ~exclusive~ speakeasy B & GC was my favorite drinking experience of the weekend. I won’ t reveal too much because part of the fun was actually finding the speakeasy in the first place. But when we did, I drank way too many lavish cocktails, which we received for free in order to review. ( My review: zero regrets.) Just know the cocktails are a bit more on the pricey side, so it might be better as a one-drink stop. Oh, and you 'll want to book a reservation too.
Last thing: Though we weren’ t staying at HALCYON when their rooftop bar area was open, they currently have an elevated rooftop experience with live music, heated cabanas, plenty of booze, and lots of games. Definitely reason # 1483373 why I’ m ready to return ASAP.
Two words: Red Rocks. Yes, it’ s an amphitheater, and no, unfortunately, we didn’ t buy tickets to actually see a concert here, but we explored the park for an entire day, and it was maybe the best part of the trip.
We decided to do this the first full day we were there ( mainly because we didn’ t want to be hauling our booties up some rocks and trails hungover AF), and it worked out perfectly. There are multiple trail options you can go on depending on your level and how long you want to hike for. We ended up opting for a two-hour hike, which was perfect.
Another day, we spent some time at the Denver Botanic Gardens, which is a free perk for anyone staying at HALCYON. All we did was ask the front desk to help us book and voila, free tickets. Overall, it was a v casual and relaxing couple of hours when we just honestly needed some fresh air and a break from alcohol.
Now if working out is something you like to do on vacay, in addition to having an amazing onsite gym facility, HALCYON also offers a “ wellness passport ” that lets you book one class a day for free—think: cycling, pilates, yoga, etc. My friends and I didn’ t opt in to any of these classes, but it’ s kind of something I regret not doing. Learn from my mistakes and take advantage of all the free thangs.
I’ m so happy that even though our vacay happened a lot later than what we originally planned, I still got to see my girls eventually—especially in a city like Denver.
So whether you love the mountains, want an excuse to drink beer, or just need to get away from your studio apartment, meet your girlfriends in the Mile-High City. Trust me, it’ ll be the best thing you do all year. | general |
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It would be easier to list who wasn’ t sick in the past month.
Tadej Pogačar, Julian Alaphilippe, Caleb Ewan, Jasper Stuyven… the list of riders to have visited pro cycling’ s infirmary runs longer than the spring’ s farthest monument.
Only Thursday, Wout van Aert became the latest admission to the peloton’ s sick ward, reshaping the ready-reckoner for what’ s expected at Tour of Flanders this weekend.
“ There’ s been illness everywhere all winter and there’ s not much we can do. Mallorca, Provence, Valencia, Catalunya, Sanremo… All the races, ” Trek-Segafredo head physician Gaetano Daniele told VeloNews this week.
“ Mostly in February it was COVID. Now it doesn’ t look like it’ s COVID because it’ s mostly a flu. We’ ve seen it this bad before, but not for a very long time. ”
The peloton has been pedaling into an all-new epidemic in the past few months.
While face masks, distancing and sanitizing is more rigorous than ever, coronavirus and then common colds crept through, forcing depleted teams to send reduced rosters to races all year.
Friday saw news that Israel-Premier Tech couldn’ t muster the manpower to start Sunday’ s Ronde. Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl and Bora-Hansgrohe join the Israeli team as being among those worst affected
“ We currently have twelve riders with either COVID or another upper respiratory tract infection, ” Bora-Hansgrohe boss Ralph Denk told Radsport earlier this month. “ There are also seven more who have been out for a longer period of time due to falls – with fractures or a concussion. Of the 30 racers in the squad, 19 are now injured [ or ill ]. ”
Quick-Step’ s cobbled campaign has been blighted by bugs. Dozens of racers and staffers have been laid-up, taking the edge off The Wolfpacks’ bite all spring.
“ We have 11 riders who are sick. Even me, I am home sick, ” team boss Patrick Lefevere lamented Thursday.
It’ s not unusual for riders to get sick. Upper respiratory conditions are a mainstay for riders wound to their tightest.
But this season saw all the ingredients come together to make a melting-pot of sickness.
“ We saw so many getting COVID in January and February, and one of the side effects is on the immune system, ” Daniele said. “ We then had cold days in Paris-Nice, in San-Remo, we had a couple cold days in Catalunya. And so riders get sick with common upper respiratory tract disease. ”
The increasing pressure for squads to start the season strong butted up against a surging wave of omicron infections this winter.
An already on-the-limit pro peloton nurtured little natural defense against the infections that can follow a case of coronavirus.
“ Riders now, they are always at the limit. They are always at the limit with the weight, and then that impacts with immunity because it’ s totally connected, ” Daniele said.
“ We see more every year riders are training harder and being lean earlier, so the immune system is under stress all season. In the past, this first month of the year with Provence, Valencia, they were only going just to build condition for the classics or the Giro or whatever. Nowadays the trend is completely different. You can see how fast, how light they are already in February and March. ”
Power data out of Paris-Nice shows how hard racing is straight out of the gate. Brandon McNulty’ s normalized power over four hours of stage 1 was nearly 5 w/kg. Winning moves lasting more than 15 minutes would kick up toward 7 w/kg.
Throw in a few days of attritional weather – most notably at Volta a Catalunya last week and a trip into the snowbound Apennines at Tirreno-Adriatico – and the peloton became easy prey for any infection going around.
🗣️ @ TamauPogi – @ TeamEmiratesUAE # TirrenoAdriatico pic.twitter.com/tnBHA5G2Co
“ There is a bug going around the peloton and there’ s nothing you can do about it, especially when you’ re on the limit, ” Bahrain-Victorious veteran Heinrich Haussler told VeloNews. “ Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico are so hard, the immune system isn’ t fully on. Even at Tirreno, it wasn’ t raining, but it was super, super cold. The stage when we went up into the snow, on the downhill, it felt like minus 10 degrees. ”
Some insiders point to the increased use of sanitizers and masks suppressing natural immune defenses. But whether it’ s COVID or common colds, there’ s no solution to the puzzle of pro cycling’ s increasingly sanitized bubble.
Much like any “ average joe, ” there’ s little riders can do to guard against sickness sweeping through a close-knit community.
The pros do have the upside of expert advisors however.
Daniele explained that Trek has four doctors in total, with each assigned up to eight riders to monitor. Regular medical checks, tests and weigh-ins are backed up by a battery of further cardiovascular and respiratory protocol for riders recently exposed to COVID.
When on races, team oversight is increased, and riders enjoy professionally prepared meal plans designed to bolster fragile immune systems.
But although the cycling calendar is busier than ever, riders still spend long spells at home – and then the onus shifts.
“ All the riders have good knowledge for diet, training, weight and they are disciplined. But we keep following them and checking in to see how they are. ” Daniele said.
“ But for all this illnesses like we’ re seeing now, there’ s not much that can be done by us or them. With the weather, the COVID, the hard racing, it’ s not surprising they get sick. ”
This spring’ s sweep of sickness may settle when the early summer sun gains heat. But just like the training, racing and traveling that is embedded in pro cycling, so is sickness.
Get the latest race news, results, commentary, and tech, delivered to your inbox. | general |
Russia-Ukraine war: White House is worried about famine overseas | The Biden administration is worried Russia's invasion of Ukraine will cause famine in parts of the world, White House Council of Economic Advisers Chair Cecilia Rouse told CNBC on Friday.
In an interview on `` Closing Bell, '' Rouse noted that Russia and Ukraine serve as `` the bread basket '' for many parts of the world, as the two countries are major producers of wheat, soybeans and other agricultural commodities.
However, the war is complicating efforts to plant and export these key crops. Higher energy and fertilizer prices compound the problem.
`` This is a big concern, '' Rouse told CNBC. `` We're working with our international aid agencies to ensure there's some humanitarian aid because we are concerned, particularly in the Middle East, parts of Africa and the Far East... about famines and shortages in those parts of the world. ''
The war in Ukraine has further increased food prices after two years of disruptions related to the coronavirus pandemic. The global health crisis is believed to have caused an increase in the number of people globally who face hunger.
The situation in East Africa, in particular, is worrisome because Russia and Ukraine are responsible for about 90% of the wheat imported to the region, according to the United Nations ' World Food Programme.
But even before Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, the UN estimated that roughly 13 million people who live in the Horn of Africa were severely hungry each day. The area is facing a serious drought that has affected crops and killed livestock in countries such as Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, according to the UN. | business |
Ethiopia: International Consultant – Conduct Research on the Intersection of Child Protection and Migration in Ethiopia | Posting Period: 31.03.2022 – 14.04.2022
Ethiopia is the second most-populous country in Africa, and of the nearly 114 million people in Ethiopia, approximately 40% are children under the age of 14. [ 1 ] The co-occurring emergencies of the COVID-19 pandemic, the civil war in the north of Ethiopia and pre-existing poverty, spur and amplify children’ s risk to abuse, exploitation, gender-based violence and separation from their families. [ 2 ] According to the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey ( EDHS), a quarter of girls and women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence since age 15. [ 3 ] Ethiopia is a key origin, transit and recipient country for migrants, as well as being the site of internal displacements. As such, Ethiopia encompasses many children on the move, who are overall more exposed to violence, exploitation and abuse than their non-displaced counterparts. [ 4 ] Repeated displacements, disrupted education opportunities and lack of economic options put an estimated 481,882 children at risk of exploitation and child labour in 2021, causing the number of children in need to increase by 23 per cent from 2.6 million in 2020 to 3.2 million in 2021. [ 5 ] As such, the effectiveness of migration management depends on reliable and up-to-date information, regarding both migration and the state of child protection needs and available services, that this research aims to address as one of the critical questions that arise while implementing programme activities. [ 6 ]
Established in 1951, the International Organization for Migration ( IOM) is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. IOM Ethiopia through Migration Management Unit ( MMU) works closely with the Government of Ethiopia ( GoE) to improve migration management and governance. It also supports the government in countering trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants ( SoM) and promoting regular labour migration channels as well as the migration-development nexus.
IOM is implementing a three-year project funded by the Government of the Netherlands titled Cooperation on Migration and Partnerships for Sustainable Solutions ( COMPASS). The overall objective of this three-year multi-country initiative to be implemented from the 1st of January 2021 to the 31st of December 2023 is to contribute to the long-term outcomes of focus on the protection and assistance of people on the move and decreased irregular migration.
COMPASS’ design and implementation follows a multi-level, ecological approach to migrant protection and assistance. The approach is primarily aimed at reducing unsafe and irregular migration and also towards generating sustainable outcomes for migrants, their families and communities. To do this, COMPASS follows a Result-Based Monitoring and Evaluation ( RBME) approach, which refers to the shift from focusing on the inputs and activities ( resources and procedures) to focusing on the achievement of the short, medium- and long-term goals in the form of sustainable benefits for direct and indirect beneficiaries [ 7 ]. The ecological approach assumes that intervention efforts focused on the individual level are not sufficient to achieve sustainable and meaningful development in protecting migrants and avoiding unsafe migration. The approach considers higher social arrangements and includes the community and the broader society governed by States. COMPASS ecological approach comprises three mutually reinforcing intervention components:
In line with these approaches, the programme plans to achieve its overarching goal through the realization of the following four medium term outcomes based on the four COMPASS intervention pillars of ( 1) Protection, ( 2) Counter-trafficking and Smuggling, ( 3) Awareness and ( 4) Returns and Reintegration.
The results of the research could unfold potential connections with trafficking-in-children practices, namely whether linkages exist between child protection and child migration patterns, and to what extent traffickers prey on child protection needs to resource child-trafficking networks. This information could be further assessed and coordinated with activities according to the programme-wide research agenda.
In line with the overall COMPASS evidence and research strategy, the results of the study and key findings on trends, vulnerabilities and protection needs will be discussed, validated and then disseminated at the national level through dedicated workshops that will pave the way for the identification of possible action points. These results will also support the global knowledge developed by IOM and COMPASS and support cross-border and cross-regional initiatives, when applicable. To guarantee the ownership by national authorities, all research initiatives will be conducted in close coordination with the National Partnership Coalition led by the Ministry of Justice.
Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing: Cooperation on Migration and Partnerships for Sustainable Solutions ( COMPASS) PX.0263 - Migration Management Unit ( MMU)
First deliverable – Inception report inclusive of the proposed methodology, work plan, and approved data collection tools. The methodology should include a clear sample plan which uses evidence to link migration hotspot locations with areas experiencing increased child-protection challenges in Ethiopia. Deliverable date to be determined at the time of the contract signing, deliverable to be completed approximately one month after contract approved. Payment percentage of 25% upon completion of first deliverable.
Second deliverable – Outline a report, including a desk review and analysis of the extent to which international child protection standards are applied at the domestic level, descriptive statistics and key findings resulting from data collection and analysis efforts. Deliverable date to be determined at the time of the contract signing, deliverable to be completed approximately 1.5 months after completion of the first deliverable. Payment percentage of 35% upon completion of second deliverable.
Third deliverable – First draft of a final report, and a corresponding visual product ( slide deck, short graphic video or the like) which outlines the state of play of child protection in Ethiopia with a specific focus on migrants in vulnerable situations. Key recommendations should include an action-plan for raising awareness around, and addressing, child protection needs. Deliverable date to be determined at the time of the contract signing, deliverable to be completed approximately 2.5 months after contract signing.
Fourth deliverable – Final versions of all prior materials, updated based on a validation workshop and feedback from IOM colleagues. Deliverable date to be determined at the time of the contract signing, deliverable to be completed approximately 3 months after contract signing. Payment percentage of 40% upon completion of fourth deliverable
The research component requires local travels. The consultant must develop a clear sample plan to link migration hotspot locations with areas that have particular importance to the protection of children in Ethiopia, together with the IOM Ethiopia team, and in consideration of recent security restrictions. The specific sample location will be determined in the later stage of the assignment. DSA allowance will be considered and discussed in line with travel plans, to be determined at contract signing.
Interested candidates are invited to submit their application following the specifications outlined below via our e-mail address RECADDIS @ IOM.INT, by 14th of April, 2022 at the latest, referring the position title and Vacancy number in the subject line of your email; applicant who doesnt follow the required application procedure will automatically be disqualified from the competition.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Contribute to the Alliance website by sharing your content ( resources, news, events, vacancies, etc.) here | general |
CRISPR and HIV: New technique in human blood unveils potential paths toward cure: Key to possible HIV cure may lie in mechanisms behind how it replicates -- ScienceDaily | The HIV epidemic has been overlooked during the COVID-19 pandemic but represents a critical and ongoing threat to human health with an estimated 1.5 million new infections in the last year alone.
Drug developers and research teams have been searching for cures and new treatment modalities for HIV for over 40 years but are limited by their understanding of how the virus establishes infection in the human body. How does this small, unassuming virus with only 12 proteins -- and a genome only a third of the size of SARS-CoV-2 -- hijack the body's cells to replicate and spread across systems?
A cross-disciplinary team at Northwestern sought to answer that very question.
In the team's new study, published today ( April 1) in the journal Nature Communications, scientists used a new CRISPR gene-editing approach to identify human genes that were important for HIV infection in the blood, finding 86 genes that may play a role in the way HIV replicates and causes disease, including over 40 that have never been looked at in the context of HIV infection.
The study proposes a new map for understanding how HIV integrates into our DNA and establishes a chronic infection.
`` The existing drug treatments are one of our most important tools in fighting the HIV epidemic and have been amazingly effective at suppressing viral replication and spread, '' said Northwestern's Judd Hultquist, a co-corresponding author. `` But these treatments aren't curative, so individuals living with HIV have to follow a strict treatment regimen that requires continual access to good affordable health care -- that's simply not the world we live in. ''
Hultquist said with more understanding of how the virus replicates, treatments could one day become cures.
Hultquist is associate director of the Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and serves as an assistant professor of medicine in infectious diseases at Feinberg.
A method without compromise
Before now, studies have relied on the use of immortalized human cancer cells ( like HeLa cells) as models to study how HIV replicates in the lab. While these cells are easy to manipulate in the lab, they are imperfect models of human blood cells. Additionally, most of these studies use technology to turn down the expression of certain genes, but not turn them off entirely as with CRISPR, meaning scientists can't always clearly determine if a gene was involved in helping or suppressing viral replication.
`` With the CRISPR system, there's no intermediary -- the gene is on or off, '' Hultquist said. `` This capability to turn genes on and off in cells isolated directly from human blood is a game changer -- this new assay is the most faithful representation of what's happening in the body during HIV infection that we could easily study in the lab. ''
In the study, T cells -- the major cell type targeted by HIV -- were isolated from donated human blood, and hundreds of genes were knocked out using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. The `` knock-out '' cells were then infected with HIV and analyzed. Cells that lost a gene important for viral replication showed decreased infection, while cells that lost an antiviral factor showed an increase in infection.
From there, the team validated the identified factors by selectively knocking them out in new donors, where they found a nearly even break of newly discovered pathways and well-researched ones.
Moving toward a cure for HIV
Hultquist said their findings represented a `` perfect split '' of novel and known factors to know they were doing something right.
`` This is a really great proof-of-concept that the steps and processes that we took to perform the study were robust and well thought out, '' Hultquist said. `` That nearly half of the genes we found were previously discovered increases confidence in our dataset. The exciting part is that over half -- 46 -- of these genes had never before been looked at in the context of HIV infection, so they represent new potential therapeutic avenues to look into. ''
The team is excited about further developing this technology to enable genome-wide screening where they independently knock out or turn on every gene in the human genome to identify all potential HIV host factors. These data would represent a critical piece in the puzzle, which would bring them even closer to curative strategies.
The study was a collaboration between Hultquist at Northwestern and Alexander Marson and Nevan Krogan at the University of California, San Francisco.
This research was supported by a Mathilde Krim amfAR grant using funds raised by generationCURE ( 109504-61-RKRL); NIH/NIGMS funding for the HIV Accessory & Regulatory Complexes ( HARC) Center ( P50 GM082250); NIH funding for the study of innate immune responses to intracellular pathogens ( R01 AI120694 & P01 AI063302); NIH funding for the Third Coast Center for AIDS Research ( P30 AI117943); NIH funding for the UCSF-Gladstone Institute of Virology & Immunology Center for AIDS Research; NIH funding for the UCSF Medical Scientist Training Program; several NIH/NIAID grants for HIV research ( K22 AI136691, R01 AI165236 and R01 AI150998); and an NIH/NIDA grant ( DP2 DA042423-01). | science |
Patterson-UTI Announces Appointment of Julie J. Robertson and Cesar Jaime to Board of Directors | HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 1, 2022 / PATTERSON-UTI ENERGY, INC ( NASDAQ: PTEN) today announced that Julie J. Robertson and Cesar Jaime have been appointed to the Company's Board of Directors. With these appointments, the Patterson-UTI Board has been expanded to eight members.
Ms. Robertson has more than 40 years of operational, executive, administrative and human resource experience at one of the world's largest offshore drilling companies, including having served as its Executive Chair, Chair of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Jaime has 30 years of experience in international oil field services in Latin America, Europe and Africa for the largest international oil field services company, including having served as President of the Latin America division, as well as serving on boards of private companies.
Curtis W. Huff, Patterson-UTI's Chairman, stated, `` We are thrilled to welcome Julie and Cesar to our Board. Their international and executive management experience will be a tremendous asset for our Board. ''
Andy Hendricks, Patterson-UTI's Chief Executive Officer and board member, added, `` Julie's extensive public company board experience, experience with international markets, and experience with global compliance, risk mitigation, executive compensation, governance and sustainability matters will be a welcome addition to our Board. Cesar's broad management experience and international expertise will also benefit our Board, especially in light of the Company's recent acquisition of drilling operations in Latin America. ''
Patterson-UTI is a leading provider of oilfield services and products to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies in the United States and other select countries, including contract drilling, pressure pumping and directional drilling services. For more information, visit www.patenergy.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements which are protected as forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are not limited to historical facts, but reflect Patterson-UTI's current beliefs, expectations or intentions regarding future events. Words such as `` anticipate, '' `` believe, '' `` budgeted, '' `` continue, '' `` could, '' `` estimate, '' `` expect, '' `` intend, '' `` may, '' `` plan, '' `` predict, '' `` potential, '' `` project, '' `` pursue, '' `` should, '' `` strategy, '' `` target, '' or `` will, '' and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding Patterson-UTI's future expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, financial conditions, assumptions or future events or performance that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Patterson-UTI's control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: adverse oil and natural gas industry conditions; including as a result of economic repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic; global economic conditions; volatility in customer spending and in oil and natural gas prices that could adversely affect demand for Patterson-UTI's services and their associated effect on rates; excess availability of land drilling rigs, pressure pumping and directional drilling equipment, including as a result of reactivation, improvement or construction; competition and demand for Patterson-UTI's services; strength and financial resources of competitors; utilization, margins and planned capital expenditures; liabilities from operational risks for which Patterson-UTI does not have and receive full indemnification or insurance; operating hazards attendant to the oil and natural gas business; failure by customers to pay or satisfy their contractual obligations ( particularly with respect to fixed-term contracts); the ability to realize backlog; specialization of methods, equipment and services and new technologies, including the ability to develop and obtain satisfactory returns from new technology; the ability to retain management and field personnel; loss of key customers; shortages, delays in delivery, and interruptions in supply, of equipment and materials; cybersecurity events; synergies, costs and financial and operating impacts of acquisitions; the ultimate timing, outcome and results of integrating the operations of Pioneer Energy Services into Patterson-UTI; the effects of the acquisition on Patterson-UTI, including Patterson-UTI's future financial condition, results of operations, strategy and plans; potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the acquisition; the failure to realize expected synergies and other benefits from the acquisition; difficulty in building and deploying new equipment; governmental regulation; climate legislation, regulation and other related risks; environmental, social and governance practices, including the perception thereof; environmental risks and ability to satisfy future environmental costs; technology-related disputes; legal proceedings and actions by governmental or other regulatory agencies; the ability to effectively identify and enter new markets; weather; operating costs; expansion and development trends of the oil and natural gas industry; ability to obtain insurance coverage on commercially reasonable terms; financial flexibility; interest rate volatility; adverse credit and equity market conditions; availability of capital and the ability to repay indebtedness when due; stock price volatility; and compliance with covenants under Patterson-UTI's debt agreements.
Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained from time to time in Patterson-UTI's SEC filings. Patterson-UTI's filings may be obtained by contacting Patterson-UTI or the SEC or through Patterson-UTI's website at http: //www.patenergy.com or through the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering and Analysis Retrieval System ( EDGAR) at http: //www.sec.gov. Patterson-UTI undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement.
SOURCE: Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc.
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Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process. | business |
Asian markets slip as Japan's 'tankan ' shows weaker outlook | TOKYO — Asian shares were mostly lower Friday as a resurgence of Russian attacks dashed hopes for any quick end to the war in Ukraine.
Japan’ s benchmark Nikkei 225
NIK,
-1.69%
slipped 0.5% in morning trading.
Shares in electronics and energy giant Toshiba Corp.
6502,
-1.77%
jumped 6.7% on news that Bain Capital might make an offer to acquire the company and take it private.
Toshiba said
it was not involved in any such talks.
South Korea’ s Kospi
180721,
-1.43%
lost 0.6% while Australia’ s S & P/ASX 200
XJO,
-0.63%
edged up 0.1%. Hong Kong’ s Hang Seng
HSI,
-0.96%
shed 0.8% and the Shanghai Composite
SHCOMP,
-1.12%
added 0.6%. Benchmark indexes in Singapore
STI,
-0.35%
,
Taiwan
Y9999,
-1.96%
and Indonesia
JAKIDX,
+0.23%
fell slightly.
Rising COVID cases in China are adding to the worries of a regional slowdown. The lockdown in Shanghai
entered its second phase
of extended restrictions, while restrictions were lifted in hard hit Jilin.
The retreat followed a broad decline on Wall Street, which closed out its worst quarter since the pandemic broke out two years ago.
A closely watched quarterly gauge of business sector sentiment in Japan called the “ tankan, ” carried out by the Bank of Japan, found the benchmark indicator for large manufacturers dropped for the first time in seven quarters, losing three points from a survey in December to 14 points from 17 points.
The
war in Ukraine
, coming on top of supply chain disruptions at top manufacturers caused by COVID-19 restrictions and growing worries about inflation, especially soaring energy costs, are clouding the outlook for already fragile growth in the world’ s third largest economy.
The war is the biggest single factor weighing on markets, analysts say. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed pessimism about Russian intentions and said in his nightly video address to the nation that he expected the Russian offensive would continue for some time.
“ As we head into the weekend break, optimism for a ceasefire in the geopolitical conflict continues to fade overnight, ” said Yeap Jun Rong, market strategist at IG in Singapore.
On Wall Street, a 3.6% gain for March failed to offset a dismal January and February that left U.S. indexes lower for the year to date.
The S & P 500
SPX,
-0.97%
lost 1.6% to 4,530.41. Its loss since the beginning of the year is 4.9%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA,
-0.42%
also fell 1.6%, to 34,678.35. The Nasdaq composite
COMP,
-2.22%
fell 1.5% to 14,220.52. Both indexes also notched gains for March, thanks largely to a market rally in the two weeks heading into this week.
Oil prices fell as President Joe Biden
ordered the release of up to 1 million barrels of oil
per day from the nation’ s
strategic petroleum reserve
. The move to pump more oil into the market is part of an effort to control energy prices, which are up nearly 40% globally this year.
U.S. benchmark crude
CLK22,
+1.35%
fell 36 cents to $ 99.92 a barrel early Friday. It fell 7% on Thursday. Brent
BRNK22
,
the international standard, shed 7 cents to $ 104.64 a barrel.
An overnight pullback slightly trimmed what have been soaring oil prices amid
Russia’ s invasion of Ukraine
. The conflict has elevated concerns that tightened supplies will only worsen persistently rising inflation that threatens businesses and consumers globally.
An inflation gauge that is closely monitored by the U.S. Federal Reserve
jumped 6.4% in February
compared with a year ago, marking the largest year-over-year rise since January 1982.
Energy prices have been a key factor in pushing inflation higher and Biden’ s plan to release more oil into the system comes as little relief is expected from the oil cartel OPEC. The cartel and its allied oil producers including Russia
are sticking to a modest increase
in the amount of crude they pump to the world, a step that supports higher prices.
Banks also fell along with bond yields, which forces interest rates on loans lower, making lending less profitable for banks. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 2.34% from 2.36% late Wednesday. Bank of America fell 4.1%.
But in Asia early Friday the yield on the 10-year Treasury rebounded to 2.39%.
Higher prices for everything from energy to food are a key concern of central banks, which are moving to raise interest rates to help temper the impact.
Investors received a lukewarm update on the job market on Thursday. More Americans
applied for unemployment benefits
last week, but layoffs remain at historic lows. Wall Street will get a fuller report on Friday when the Labor Department releases employment data for March.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar
USDJPY,
-0.05%
rose to 122.52 Japanese yen from 121.69 yen. | business |
Investors are fed up with Netflix and Facebook's parent. Why this portfolio manager is digging in and buying more. | Critical information for the U.S. trading day
It has been a quarter to forget for two of the megacap tech giants, Netflix and Facebook parent Meta Platforms. The 34% decline for Meta ( FB) was its worst on record -- the 30% drop in the third quarter of 2012 was the only comparable period -- while the 38% drop for Netflix ( NFLX) was its worst since the fourth quarter of 2011. By contrast, Alphabet ( GOOGL), Amazon.com ( AMZN), Apple ( AAPL) and Microsoft ( MSFT) each suffered just single-digit percentage declines from January to March.
Dan Davidowitz, portfolio manager at Polen Capital, said in a presentation to investors he has added to his positions in both beleaguered tech stocks this quarter. At the end of January, the Polen Growth fund had 5% of the portfolio in Meta and 2% in Netflix, according to FactSet data.
On Netflix, he says research shows that it's the anchor streaming service, as he dismissed competition concerns from the likes of Walt Disney ( DIS), Amazon and Apple. `` We don't see churn going up for Netflix, which would show a competitive issue. We don't use usage declining, which again, would be a competitive issue. We see that all markets are growing kind of at the same pace. ''
What this says is that Netflix is undergoing a COVID-19 overhang, because they pulled customer growth forward, Davidowitz says. What he likes is that there's still pricing power left in the United States that the company is starting to flex, and there's still a number of users to be had outside the U.S. Netflix is attractive because margins and free cash flow are starting to come through in a big way as its content spending is starting to grow slower than revenue.
On Meta, he says Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are still vibrant growth businesses. He dismisses the idea that TikTok is a competitive threat. `` We believe that even though all video platforms and social media platforms are losing a little bit of time spent to TikTok, we don't think that's really affecting advertising dollars so much. There's a reason why advertisers come to Facebook and Instagram, because they can target very specifically in ways that can't on any other social-media platform, '' he said.
The issue with Meta has to do with Apple's privacy changes. `` And so what they're having right now is a little bit of trouble measuring the effectiveness of some ads because Apple's kind of walled off some of the data that they used to be able to use, '' he said. But he called that a solvable problem, though perhaps not for this year. He also dismisses the widely held view that young people aren't using Facebook anymore. `` In fact, when you look at the percentage of young people on Facebook and Instagram, they are almost exactly the same. And that's not surprising to us. Because Instagram has two billion users, Facebook has three billion users. They're a pretty broad selection of the world's internet population. ''
Instagram, he adds, is growing faster than rival Snap ( SNAP) at five times its size. Even valuaing it at a discount to Snap, that's at least $ 400 billion valuation right there. Backing out the excess $ 50 billion in cash Meta has on its balance sheet, and ascribing any value at all to WhatsApp and Oculus, and you're left with a roughly $ 100 billion valuation for core Facebook, which he says is about four times earnings. `` This is not a declining business, this is a growing business, so we think it's absolutely ridiculous, '' he says.
The U.S. created 431,000 jobs in March, coming in a bit shy of forecasts but still signalling an improving labor market. The unemployment rate fell to 3.6%, and average hourly earnings rose 13 cents to take the year-over-year rate to 5.6%.
U.S. stock futures pointed to opening gains after the report was released. The yield on the 2-year Treasury exceeded that of the 10-year Treasury -- a potentially worrying sign for the economy.
There's also the Institute for Supply Management manufacturing index due for release, and auto makers will be releasing their monthly sales numbers. Overseas, Eurostat reported record-high inflation in the eurozone.
Russian troops left the contaminated Chernobyl nuclear site, as Russia accused Ukraine of attacking a Rosneft oil depot on its side of the border.
China is planning to give U.S. regulators full access to audits of most of the companies listed in New York, Bloomberg News reported, boosting stocks including Alibaba ( 9988.HK), Pinduoduo ( PDD) and Baidu ( K3SD.SG) in premarket trade.
GameStop ( GME) shares surged 14% in premarket trade, after the company announced it was planning to split its stock following a meteoric rise.
The Commerce Department this week released its latest reading on the U.S. international investment position, the difference between U.S. residents ' foreign financial assets and liabilities, which fell to a record gap of $ 18.1 trillion, or 75% of gross domestic product. Imran Siddiqui, chief investment officer of Mosaic Capital, tweeted that it reflects `` the privilege of the dollar being the global reserve currency, [ U.S. Treasurys ] being the global reserve asset of choice and technology innovation the rest of the world can only envy. ''
Cristina Tessari, an economist at Goldman Sachs, however, drew parallels with Great Britain losing reserve currency status for the pound. `` The dollar today faces many of the same challenges as the British pound in the early 20th century: a small share of global trade volumes relative to the currency's dominance in international payments, a deteriorating net foreign asset position, and potentially adverse geopolitical developments, '' she wrote.
Here were the most active stock-market tickers as of 6 a.m. Eastern.
`` The new American dream is to leave America, '' says a viral Reddit post by someone who left the U.S. to work in Denmark.
Canada's Supreme Court upheld a $ 7 million fine for stealing maple syrup.
Scientists are mapping out meteorites in Antarctica, with the goal of finding out more about the early stages of the solar system.
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Long-term unemployment tumbles in March as job market stays hot | The ranks of the long-term unemployed fell again in March, edging closer to prepandemic levels as the job market offers ample opportunity for workers.
Long-term unemployment is a period of joblessness that lasts 27 weeks or more ( or, at least six months). It's generally a financially precarious period for households in which it's harder to find a job and unemployment benefits are unavailable.
The number of long-term unemployed declined by 274,000 in March, to 1.4 million, according to the Labor Department's monthly jobs report issued Friday.
In March 2021, the long-term jobless accounted for 43.2% of all unemployed individuals, a pandemic-era high and just shy of the all-time record 45.5%, which was set in April 2010 in the wake of the Great Recession.
By March 2022, the share had nearly halved to 23.9% and was approaching its prepandemic level of roughly 19% to 20%.
The improvement comes amid a labor market that has been particularly strong for workers.
Job openings ( an indicator of employer demand for workers) are near record highs and layoffs near record lows as businesses aim to hold onto the workers they have.
Annual wage growth is higher than at any point in over 20 years, according to economists at job site Indeed. Employees, enticed by higher pay and ample opportunity, have been quitting their jobs at near-record levels.
`` As the labor market continues to expand and more options are available, that helps workers who are traditionally the last to return to the workforce, which includes workers who are unemployed for long periods of time, '' according to Daniel Zhao, a senior economist at career site Glassdoor.
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The long-term unemployed often have a difficult time finding a job, due to factors like lost connections to work networks or frayed on-the-job skills, Zhao said. Employers also tend to prefer candidates without long gaps in employment history.
`` But employers are competing fiercely for talent right now, '' Zhao said. `` They're willing to overlook some of these concerns. ''
The March jobs report painted a rosy picture of overall employment.
The U.S. unemployment rate edged down to 3.6% in March from 3.8% the prior month, almost hitting its 3.5% level in February 2020 — which, in turn, was the lowest unemployment rate since December 1969.
The U.S. has added 562,000 new jobs per month in 2022, on average. That's almost exactly the same pace as average monthly job creation in 2021, according to Jason Furman, an economist at Harvard University and former chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama administration.
If the pace continues, the economy will recover all its lost pandemic-era jobs ( 22 million total) in June, Zhao said.
`` It's remarkable how quickly the economy has recovered given how deep the crisis was, '' Zhao said.
It's unclear how long the worker-friendly labor market will persist. The Federal Reserve started raising interest rates to cool down the economy and reduce inflation, which is running at its fastest pace in 40 years. The war in Ukraine and any unforeseen Covid-19 curveballs pose potential headwinds to the U.S. economy, too. | business |
MEI Pharma Announces Inducement Grant Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635 ( c) ( 4) | MEI Pharma, Inc. ( NASDAQ: MEIP), a late-stage pharmaceutical company focused on advancing new therapies for cancer, today announced the grant of inducement stock options for an aggregate of 295,000 shares of the company’ s common stock to four new employees. The stock options were granted as a material inducement to each new employee accepting employment with MEI in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635 ( c) ( 4).
The stock options have a $ 0.6025 exercise price per share, which is equal to the closing price of the Company’ s common stock on the grant date. The options were granted pursuant to the MEI Pharma, Inc. 2021 Inducement Grant Equity Compensation Plan, and have terms and conditions consistent with the MEI Pharma, Inc. Amended and Restated 2008 Stock Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan. The options were approved by the Company’ s Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors in reliance on the employment inducement exception under Rule 5635 ( c) ( 4), which requires that grants relying on this exception be disclosed promptly in a press release.
The options have a 10-year term and will vest 25% of the shares subject to the option on the 12-month anniversary of the date of the grant and 2.0833% of the shares subject to the option on the first day of each of the next 36 calendar months following the 12-month anniversary of the effective date, subject to earlier vesting in connection with a change of control.
MEI Pharma, Inc. ( Nasdaq: MEIP) is a late-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing potential new therapies for cancer. MEI Pharma's portfolio of drug candidates contains multiple clinical-stage assets, including zandelisib, currently in ongoing clinical trials which may support marketing approvals with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory authorities globally. Each of MEI Pharma's pipeline candidates leverages a different mechanism of action with the objective of developing therapeutic options that are: ( 1) differentiated, ( 2) address unmet medical needs and ( 3) deliver improved benefit to patients either as standalone treatments or in combination with other therapeutic options. For more information, please visit www.meipharma.com. Follow us on Twitter @ MEI Pharma and on LinkedIn.
Under U.S. law, a new drug can not be marketed until it has been investigated in clinical studies and approved by the FDA as being safe and effective for the intended use. Statements included in this press release that are not historical in nature are `` forward-looking statements '' within the meaning of the `` safe harbor '' provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the results of our clinical trials of zandelisib, the anticipated timing of our submission of an FDA marketing application for zandelisib, the anticipated timing of the disclosure of the final study data for our Phase 2 TIDAL trial, the timing and success of enrollment for our Phase 3 COASTAL trial, our projected financial position and our expected cash runway, the overall advancement of our product candidates in clinical trials and our plans to continue development of our product candidates. We may in some cases use terms such as “ predicts, ” “ believes, ” “ potential, ” “ continue, ” “ anticipates, ” “ estimates, ” “ expects, ” “ plans, ” “ intends, ” “ may, ” “ could, ” “ might, ” “ likely, ” “ will, ” “ should ” or other words that convey uncertainty of the future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. You should be aware that our actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, which are based on management's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, our failure to successfully commercialize our product candidates; the availability or appropriateness of utilizing the FDA’ s accelerated approval pathway for our product candidates; final data from our pre-clinical studies and completed clinical trials may differ materially from reported interim data from ongoing studies and trials; costs and delays in the development and/ or FDA approval of our product candidates, or the failure to obtain such approval, of our product candidates; uncertainties or differences in interpretation in clinical trial results; the risk that our clinical trials are discontinued or delayed for any reason, including for safety, tolerability, enrollment, manufacturing or economic reasons; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our industry and individual companies, including on our counterparties, the supply chain, the execution of our clinical development programs, our access to financing and the allocation of government resources; our inability to maintain or enter into, and the risks resulting from our dependence upon, collaboration or contractual arrangements necessary for the development, manufacture, commercialization, marketing, sales and distribution of any products; competitive factors; our inability to protect our patents or proprietary rights and obtain necessary rights to third party patents and intellectual property to operate our business; our inability to operate our business without infringing the patents and proprietary rights of others; general economic conditions; the failure of any products to gain market acceptance; our inability to obtain any additional required financing; technological changes; government regulation; changes in industry practice; and one-time events. We do not intend to update any of these factors or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements.
MEI Pharma, Inc. David A. Walsey Tel: 858-369-7104 investor @ meipharma.com
Jason I. Spark Canale Communications for MEI Tel: 619-849-6005 jason.spark @ canalecomm.com
View source version on businesswire.com: https: //www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220401005126/en/
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Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process. | business |
ETFs Close a Turbulent Quarter With Strong Inflows | U.S. stocks found their footing, bonds backpedaled, and commodities ETFs continued to cruise in March.
Markets rebounded last month after a turbulent start to the year. The Morningstar Global Markets Index ( a broad gauge of global equities) advanced 2.03% in March but finished the quarter 5.45% lower than where it started, marking its worst quarter since the start of 2020. Bonds continued to tumble. The Morningstar US Core Bond Index slid 2.74% in March, its fourth consecutive month in the red. The index’ s 6% first-quarter decline was its worst three-month stretch since its back-tested performance started in January 2000.
While uncertainty continued to swirl in the markets, investors piled $ 91.4 billion into U.S. exchange-traded funds. Stock ETFs raked in $ 59.1 billion, and fixed-income ETFs collected $ 19.5 billion. Commodities ETFs notched an excellent month, as their $ 10.4 billion collective haul was the heftiest monthly inflow into the group since April 2020.
Here, we’ ll take a closer look at how the major asset classes performed last month, where investors put their money, and which corners of the market look rich and undervalued at month’ s end -- all through the lens of ETFs.
Exhibit 1 shows March returns for a sample of Morningstar Analyst-rated ETFs that serve as proxies for major asset classes. A blended global portfolio scratched out a 0.14% gain in March, its first positive month for the year. Another difficult month for bonds weighed on returns. Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF ( BND) and Vanguard Total International Bond ETF ( BNDX), which shape the portfolio’ s bond sleeve, sank 2.75% and 2.23%, respectively. Bond prices sank as inflation ran hot and the Federal Reserve kicked off a series of interest-rate hikes in response.
Vanguard Total World Stock ETF ( VT) carried the blended portfolio into positive territory, bouncing back from consecutive down months with a 1.89% gain. International stocks, which constituted 41% of the portfolio at end-March, did not contribute much. Vanguard Total International Stock ( VXUS) sank 0.28% last month, as it was burned by its 8% stake in Chinese stocks. China’ s worst bout with the novel coronavirus since the onset of the pandemic sent the Morningstar China Index into a 7.71% decline in March. Eurozone stocks did not fare well, either; iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF ( EZU) slid 1.39%.
U.S. stocks shook off their winter woes, as iShares Core S & P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF ( ITOT) posted a 3.25% March gain. Investors have seemed to accept a still-uncertain economic outlook colored by inflation, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and lockdowns in China. The Russia-Ukraine conflict’ s ultimate impact on global supply chains and the financial system remains to be seen, but it seems U.S. stock investors priced in their initial concerns toward the end of February.
Large-cap stocks paced the market in March after small-caps led the way in February. IShares Core S & P 500 ETF ( IVV) climbed 3.75%, while iShares Core S & P Small-Cap ETF ( IJR) rose a more-modest 0.31%. Tesla ( TSLA) was the most valuable contributor, swelling 23.8% after it requested shareholder approval for a stock split. That warm market reception made Tesla the only top-five holding in IVV to crack a positive first-quarter return; solid March efforts weren’ t enough to push Apple ( AAPL), Microsoft ( MSFT), Amazon.com ( AMZN), or Alphabet ( GOOG) into positive territory for the year to date.
Utilities stocks led all sectors in March. Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF ( XLU) climbed 10.34% in its best month since March 2021, boosted by stellar returns from power firms Constellation Energy ( CEG) and AES ( AES). Energy stocks continued their tear, as Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF ( XLE) advanced 9.3%. That sealed a 39% first-quarter return for the fund, which trounced the next-closest SPDR sector ETF ( XLU) by more than 34 percentage points. Restrictions on oil exports from Russia -- the world’ s third-largest producer -- have led to sky-high oil prices and propelled gains for firms like Chevron ( CVX) and Marathon Oil ( MRO). That said, these stocks closed March on a lower note after the White House announced it would tap into strategic oil reserves to stabilize prices.
While utilities and energy stocks tend to be more popular among value funds, growth stocks outperformed their cheaper counterparts in March. Vanguard Growth ETF ( VUG) climbed 3.8%, while Vanguard Value ETF ( VTV) finished the month 3.29% higher. Financials stocks weighed on value funds; Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF ( XLF) was the lone SPDR sector fund to close last month in the red. Bank stocks like Bank of America ( BAC), Wells Fargo ( WFC), and JPMorgan Chase ( JPM) all slumped in March after effectively weathering market volatility in the two months prior. The automobile industry also proved a decisive arena in March. Tesla put a charge into VUG’ s returns, while traditional auto manufacturers Ford ( F) and General Motors ( GM) went in reverse for VTV. After a narrow defeat last month, VTV outpaced VUG by 11.28 percentage points in the first quarter.
Within iShares’ suite of single-factor strategic-beta funds, iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF ( VLUE) looked to be the most attractively valued at March’ s end. It traded 11% below its fair value, according to Morningstar’ s price/fair value ratio. Weak recent performance explains some of that discount. VLUE trailed 90% of its large-value Morningstar Category peers in the first quarter with a 3.82% decline. This fund tethers its sector allocation to the broad market, so it has not benefited from energy and utilities’ stellar start to the same extent as funds like VUG. This indicates that value funds’ relatively strong first quarter may stem from favorable sector positioning.
As markets came to life in March, flows into ETFs did too. Investors poured $ 91.4 billion into ETFs last month, the largest monthly total so far this year and second-largest over the past 12 months. Stock ETFs led the way. They collected $ 59.2 billion in March, eclipsing the $ 50 billion inflow mark for the second consecutive month.
Stock investors played it straight with large-blend funds in March. Large-blend funds led all categories for the second consecutive month, pulling in $ 21.2 billion. A trio of S & P 500 trackers -- SPDR S & P 500 ETF Trust ( SPY), Vanguard S & P 500 ETF ( VOO), and IVV -- notched top-five flows into individual ETFs in March.
Large-rowth and large-value funds’ inflows clocked in at second and third place, respectively, in March. Growth funds saw a narrow advantage, reeling in $ 11.5 billion to value funds’ $ 9.2 billion haul. Invesco QQQ Trust ( QQQ) inhaled $ 6 billion alone, tops among all ETFs in March. Sector ETF investors seemed to follow the same script. Faster-growing technology ETFs took in $ 2.2 billion last month, while the cheaper financials and real estate categories’ $ 3.3 billion and $ 1.9 billion respective outflows landed them in the bottom two spots. Flows often mirror performance, and value funds’ stronger first-quarter returns translated into much larger inflows over the year’ s first three months. They have absorbed $ 39.2 billion for the year to date, compared with growth funds’ $ 1.9 billion haul.
Fixed-income funds posted their most lucrative flows month of the year with a $ 19.5 billion intake. Investors have drifted toward quality in the fixed-income realm. Government bond funds pulled in $ 9.9 billion in the first quarter, headlined by long-term government bond funds’ $ 6.3 billion March inflow, a one-month record for the category. Funds that court more credit risk have not seen the same success. Corporate-bond funds welcomed a tepid $ 1.5 billion in the first quarter, and taxable high-yield bond funds’ $ 11.6 billion outflow ranked last among all categories by a wide margin. As stock markets started the year on a volatile note, it seems investors have opted to err on the safe side with their bond allocations. That said, iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF’ s ( HYG) 4.73% first-quarter decline was not as pronounced as iShares U.S. Treasury Bond’ s ( GOVT) 6.47% drop.
Commodities ETFs continued their tear, raking in $ 10.1 billion in March. They added $ 23 billion of new money in the first quarter after bleeding $ 5.2 billion in 2021. No fund has seen a more dramatic turnaround than SPDR Gold Shares ( GLD). After welcoming $ 3.9 billion in March, its year-to-date inflow stands at $ 7.1 billion, fifth-largest across all ETFs. In 2021, its $ 10.7 billion outflow was the second-largest across all ETFs. The commodities broad basket category had a lucrative first quarter as well, adding $ 6.3 billion in new money. That’ s a substantial sum, considering it closed 2021 with just $ 16.2 billion in total assets. These funds soared with commodity prices in the first quarter. Invesco Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K1 ETF ( PDBC) -- the largest fund in the category -- has jumped 25.46% since the start of the year.
Flows into environmental, social, and governance-themed ETFs cooled off in the first quarter. ETFs on Morningstar’ s sustainable funds list -- a directory curated by Morningstar manager research’ s sustainability specialists-–collectively absorbed $ 3.81 billion in the first quarter. That's down dramatically from $ 15.3 billion over 2021’ s first three months. IShares Global Clean Energy ETF ( ICLN) best exemplifies the drop-off; it collected a paltry $ 11 million in the first quarter after reeling in $ 2 billion in the first quarter of 2021. Performance may help explain investors’ diminished appetite. IShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF ( ESGU) -- the largest sustainable ETF by a wide margin -- trailed the Morningstar US Market Index by 44 basis points last quarter after beating it by 1.2% annually over the trailing three years through 2021.
IShares broke out of a flows slump with a lucrative March. It pulled in $ 25 billion last month, which accounts for 77% of the firm’ s total net flows for the year to date. IShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF ( TLT) led the firm’ s ETF lineup in March with a $ 4.7 billion haul. In terms of flows, TLT was a microcosm of iShares as a whole in the first quarter. Like iShares, its March course-correction came on the heels of January outflows and modest February inflows. Whether TLT -- and the firm as a whole -- can sustain its momentum remains to be seen.
Invesco also shook off winter rust in March with a $ 10.7 billion inflow, a one-month record for the firm. As tech stocks came back to life, QQQ did, too. The tech-heavy behemoth raked in over $ 6 billion last month to recoup about the same amount it bled in January. As the fifth-largest ETF in the United States -- and the only one in the top five whose portfolio does not span the broader market -- QQQ is prone to material flows undulations from one month to the next.
Even after solid months from iShares and Invesco, Vanguard dominated the flows race in the first quarter. After collecting $ 20.9 billion in March, its first-quarter haul totaled $ 77.4 billion, which more than doubled second-place iShares. VOO has captained the ship. It collected $ 24.8 billion over the first three months of the year and is well on its way to breaking its own annual flow record of $ 47.2 billion set in 2021. VOO’ s rise has helped power a stellar run for Vanguard; after cinching the flows crown for this quarter, it has led all firms in flows in all but one quarter since the start of 2020.
The fair value estimate for ETFs rolls up our equity analysts’ fair value estimates for individual stocks and our quantitative fair value estimates for stocks not covered by Morningstar analysts into an aggregate fair value estimate for stock ETF portfolios. Dividing an ETF’ s market price by this value yields its price/fair value ratio. This ratio can point to potential bargains and areas of the market where valuations are stretched.
ETFs that aim to leverage the legalization of cannabis or other drugs resumed their post on the cheaper half of Exhibit 7, which features funds that traded at the lowest prices relative to their fair value at March-end. Dreadful performance has compressed these funds’ price/fair value ratios. March may have marked the start of a rebound, however, as funds like Global X Cannabis ETF ( POTX) and AdvisorShares Pure Cannabis ETF ( YOLO) notched their best monthly returns since February 2021. Both funds got a boost from Tilray Brands ( TLRY), a Canadian cannabis provider that leapt 27.38% last month.
A different kind of plant-themed fund found itself on the pricier half of Exhibit 7 in March: iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF ( VEGI). This fund, which includes stocks whose operations center around the production of various crops, rode soaring commodity prices to a 10.67% March return. As a “ producer ETF, ” VEGI can offer backdoor exposure to the broad commodities market. But investors should still expect such funds to behave more like stock funds than commodity portfolios more often than not.
Several value-oriented emerging-markets funds populate the cheaper half of Exhibit 8. Emerging-markets stocks looked cheap over entering 2022, and the Russian stock market’ s collapse exacerbated that trend. IShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF ( DVYE) has felt the pain of a relatively hefty stake in Russian stocks; they represented 18% of its portfolio entering February. Over February and March, it tumbled 15.07%, about 10 percentage points further than the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, its category benchmark. Russian stocks’ recent cascade exemplifies why investing in emerging markets can be a perilous endeavor.
Active ETFs occupied nine of the 10 spots on the pricier side of Exhibit 8 in March. T. Rowe Price Dividend Growth ETF ( TDVG) is a tried-and-true fund that could be worth its rich valuation. Manager Tom Huber has led TDVG’ s open-end parent to stellar results over his 20-plus-year tenure on the fund, which helps earn this ETF a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Silver.
Disclosure: Morningstar, Inc. licenses indexes to financial institutions as the tracking indexes for investable products, such as exchange-traded funds, sponsored by the financial institution. The license fee for such use is paid by the sponsoring financial institution based mainly on the total assets of the investable product. Please click here for a list of investable products that track or have tracked a Morningstar index. Morningstar, Inc. does not market, sell, or make any representations regarding the advisability of investing in any investable product that tracks a Morningstar index.
Ryan Jackson does not own ( actual or beneficial) shares in any of the securities mentioned above. Find out about Morningstar’ s editorial policies.
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.
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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 |
Amazon workers in Staten Island vote to unionize | In this article
Employees at an Amazon warehouse on New York's Staten Island voted Friday to join a union, a groundbreaking move for organized labor and a stinging defeat for the e-commerce giant, which has aggressively fought unionization efforts at the company.
The tally was 2,654 votes in favor of joining the union and 2,131 opposed. Approximately 8,325 workers were eligible to vote whether to become part of the Amazon Labor Union. There were 67 challenged ballots, a gap that's too narrow to change the outcome of the election. The results still need to be formally certified by the National Labor Relations Board.
The Staten Island facility, known as JFK8, is Amazon's largest in New York and now has the distinction of being the first in the U.S. to unionize despite workers having to stare down a hefty anti-union campaign. Amazon papered the walls at JFK8 with banners that proclaimed `` Vote No, '' set up a website and held weekly mandatory meetings. It even hired an influential consulting and polling firm with close ties to Democratic political groups, and touted its own benefits over those offered by unions.
By voting in the Amazon Labor Union, Staten Island workers could challenge the company's current labor model, which is the backbone of its Prime two-day shipping promise. Unions stand to disrupt the level of control that Amazon exerts over its warehouse and delivery employees, like its ability to unilaterally set the pace of work and hourly wages, labor experts previously told CNBC.
`` We're disappointed with the outcome of the election in Staten Island because we believe having a direct relationship with the company is best for our employees, '' an Amazon spokesperson said. `` We're evaluating our options, including filing objections based on the inappropriate and undue influence by the NLRB that we and others ( including the National Retail Federation and U.S. Chamber of Commerce) witnessed in this election. ''
The ALU has called for Amazon to put in place `` more reasonable '' productivity rates in the warehouse. It's also urging the company to raise wages, as well as give workers more paid breaks and vacation, among other demands.
The ALU was an unlikely contender to win the first unionized Amazon warehouse. Started in 2021, it's a grassroots, worker-led organization that's largely depended on crowdsourced donations from a GoFundMe account to fund organizing activities.
The union is led by Christian Smalls, a former JFK8 manager, who was fired by Amazon in 2020 after the company claimed he violated social distancing rules. Smalls argued he was fired in retaliation for staging a protest in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic to call for stronger safety measures.
Smalls quickly became a leader of worker activism at Amazon and elsewhere. He spoke out at rallies criticizing Amazon's labor record, and at one memorable protest, set up a guillotine outside Amazon founder Jeff Bezos ' Washington, D.C., mansion to call for higher wages.
Amazon executives took notice of Smalls ' activism. 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.
Amazon still faces another labor battle at its Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse. The NLRB called for a do-over election last November after it determined Amazon improperly interfered in the first election, which was held last spring.
Worker activism inside Amazon has surged since the Covid pandemic hit the U.S. in early 2020. Before the first election in Bessemer, the last substantial union vote at a U.S. Amazon facility took place at a Delaware warehouse in 2014, when a group of repair technicians voted 21 to 6 against joining the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
The vote tally in Bessemer wrapped up Thursday, but the outcome is still too close to call. There were 993 votes opposing the union and 875 in favor. The outcome hinges on some 416 ballots that remain challenged by Amazon and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. The NLRB will set a hearing in the coming weeks to determine whether the ballots will be opened and counted.
WATCH: Amazon workers in Alabama vote down unionization | business |
Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Tellurian, Wynn Resorts, Snap, Walgreens and more | In this article
Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading Friday:
Tellurian — The liquified natural gas company ( LNG) surged 19.4% after Credit Suisse upgraded Tellurian to outperform, saying LNG prices are high and may continue to be for the foreseeable future.
Wynn Resorts — Shares of the casino and resort operator's shares advanced 1.1% after an upgrade from Citi to buy from neutral. The bank cited increasing clarity around regulation and Wynn's licenses in Macao, along with its attractive valuation.
GameStop — GameStop shares gained more than 4% before inching into red after the company said it will seek stockholder approval at its next shareholder meeting to implement a stock split. The company is proposing an increase to 1 billion shares from 300 million.
BlackBerry — BlackBerry shares fell 9.5% after the communications software company reported disappointing cybersecurity revenues for the previous quarter. The company said Thursday that revenues for its cyber came in at $ 122 million, below a StreetAccount estimate of $ 126 million.
Snap — The social media giant's shares rose 3.8% after Piper Sandler reiterated its overweight rating on Snap, saying it sees a `` compelling pocket of user growth opportunity '' in Mexico, Brazil, Italy and Spain.
Walgreens Boots Alliance — Walgreens dipped 2% after Baird downgraded the stock to neutral from outperform and cuts it price target on the drug store chain. The downgrade comes after the company reported second-quarter earnings that beat consensus estimates, but said it will take time for its health-care investments to pay-off. Investors are also concerned that Walgreens is losing momentum from pandemic traffic.
Chinese EV makers — Chinese electric vehicle makers ' shares were higher after reporting a March surge in car deliveries despite a rise in Covid cases and raw materials costs. Shares of Li Auto and Xpeng each increased about 5%, while Nio added 4%.
Dell — Dell shares fell 2.7% after Goldman Sachs downgraded the computer builder to neutral from buy amid mounting pressure on the PC market. Dell `` remains inexpensive compared to its peers, but we see increasing fundamental headwinds hindering this value unlock, '' the firm said.
Qualcomm — Shares of the chip stock fell 3.8% after JPMorgan removed Qualcomm from its Analyst Focus list for the month of April. The Wall Street firm cited `` near-term challenges relative to consumer spending. ''
— CNBC's Maggie Fitzgerald, Sarah Min, Samantha Subin and Michael Bloom contributed reporting | business |
COVID-19 hospitalizations hit pandemic low in U.S. | NORFOLK, Va. ( AP) — COVID-19 hospitalization numbers have plunged to their lowest levels since the early days of the pandemic, offering a much needed break to health care workers and patients alike following the omicron surge.
The number of patients hospitalized with the coronavirus has fallen more than 90% in more than two months, and some hospitals are going days without a single COVID-19 patient in the ICU for the first time since early 2020.
The freed up beds are expected to help U.S. hospitals retain exhausted staff, treat non-COVID-19 patients more quickly and cut down on inflated costs. More family members can visit loved ones. And doctors hope to see a correction to the slide in pediatric visits, yearly checkups and cancer screenings.
“ We should all be smiling that the number of people sitting in the hospital right now with COVID, and people in intensive care units with COVID, are at this low point, ” said University of South Florida epidemiologist Jason Salemi.
But, he said, the nation “ paid a steep price to get to this stage. … A lot of people got sick and a lot of people died. ”
Hospitalizations are now at their lowest point since summer 2020, when comprehensive national data first became available. The average number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the last week nationwide dropped to 11,860, the lowest since 2020 and a steep decline from the peak of more than 145,000 set in mid-January. The previous low was 12,041 last June, before the delta variant took hold.
See also
:
Biden says U.S. turning corner on COVID, but experts are worried that BA.2 is pushing cases higher in 15 states
The optimistic trend is also clear in ICU patient numbers, which have dipped to fewer than 2,000, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“ We’ re beginning to be able to take a breath, ” said Dr. Jeffrey Weinstein, the patient safety officer for the Kettering Health hospital system in western Ohio.
COVID-19 patients had filled 30% of Kettering Health’ s nearly 1,600 hospital beds back in January, Weinstein said. Kettering’ s eight hospitals now average two to three COVID-19 admissions a day — and sometimes zero.
And while Salemi agreed this is a good time for an exhausted health care system to take a breath, he warned that the public health community needs to keep an eye on the BA.2 subvariant of omicron. It’ s driving increases in hospitalizations in Britain, and is now estimated to make up more than half of U.S. infections.
“ We’ re probably under-detecting true infections now more than at any other time during the pandemic, ” Salemi said.
For now at least, many hospitals are noting the low numbers.
In California on Thursday, UC Davis Health tweeted that its intensive care unit had no COVID-19 patients for two consecutive days for the first time in two years.
“ The first COVID-19 patient to arrive in our ICU did so in February 2020, and the unit treated at least one positive individual every day since, for at least 761 consecutive days, ” the hospital system said.
Toby Marsh, the chief nursing and patient care services officer, said in a statement that they hope the numbers “ are indicative of a sustained change. ”
In Philadelphia, patients are spending less time in the Temple University Health System because there are no longer backlogs for MRIs, CT scans and lab tests, said Dr. Tony Reed, the chief medical officer.
Temple Health’ s three hospitals had six adult COVID-19 patients on Thursday, likely its lowest patient count since March 2020, Reed said.
During the omicron surge, patients waited as long as 22 hours for a routine MRI, which is normally done within 12 hours. Longer waits affected those who came in with trouble walking — and in a lot of pain — for example, because of a herniated disc pinching their sciatic nerve.
“ Nobody wants to stay in the hospital a day longer than they have to, ” Reed said.
The emptying of beds is also helping patients in rural areas, said Jay Anderson, the chief operating officer for Ohio State’ s Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. During the surges, the hospital faced challenges accepting people from community hospitals who needed elevated care for brain tumors, advanced cancer and stroke. That burden is now being lifted.
Visitors also will return in higher numbers, starting Tuesday. Ohio State will no longer restrict patients to two designated guests, who could only stop by separately.
“ Patients heal better when they have access to their family and loved ones, ” Anderson said.
Doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists are also getting a much needed break in some areas.
In Colorado, Dr. Michelle Barron said the consistently low COVID-19 hospitalizations prompted smiles among staff, even as she double-checks the numbers to make sure they’ re actually correct.
“ I had one of these moments like, oh this is amazing, ” said Barron, medical director of infection prevention and control at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. “ It feels unreal. ”
UCHealth loosened some restrictions, including dropping testing requirements for anyone who entered a facility. And while that produced some anxiety among staffers, Barron says the numbers haven’ t spiked.
“ I think some people have started to take vacations and not feel guilty, ” she said. “ I had spring break with my kids and it was a level of happiness where I went, oh my god, this is actually normal. ”
The omicron surge had stretched staff at work — but also at home, said Dr. Mike Hooper, chief medical officer for Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in southeastern Virginia.
“ It was stressful to be at the store … to visit your family, ” Hooper said. “ We’ re all hoping that some ‘ return to normalcy’ will help people deal with the inherent stresses of being part of the health care team. ”
But just because hospitalizations are down does not mean hospitals are empty, said Dr. Frank Johnson, chief medical officer for St. Luke’ s Health System in Idaho.
Some measures — like wearing masks in certain settings — will remain in place.
“ I don’ t know when we may go back to old practices regarding mask wearing in our clinical areas, ” Johnson said. “ We’ ve seen some benefits of that in terms of reduction in the number of other viral infections. ”
In the meantime, the public health community is keeping an eye on the BA.2 subvariant of omicron.
Salemi, the University of South Florida epidemiologist, said the increase in at-home testing means that more results are not being included in official coronavirus case counts. Therefore, wastewater surveillance will be the early warning signal to watch, he said.
“ BA.2 is here, ” he said. “ We don’ t have to look that far in the rear-view mirror to know things can change very rapidly. We saw what happened with delta. We saw what happened with omicron…. We don’ t want to wait until we see a lot of people hospitalized before we take action. ” | business |
U.S. economy gains 431,000 jobs in March and wages surge again as labor market 'powers ahead ' | The numbers:
The U.S. created a robust 431,000 jobs in March and the unemployment rate took another step toward a half-century low, as companies pushed to add staff and more people entered the labor force in search of work.
Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast 490,000 new jobs, but the shortfall was made up for by stronger than previously reported hiring in the first two months of the year.
The unemployment rate, meanwhile, slid to 3.6% from 3.8%,
the government said Friday
.
Just before the pandemic, the jobless rate had sunk to a 50-year low of 3.5%.
The healthy March employment report underscores why the Federal Reserve is moving to jack up a key short-term U.S. interest rate this year after keeping it near zero during the pandemic.
The
rate of inflation has soar
ed to a 40-year high of almost 8% and surging wages are now adding to the price pressures.
Hourly pay rose sharply again in March and pushed the increase in the past 12 months to 5.6%, the highest rate since the early 1980s.
One caveat: The jobs report has also been less reliable over the past year owing to the waxing and waning of the pandemic. The estimates have been subject to large revisions months later.
Restaurants, hotels and other businesses that offer services to consumers are trying to hire more workers. The end of Covid restrictions is helping to boost sales.
Frederic J. Brown/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
By any measure the labor market is tight. Job openings are at record highs, layoffs are at record lows and most businesses want to hire
Stocks fell after the jobs report. Treasury yields remained slightly higher, with the 10-year rate above 2.36%.
Big picture:
The roaring jobs market is the economy’ s lifeline in a time of rising inflation and the global fallout from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
So long as most Americans have a job and feel secure in their job, economists say, the U.S. is likely to keep growing at a steady pace. Consumer spending is by far the biggest driver of the economy and
people are still spending plenty of money.
The water is getting choppier, however.
Rising interest rates could slow sales of homes, autos and other big-ticket items and reduce business investment. The Ukraine conflict and Covid lockdowns in China could also add to upward pressure on prices.
Key details:
For the second month in a row, a quarter of the job gains occurred at service-oriented companies such as hotels, restaurants and other businesses that rely on large crowds and deal directly with customers.
Employment rose by 112,000 last month in the hospitality business. These businesses saw a pickup in sales after omicron faded and people went out more.
Employment also rose by 102,000 at professional businesses, 49,000 in retail, 38,000 in manufacturing and 19,000 in construction.
The size of the labor force grew by 418,000 in March, extending a recent trend in which several million people have either found jobs or began looking for work again.
The percentage of people in the labor force edged up to a new pandemic high of 62.4% from 62.3%, though it’ s still about a point below the pre-pandemic peak.
The economy would have about 1.4 million more workers if the so-called participation rate in the labor market was the same now as it was before the pandemic.
At the current rate of hiring, employment in the U.S. is on track to exceed pre-pandemic levels by early summer.
Hiring in February and January was somewhat stronger than previously reported. Job gains in the two months were raised by a combined 95,000.
Millions of workers have taken advantage of the tight labor market by switching jobs, usually for higher pay or benefits or more flexibility. Some have left service-oriented jobs that require lots of face-to-face contact with customers.
Over the past year the average paycheck has increased by 5.6% — one of the fastest increases since the early 1980s.
“ Demand for labor is very strong, and with the labor force smaller than it was before the pandemic, firms are competing for workers and bidding up wages, ” said senior economic advisor Stuart Hoffman of PNC Financial Services.
Fatter paychecks don’ t look quite as good when factoring high inflation. The cost of living jumped 7.9% in the 12 months ended in February.
Economists are watching closely to see if rising wages start to add significantly to inflationary pressures. The last time a so-called wage-price spiral took place was in the 1970s and early 1980s, when the U.S. experienced one of the worst bouts of inflation in its history.
Looking ahead:
“ The labor market continues to power ahead, despite significant headwinds looming, ” said Nick Bunker, economic research director of Indeed.
“ The March jobs report shows employment remains the best part of the economy, especially for lower-wage workers, ” said Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. “ These show an economy accelerating as the pandemic diminishes, and job levels probably reaching pre-pandemic levels this summer. ”
Market reaction:
The Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA,
+0.40%
and S & P 500
SPX,
-0.27%
turned lower in Friday trades. | business |
Jobs Data Shows Coronavirus Pandemic Impact Easing | More strong hiring in March is good news for the economy.
The U.S. job market continues to power along, signaling continued health for the economy as the impact of the omicron coronavirus variant shows signs of easing.
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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 |
Ron DeSantis is the Fox News candidate for president | On Thursday, he signaled a willingness to rescind a more than 5-decade-old provision that allows the entertainment giant to operate as an independent government around its massive park in Orlando.
`` Disney has alienated a lot of people now, '' DeSantis said. `` And so the political influence they're used to wielding, I think has dissipated. And so the question is, why would you want to have special privileges in the law at all? And I don't think that that we should. ''
What set DeSantis off is the Mouse's reaction to what critics call the `` Don't Say Gay '' bill, which bans schools form teaching kids about sexual orientation or gender identity and which the Florida Republican governor signed into law earlier this week.
( After initially voicing lukewarm opposition to the measure, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said that it was `` not what many of us were hoping for, especially our LGBTQ+ employees. '' He later wrote that the company's `` goal '' will be to get the law repealed.)
DeSantis ' decision to seize on the issue comes after wall-to-wall coverage of Disney's opposition to the law. Primetime hosts like Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham dedicated portions of their shows to blasting Disney for allegedly giving in to the `` woke '' forces in the country.
It's just the latest example of DeSantis taking cues -- and marching orders -- from Fox News.
On everything from Covid-19 mitigation measures ( or a lack thereof) to critical race theory to the mental acuity of President Joe Biden, DeSantis has used Fox as both a guidepost and an amplifier of where to stand on these issues.
DeSantis understood, rightly, that the vast majority of conservatives in the country get their news from -- and solely from -- Fox. ( In a 2020 Pew poll, 65% of Republicans said they trust Fox for political coverage -- 30 points higher than any other network; 6 in 10 Republicans said they got their politics and election news from Fox.)
You can see the results of DeSantis ' aping of Fox talking points. Aside from former President Donald Trump, he is, by far, the best known and liked Republican in the party -- regularly winning 2024 straw polls that don't include Trump.)
There's also this: Trump soured on Fox in the wake of the 2020 election as, in the main, it refused to vouch for his false claims about election fraud.
`` Very sad to watch this happen, but they forgot what made them successful, what got them there, '' Trump tweeted shortly after the 2020 election. `` They forgot the Golden Goose. The biggest difference between the 2016 Election, and 2020, was @ FoxNews! ''
Knowing this -- and perhaps seeking to amplify the rift -- DeSantis has moved into the position of Fox's # 1 mouthpiece in Republican politics.
The Point: Given Fox's dominance of conservative mindshare, being the preferred candidate of the network is a very good place to be for DeSantis ' national ambitions. | business |
Fears about end of pandemic PC boom lead to downgrades for AMD, HP and Dell, and all their stocks are falling | By Wallace Witkowski and Jeremy C. Owens
The COVID-19 pandemic instigated a boom in personal-computer sales, and supply-chain issues pushed prices up, but analysts see softening sales and a normalizing supply/demand environment in 2022, which slammed a few stocks Thursday.
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. ( AMD) shares finished down 8.3% at $ 109.34 in Thursday trading after Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis downgraded the stock on concerns that several end markets the chip maker serves are poised for a correction.
`` Where we have an issue is for 2023, as we see cyclical risk across several end markets ( PC, Gaming, and broad-based/XLNX), '' Curtis wrote, while downgrading the stock to neutral from overweight, and lowering his price target to $ 115 from $ 148. `` We don't have a smoking gun pointing to a correction under way in any of these markets, but it's very clear to us that all 3 segments are running at elevated levels. ''
While the analyst said he expects AMD to top its 31% growth target this year and to continue taking market share from Intel Corp. ( INTC), he wants to move to the sidelines for now.
`` The core issue here is what will be AMD's growth trajectory coming out of this potential correction and the answer to this will be just how competitive Intel and ARM will be in 2024/25, '' the analyst wrote.
Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring sounded a similar alarm in a note that downgraded the two biggest PC manufacturers in the U.S., HP Inc. ( HPQ) and Dell Technologies Inc. ( DELL).
`` We see increasing risk of negative hardware budget revisions, hardware earnings revisions peaking, and the potential for further multiple compression, which historically has resulted in IT hardware underperformance, '' Woodring wrote, while downgrading HP to underweight from equal-weight and Dell to equal-weight from overweight. `` Specifically, we believe PC and consumer hardware spending will be pressured as supply improves and demand normalizes after two years of above-trend growth. ''
The analyst also reduced his price targets on both stocks, taking HP to $ 31 from $ 34 and Dell to $ 60 from $ 66. He suggested investors wanting a piece of the hardware industry instead look to CDW Corp. ( CDW), which he upgraded to overweight from equal-weight, while raising his price target to $ 214 from $ 201.
Dell shares closed down 7.6% at $ 50.19, and HP shares finished down 6.5% at $ 36.30.
Even with Thursday's drop, AMD shares are still up 39% over the past 12 months, compared with a 9.7% gain in the PHLX Semiconductor Index and a 14% rise in the S & P 500 index. HP's and Dell's stock performance has been roughly in-line with the S & P 500 over the past 12 months, gaining 12.6% and 14.3%, respectively.
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 |
Myocarditis risk higher after Covid infection than vaccination, CDC finds | People infected with Covid-19 face a higher risk of myocarditis and other inflammatory heart conditions than those vaccinated against the disease, according to a large study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday.
The CDC found the risk of myocarditis, pericarditis and multisystem inflammatory syndrome was higher after Covid infection than after Pfizer or Moderna vaccination in males and females ages 5 and older. However, these cardiac conditions are rare after infection and vaccination alike, according to the CDC.
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle and pericarditis is an inflammation of the outer heart lining. Multisystem inflammatory is a condition associated with Covid infection that affects multiple organ systems.
Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines have been associated with an elevated risk of myocarditis and pericarditis after the second dose, particularly among boys ages 12- to 17-years-old. However, even in this group the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis was higher after Covid infection than after vaccination, according to the CDC.
Among teenage boys, the rate of myocarditis or pericarditis after infection was at least 50 cases per 100,000 people, compared to at least 22 cases per 100,000 after the second vaccine dose. The overall risk of heart conditions after Covid infection was up to 5.6 times higher compared to the second vaccine dose. The risk was up to 69 times higher after infection compared to the first shot.
The CDC examined the electronic health records of more than 15 million people ages 5 and older across 40 health-care systems from Jan. 2021 through Jan. 2022. Scientists studied the risk of developing a cardiac condition after a Covid infection compared to the first and second doses of Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines. The study excluded booster doses from the comparison.
Read CNBC's latest global coverage of the Covid pandemic:
Overall, the risk of a heart issue after Covid infection was anywhere from 2 to 115 times higher compared to vaccination depending on age, gender and the dose administered.
In February, the CDC said males age 12- to 39-years-old should consider waiting eight weeks between the first and second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to reduce the risk of myocarditis. Canadian public health authorities had found that the rate of myocarditis after Pfizer or Moderna vaccination was higher when the time between the first and second dose was fewer than 30 days.
Moderna's second dose appears associated with a higher risk of myocarditis than Pfizer's, according to data presented to the CDC's committee of vaccine experts in February. Public health authorities in Ontario, Canada have found that the rate of myocarditis was 5 times higher for males ages 18-24 following a second dose of Moderna compared to Pfizer.
However, the overwhelming majority of people who developed myocarditis after vaccination recovered fully and most of them did not report any effect on their quality of life, according to a CDC survey of health-care providers presented at the February meeting. | business |
U.S. factory activity stumbles in March to lowest level in 18 months, ISM survey shows | The numbers:
The Institute for Supply Management’ s Manufacturing PMI, a closely followed index of U.S.-based manufacturing activity, slipped to 57.1% in March from 58.6% in the prior month, the research group said Friday. This is the lowest level since September 2020.
Given strength in the regional manufacturing surveys in March, economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast a slight improvement to 59%.
Any number above 50% signifies growth. This is the 22nd straight month the index has been above the breakeven rate.
Key details:
The new-orders index dropped a sharp 7.9 points to 53.8%, and the production index fell 4 points to 54.5%, the ISM reported.
Released after
the U.S. March jobs report
on Friday, the ISM employment index rose 3.4 points to 56.3%. The prices index shot up 11.5 points to 87.1%.
Growing inventories also offset some of the weakness.
Big picture:
Manufacturing activity continues at a solid pace despite supply-chain problems. Richmond Fed President Thomas
Barkin said earlier this week
that businesses still are frustrated by bottlenecks in their supply chains.
What the ISM said:
Timothy Fiore, chair of the ISM manufacturing business survey committee, said he thought the sharp drop in new orders was a “ blip. ”
“ I think order backlogs stayed up well and the customer inventory level is low. I expect new export orders to kind of restart, ” Fiore told reporters.
The drop in new orders was caused by “ the whole uncertainty about what the world is looking like, ” with Europe pausing due to the war in Ukraine and COVID flaring in China.
Looking ahead:
“ Growing inventories and slowing production and orders are typically not a good combination for this index. The data suggest continued expansion of manufacturing activity in the month, but sharply rising prices and continued lack of supply of both labor and input materials limit the upside to growth, ” said Tom Simons, an economist at Jefferies.
Market reaction:
Stocks
DJIA,
+0.40%
SPX,
-0.27%
were slightly higher on Friday on the back of a strong job report. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note
TMUBMUSD10Y,
2.726%
rose to 2.446%. | business |
Opinion: I took a Covid-related distribution from my IRA in 2020. How do I handle the taxes on that? | Q.:
Hi Dan. I pulled out $ 30,000 from my IRA due to Covid back in 2020. My understanding was I could put that back and get a refund of taxes paid. How do I do that?
–Syd in Jackson, Miss.
Where's the best place for me to retire
New updates:
Results by county; filter by politics, snowfall and more
A.:
Hi Syd. One of the temporary provisions that was put in effect just for 2020 was a Covid-related distribution ( CRD). This
allowed persons under age 59 ½ to access funds in IRAs and retirement accounts like 401 ( k) s without the usual 10% penalty
that normally applies to pre-59 ½ distributions. The rules allowed up to a total from all plans of $ 100,000 per affected taxpayer. If any of those funds are paid back within three years of the date of distribution, the taxes paid on whatever is returned can be refunded. These CRD paybacks do not affect your eligibility to make any other rollovers or contributions.
How you go about getting that refund depends on how you accounted for the CRD on Form 8915-E of your 2020 tax return. Form 8915-E is also used to account for CRD amounts paid back into an account. You should talk with your tax preparer about the best way for you to tackle the accounting, but the rules can be accessed via
IRS Notice 2020-50
.
I will assume you are paying back all $ 30,000. If you opted to put the original $ 30,000 CRD on your 2020 return, you should amend your 2020 return to reflect $ 30,000 less in income for that year.
If you used the default method which spreads the income evenly over three tax years, you would only have reported $ 10,000 on your 2020 return, $ 10,000 would be set to be reported on your 2021 return and $ 10,000 would be reported on your 2022 return.
To get your refund, you would file an amended 2020 return removing the $ 10,000 CRD reported and amend your 2021 return similarly if you have already filed it. If you have not yet filed your 2021 return, you simply wouldn’ t report the $ 10,000 income when you do. Likewise, you would not report the CRD income on your 2022 return.
Now, if you are only paying back $ 15,000 of the CRD, the process is a bit different. If you were to make that repayment before you file your 2021 tax return, you would not report the $ 10,000 on your 2021 return even though the repayment was made in 2022. The additional $ 5,000 can be used to offset the $ 10,000 you will report on your 2022 return, or you can amend your 2020 return and adjust the income down $ 5,000.
If the $ 15,000 were repaid after you filed your 2021 return, you would not report the $ 10,000 you were slated to report on your 2022 return. The excess $ 5,000 can be carried back and used to amend down the income on your choice of your 2020 return, your 2021 return, or both.
If by the three-year deadline to repay the CRD, you can pay back more of the remaining $ 15,000, you would make a similar calculation.
If you have a question for Dan, please
email him
with “ MarketWatch Q & A ” on the subject line.
Dan Moisand is a
financial planner at Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo
serving clients nationwide but with offices in Orlando, Melbourne, and Tampa Florida. His comments are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for personalized advice. Consult your adviser about what is best for you. Some questions are edited for brevity. | business |
A New Crystal Ball: Data Trends that will Take Hold in 2022 | OpenAI’ s DALL.E 2 is an advanced text-to-image generation AI model
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If we’ ve learned anything from the events of the past two years, it’ s that predicting what’ s next can be incredibly difficult. But we know that the one constant, reliable way forward is with data.
Data is playing an important role in identifying ways we can improve our communities, our businesses, and our world. Organizations using trusted data are well-positioned for navigating through change and setting themselves up for success in the future.
We will focus on the five data trends that will shape businesses this year related to artificial intelligence, workforce development, data ethics as a framework, flexible governance, and data equity.
We’ re experiencing a golden age of data and technology—and there is no sign of it slowing. Artificial intelligence ( AI) technology continues to improve: machine learning ( ML) models are processing trillions of lines of data, natural language processing ( NLP) advancements are moving towards understanding human intent, and algorithms are getting faster. We’ re seeing more simple, repetitive tasks are automated, giving rise to new opportunities to enable humans to do what they do best: reasoning critically and understanding data in context.
Business and IT leaders believe that investing in data and AI in the next 5 years is critical to the future survival of their business. The International Data Corporation ( IDC) has predicted that by 2026, 60% of enterprises in India will combine human expertise with artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing, and pattern recognition to deliver business outcomes.
Thanks to cloud computing, AI has become more affordable and accessible, leading to greater innovation across experiences and industries. We’ ll see solutions that combine different AI techniques to achieve better results ( also known as composite AI) added to support people.
Now, more than ever, trust and transparency must serve as the foundation for innovation, growth, and customer relationships.
As organizations navigate their ethical use responsibilities, we expect to see more transparent AI and machine learning ( ML) solutions and experiences that elevate human judgment and expertise. They’ ll also tie directly to business goals and workflows, and mitigate related risks with explainability—including bias. Organizations will start addressing biased algorithms and data sets that can harm real people and create errors with negative, downstream risks like “ ethical debt ” as technical debt.
We’ ll witness more corporate and government commitment and accountability for ethical, responsible data and AI use. Closer to home, the Indian government’ s policy thinks tank NITI Aayog and the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution have partnered to co‑design an ethics framework to ensure the responsible use of AI within both public and private sectors.
The world is increasingly becoming data-driven, creating a global demand for data skills. In a market where data is the ultimate differentiator, data literacy is the key to unlocking the value of data and technology investments. Of equal importance is a Data Culture. Organizations have recognized the need to foster a shared culture and mindset that values and practices using data. As organizations invest in people development to upskill the workforce, they’ ll partner with third-party organizations to train and upskill.
Data skills will be necessary for every role and in every sector of the workforce.
Data isn’ t just table stakes for business success in 2022: data is the business.
As organizations invest in innovative AI solutions and cloud-based everything, demand for self-service and data-sharing capabilities has grown alongside data privacy and usage regulations.
Organizations must take a new approach to data governance and management that pairs flexibility and empowerment with coordinated control. To innovate, compete, and keep ahead of governance and security requirements, successful organizations will adopt federated data governance techniques. Such an approach—that pairs centrally-defined governance standards with local domain authority—will enable organizations to tap into diverse areas of expertise by including more diverse users across the business.
Data is a powerful agent for change. But not all members of society benefit equally from that power.
For data solutions to be relevant, effective, and sustainable, they must be designed in collaboration with the communities they are intended to represent and support. By changing the dynamic, data helps empower people and organizations to address the complex, nuanced problems most important to them.
Country-level decision-makers and healthcare authorities require data—and better use of that data—to enhance health system resilience and response to health emergencies like COVID-19. Organizations like PATH, a global health non-profit with a presence in India, saw an opportunity to advance health equity by creating rich dashboards to give decision-makers rapid access to important data on the development, supply, regulatory approvals, and performance of COVID-19 diagnostic tests, ensuring that products are making their way to the appropriate end-users in low- and middle-income countries.
Democratizing data—not just making it available, but approachable by unlocking it from behind the barrier of data science expertise—helps organizations that may have been reluctant to add data and analytics to their advocacy efforts. And as some nonprofits and community organizers are seeing their data advocacy efforts turn into a real positive impact in the lives of the people they’ re fighting for, we are starting to feel a groundswell of others who are asking: “ What can we be doing here, in our community and with our data, make a difference? ”
And so, global communities such as TheSDGVizProject are bringing together the power of data and visualizations to raise awareness, inspire action, and promote the UN’ s Sustainable Development Goals.
Better data and using data equity as a framework helps people start or reframe conversations, creating beneficial downstream effects on funding requests and policy changes. And it allows community stakeholders to directly engage with their governments and other institutions of power on a more level footing.
Data will continue to be an even more important component to finding stability, growth, and a force for social good. The ability to make decisions from data will also be a required skillset to build knowledge workers of the future. The potential impact of data will only get stronger as increased automation, AI, and forecasting models help us better predict and prepare for what’ s ahead. Even in a crisis, those who have taken the initiative to shift to a digital-first mindset, driven by data, are better prepared to handle whatever comes next.
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Researchers roll out data on COVID vaccine distribution and waste -- ScienceDaily | `` The development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines has been a monumental undertaking, '' says Ali Hajbabaie, corresponding author of the paper and an assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at NC State. `` And while it's been a remarkable accomplishment, there are also opportunities for us to learn how to improve the vaccine supply chain. What are the logistical challenges associated with transportation and distribution of vaccines for COVID-19? How can we study this? What can we learn from it? ''
`` For this work, we focused on collecting data regarding vaccine shipment and wastage, '' says Leila Hajibabai, co-author of the paper and an assistant professor in NC State's Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. `` And we're making that data publicly available to encourage the broader research community to analyze the data so that we can learn as much from it as possible. We also want to inspire other researchers to make their data publicly available in a timely manner. ''
`` We did some simple analyses in this paper to highlight the potential of the data, but we think there is much more to be done, and we want to tap into the expertise of other researchers to make the most of this information, '' says Hajbabaie.
The researchers collected vaccine shipment data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC). This data includes the type of vaccine, the amount of vaccine, and the date that each specific shipment was sent to each of 47,188 specific vaccination sites, such as clinics, hospitals, pharmacies and doctor's offices.
The researchers also collected data from the CDC on the amount of vaccine that was spoiled and had to be disposed of by awardees. This could be because a vial was broken, because it was stored at an improper temperature, because it was past its expiration date, and so on. Awardees are large-scale entities that are responsible for overseeing specific vaccination sites. There were 92 awardees nationally, and the researchers have wastage data from 58 of them. Examples of awardees include individual states, federal entities such as the Department of Defense, federal programs such as the Veterans Health Administration, and large-scale retailers such as CVS and Walgreens. Wastage data was reported on a semi-regular basis -- often daily, but not always.
`` This data was not made available outside of the CDC until we asked for it, '' Hajbabaie says. `` We were only able to get this data due to a collaboration with BuzzFeed, which obtained the data from CDC under a FOIA request. ''
This paper includes the shipment and wastage data from Jan. 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021.
`` However, we think it is possible that there will be significantly more data forthcoming, '' Hajbabaie says. `` For example, the CDC provided us with additional shipment data from December 2021. However, we received that too recently to include in this paper. ''
`` In the paper, we outline some directions for future work, such as how to account for vaccine hesitancy in order to optimize the supply chain and distribution network for vaccination moving forward, '' Hajibabai says. `` For example, we can estimate the demand and waste accordingly and make recommendations to seamlessly schedule patients and reduce wastage.
`` But it's not an exhaustive list. While we are continuing to work with this data set ourselves, we're sure there are things we haven't thought of. That's one of the reasons we think it is important for the research community to make its data publicly available in a timely manner -- it will allow all of us to make progress on real-world challenges more quickly. ''
The paper, `` Using COVID-19 Data on Vaccine Shipments and Wastage to Inform Modeling and Decision-making, '' is published open access in the journal Transportation Science. The paper was co-authored by Dan Vergano of BuzzFeed News and Julie Swann, the department head and A. Doug Allison Distinguished Professor of the Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at NC State.
The work was done with support from the National Science Foundation under grant number 2124825, and under cooperative agreement number NU38OT000297 from the CDC and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. | science |
Omicron 'less severe ' than Delta for children ages 4 and younger, study suggests -- ScienceDaily | The study, published Friday in JAMA Pediatrics, is the first large-scale research effort to compare the health outcomes of coronavirus infection from Omicron to Delta in children 4 and younger -- the age group not yet able to be vaccinated.
The findings show that the Omicron variant is 6-8 times more infectious than the Delta variant. The severe clinical outcomes ranged from a 16% lower risk for emergency room visits to 85% less risk for mechanical ventilation. And about 1.8% of children infected with Omicron were hospitalized, compared to 3.3% with Delta.
The Case Western Reserve-led team analyzed the electronic health records of more than 651,640 children in the United States who had medical encounter with healthcare organizations between 9/2021-1/2022-including more than 22,772 children infected with Omicron in late December and late January -- to more than 66,000 children infected when Delta was prevalent in the fall. The study also compared the records of more than 10,000 children immediately before the detection of Omicron in the U.S., but when Delta was still predominant.
Children younger than 5 are not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccines and have a low rate of previous SARS-CoV-2 infections, which also limits their pre-existing immunity.
The team examined clinical health outcomes for pediatric patients during a 14-day window following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among the factors they reviewed were: emergency room visits, hospitalizations, ICU admissions and mechanical ventilation use.
Further demographic data analysis found that children infected with Omicron were on average younger-1.5 years of age versus 1.7 years-and had fewer comorbidities.
`` The major conclusion to our research was that many more children were infected with Omicron when compared to Delta, but the children who are infected are not impacted as severely as were children infected with the Delta variant, '' said Pamela Davis, the Arline H. and Curtis F. Garvin Research Professor at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. `` However, because there are so many more children infected, our hospitals were affected over the winter months by an influx of young children. ''
`` We saw the number of hospitalizations within this age group skyrocket in January of this year because the infection rate of Omicron is about 10 to 15 times compared to that of the Delta variant, '' said Rong Xu, professor of biomedical infomatics and director of the Center for AI in Drug Discovery at the School of Medicine. `` Omicron is less severe than Delta, however, the reduction of the severity range in clinical outcomes is only 16 to 85%. Furthermore, since so many un-vaccinated children were infected, the long-term effects of COVID-19 infections on the brain, heart, immune systems and other organs of children remains unknown and worrisome. ``
The CDC recommends those age 5 and older receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and fully vaccinated people 12 and older receive a booster shot. According to updated guidance by the CDC, Americans no longer need to mask indoors in counties with low or medium `` Covid-19 Community Level. '' | science |
Kazakhstan adds 16 more COVID-19 cases | Kazakhstan reported 16 fresh daily cases of the coronavirus infection, coronavirus2020.kz reads, Trend reports citing Kazinform.
2 new cases were recorded in Nur-Sultan, 7 in Almaty, 1 in Almaty region, 3 in East Kazakhstan, 0 in Zhambyl region, 0 in West Kazakhstan, 1 in Karaganda region, 1 in Kostanay region, 1 in North Kazakhstan, bringing the country’ tally to 1,305,151. | general |
Heydar Aliyev International Airport received first flight operated by FlyArystan [ PHOTO/VIDEO ] | On Friday, April 1st, “ FlyArystan ”, the low-cost carrier of Kazakhstan, operated its first flight from Aktau to Heydar Aliyev International Airport.
“ FlyArystan ” is the first low-cost airline of Kazakhstan and a structural unit of “ Air Astana ”.
Starting from this week, the airline will operate flights on the Aktau-Baku-Aktau route twice a week, on Fridays and Sundays.
To recap, in April the low-cost airline of Azerbaijan “ Buta Airways ” will also perform flights to Kazakhstan. Thus, starting from April 5, the carrier will operate flights on the route Baku-Aktau-Baku three times a week - on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
Before traveling, all passengers are advised to check up-to-date information on the current entry regulations applicable in both countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. | general |
Wine with Leslie: Why a wine's scent is so important - plus bargain European bottles | Some wines have stronger scents because of thicker skins ( eg Albariño), but sometimes it is just the nature of the grape and its location — for example Burgundian Pinot Noir
What sense do you value most? I’ m guessing the ability to smell is probably low on the list for many people — but for me, it would be a disaster to lose my sense of smell.
The fear among wine professionals of catching Covid is acute as you might expect as the ability to taste and smell is crucial. Scent is also closely linked to memory as the way the brain works allows us to remember scents extraordinarily well: a mere whiff can transport us back to childhood or to a lost romance.
With wine tasting, the scent of a wine is usually the primary memory trigger. Tasting the wine should confirm what you smell and it can be disturbing if the taste is different to what you are expecting.
My recommendations this week are all wines with intriguing aromas. In the case of the inexpensive Lidl Champagne, that scent is from the production process more than the grapes but you could not mistake it for anything other than Champagne.
Lidl has some new wines in stock since the start of the month and besides the wines featured here you should also look out for a floral fragrant demi-sec Alsace Grand Cru Mambourg Gewurztraminer ( €14.99). The wine bursts with lychee and rose water aromas and has textured creamy fruits, but I also realise that demi-sec is not a style that suits everyone. This is not quite sweet enough for most desserts ( fruit desserts might work), but I do recommend trying it with some rich pâté or with a plate of strong cheeses — there are few things more pleasurable.
The Grand Tokaji Selection Furmint ( €9.99) is also lightly sweet and worth a try but of the two the Alsace is much more interesting.
I feature a dessert 5 Puttonyos Tokaji here as it is too good to miss and will age for a decade or two if you don’ t want it this weekend, save it for when soft fruits are in season perhaps. If you are partial to dessert wines you could also consider Lidl's Passito Toscano for €8.99 which tastes like liquid sultanas and raisins and is rich enough to be poured over ice cream.
Finally, I recommend a trio of food-friendly scented beauties and a juicy red.
Wines Under €15
Adega de Pegões ‘ Colheita Seleccionada’, Sétubal, Portugal — €14-15.95
Stockists: JJ O’ Driscolls, 1601, No. 21, World Wide Wines, Wine Centre, McHughs, Cashel Wine, Vintry.
This fragrant tasty Portuguese white hasn’ t made an appearance here since 2016. This is a typical southern Portuguese white made from Arinto, Fernão Pires, Verdelho and Antão Vaz plus some Chardonnay. Ripe pear and tropical fruit aromas with vanilla hints, full flavoured and textured but with finesse and balancing acidity and a pleasing lemon-lime freshness on the finish.
‘ Séguret’ Côtes du Rhône Villages 2019, France — €11.99
Stockist: Lidl
Séguret is a small Southern Rhône Village permitted to place its name on its labels. This generally indicates it is in line for Cru status like its neighbours Rasteau, Gigondas and Vacqueyras.
This has pleasing ripe berry fruit aromas with crunchy blackberry and blueberry fruits on the palate and a pleasing fruit-driven finish. Its sister Côtes-du-Rhône at €7.99 is also fruity and pleasant but a good deal lighter.
Grand Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos, Hungary — €14.99
Stockist: Lidl
A rare opportunity to try a famed wine at a bargain price. Tokaji was the world’ s most expensive wine for a millennium until the Communists made a mess of things. A 5 Puttonyos Tokaji is usually €40+ and while this is lighter in style it has classic honey and sweet apple pie aromas, a creamy luscious palate with floral honey and lime essence flavours and a long finish. Try with apple pie, blue cheese or foie.
Wines Over €15
Veuve Thomassin Brut Champagne NV, France — €24.99
Stockist: Lidl
Finding Champagne to recommend under €30 is always a challenge but I was quite impressed with this new Champagne from Lidl. Sourced from Maison Burtin, a Lanson-owned supplier of private label Champagnes.
Yeasty citrus and biscuity aromas with a touch of preserved lemons, rounded and creamy on the palate with good fruit density and lemon zest and green apple freshness on the finish.
'Ikigall ' Penedès Blanco, Cataluña, Spain — €19.99
Stockists: Matsons, Cinnamon Cottage, Bradleysm Luceys Mallow, McHughs, Baggot Street Wines, Blackrock Cellar, Clontarf Wines, Jus de Vine, Martins.
Another fragrant floral white, this time from Catalonia. Xarel-Lo can have a lovely perfume when treated right — here a few percent of Muscat and Malvasia help it along. | general |
Pandemic brought 'big wins ' for those tackling drug addiction | CEO of the Peter McVerry Trust, Pat Doyle, said elements of the way in which homeless drug users were treated during the pandemic should be retained into the future.
One of the country’ s leading homeless charities has said the Covid-19 pandemic brought “ big wins ” in terms of people tackling their drug addiction in isolation, with many being fast-tracked in more stable housing as a result.
The CEO of the Peter McVerry Trust, Pat Doyle, said elements of the way in which homeless drug users were treated during the pandemic should be retained into the future.
Those Harm Reduction measures meant the PMVT established dedicated isolation and shielding services for both PMVT participants and as a response to a need across the sector to provide safe, effective isolation services to those experiencing homeless.
On admission, nurse-led isolation service kicked in, with participants taking part in a comprehensive Harm Reduction and Nursing assessment, with any need for medically supported stabilisation or detox identified. | general |
Ryanair calls for emergency meeting to address security delays at Dublin Airport | People queuing at Dublin Airport earlier this week. File Picture: Chaney/ Collins Photos
Ryanair has called on the Department of Transport to hold an emergency meeting of the National Air Transport Facilitation Committee ( NATFC) over lengthy ongoing security delays at Dublin Airport.
Large queues have have been reported at the airport in recent weeks, with some passengers forced to wait for up to three to four hours to pass through security.
Speaking on Wednesday, the CEO of the Dublin Airport Authority ( DAA) Dalton Philips said the queues were the result of `` significant pent up demand. ''
Mr Philips said the DAA was currently handling 15,000 at a time when `` the labour market is incredibly tight '' and when `` recruiting is incredibly difficult.
He also said Covid-19 was continuing to have an impact.
Mr Philips RTÉ Radio One that there were currently 600 officers in the DAA's security division, but close to 900 were needed to meet demand. | general |
All news articles for April 2022 | The National Confectioners Association ( NCA) has revealed that an overwhelming 91% of Americans plan to share their favourite confectionery treats with family, friends and other special people in their lives this Easter.
Beneo welcomes this year’ s theme for World Heath Day ( 7 April) – highlighting the innate relationship between the consumer’ s wellbeing and that of the Earth – noting it aligns with its recent research that found flexitarians are driving the demand for...
British chocolate brands H! P Chocolate and Love Cocoa ( both founded by James Cadbury, the great-great-great grandson of the original Mr Cadbury) are hosting their first ever London pop-up this week.
Lindt & Sprüngli’ s CEO Dr Dieter Weisskopf has announced he is stepping down from the role after 27 years with the Switzerland-based chocolate maker.
We are nowhere near on track to keep global warning below 2°C, was the stark conclusion of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC) report. But hope was also on offer. FoodNavigator looks at how food system transformation can help mitigate...
Cadbury Dairy Milk and Oreo owner Mondelēz International has been accused of child labour violations in its cocoa supply chain in Ghana.
The Malaysian palm oil sector is calling for the implementation of better branding and consumer communication strategies to increase its marketability, saying that providing high quality and sustainable products is not enough to achieve export recognition.
The manufacturing side of the German confectionery industry is facing its worse crisis in 70 years and could grind to a halt as it struggles with the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and an impending gas shortage caused by the Russian invasion of...
The UK’ s Food Standards Agency ( FSA) has issued an alert recalling batches of Ferrero’ s Kinder Surprise eggs in the UK due to a salmonella scare.
Mondelez International’ s newly appointed Managing Director for Malaysia and Singapore has revealed product localisation and digitisation as key priorities to drive the company’ s regional growth, in an exclusive interview.
The Dominican Republic is one of the leading exporters of Fairtrade organic cocoa in the world – and is also known for its unique, high-quality beans.
Swiss-headquartered cocoa supplier Barry Callebaut has announced the start of a consultation with employees regarding a potential closure of its Moreton site in North West England. | general |
U.S. hiring stays robust as jobless rate falls, wages pick up | The information you requested is not available at this time, please check back again soon.
The U.S. added close to half a million jobs in March and the unemployment rate fell by more than expected, highlighting a robust labor market that’ s likely to support aggressive Federal Reserve tightening in the coming months.
Nonfarm payrolls increased 431,000 last month after an upwardly revised 750,000 gain in February, a Labor Department report showed Friday. The unemployment rate fell to 3.6 per cent, near its pre-pandemic low, and the labor force participation rate ticked up. Wage gains accelerated.
The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 490,000 advance in payrolls and for the unemployment rate to fall to 3.7 per cent.
Shorter-term Treasury yields rose and the dollar strengthened after the release on expectations that the data will bolster more hawkish Fed policy. The S & P 500 opened higher.
“ This is an economy and labor markets overheating, the Fed has to accelerate ” its tightening, Jeffrey Rosenberg, senior portfolio manager for systematic multi-strategy at BlackRock Inc., said on Bloomberg Television.
The data suggest that the labor market recovery is continuing at a robust pace as employers have better success filling a near-record number of positions. Inflation, shrinking excess household savings and solid wage growth are factors that could attract more Americans to jobs in the coming months. COVID has also become less of a factor as states broadly lift restrictions.
Fed officials, including Chair Jerome Powell, have said in recent weeks that they would support more aggressive monetary policy to curb decades-high inflation, including a possible 50-basis-point hike at the next policy meeting in May. Central bankers have repeatedly pointed to a strong labor market as one reason that the U.S. economy can handle a series of interest rate hikes that’ s expected to extend into next year.
Friday’ s report showed average hourly earnings rose 0.4 per cent from February and 5.6 per cent from a year ago, the most since May 2020. However, inflation -- at the highest since the early 1980s -- is outpacing wage growth, effectively dealing a pay cut to many Americans and starting to dent consumer demand.
Despite the labor-market strength, President Joe Biden’ s approval ratings from Americans have suffered due to the surge in inflation. Biden on Thursday announced that the U.S. would release a million barrels of oil a day from reserves for six months to help ease a spike in gasoline prices. He’ s scheduled to speak on the jobs report later Friday morning from the White House.
Leisure and hospitality accounted for a quarter of the payroll gains. Professional and business services, retail trade and education and health services also posted solid advances.
The labor force participation rate -- the share of the population that is working or looking for work -- edged higher to 62.4 per cent, and the rate for so-called prime age workers, ages 25-54, rose to a two-year high.
The overall participation rate remains one percentage point lower than before the pandemic, due in part to lingering impacts including early retirements, shifting child care arrangements and public health concerns.
“ With COVID cases down and services reopening, businesses can’ t fill job openings fast enough. Workers’ improved wage-bargaining power, together with high inflation and dwindling excess household savings, create a powerful motivation to work. ”
However, as COVID cases broadly decline across the country, Americans are more encouraged to go back to work. The number of employed Americans not at work due to illness fell to the lowest since February 2020.
Unemployment rates fell broadly across all major demographic groups. Notably, participation for prime age women rose by the most since June 2020. The jobless rate for high school graduates without a college degree fell to the lowest since February 2020. | general |
Managing staff with symptoms | On 1 April 2022, the UK Health Security Agency published guidance on Managing healthcare staff with symptoms of a respiratory infection or a positive COVID-19 test result. | general |
Frangiz Alizade's music piece premiered in Germany | The Chairman of the Azerbaijan Composers ' Union, People's Artist Frangiz Alizade has premiered a music piece for the symphony orchestra in Germany.
The work `` Sommer-Eindruck '' ( Summer Impressions) was presented in Magdeburg, one of the oldest cities in Germany.
Along with the works of the classics F. Mendelssohn, F. Schubert and D. Shostakovich, the Mitteldeutsche Philharmonie Orchestra, led by conductor Michael Horst, presented the audience with a musical novelty that noticeably warmed up interest in the concert.
The conductor Michael Horst told reporters that the Mitteldeutsche Philharmonie Orchestra is expected to perform `` Sommer-Eindruck '' in future.
`` I have long been familiar with Frangiz Alizade's music. For many years, the Mitteldeutsche Philharmonie Orchestra's repertoire has included the composer's music piece `` Crossing-II `` recorded by the BIS Records ( Sweden) back in the 90s. We are pleased that the Mitteldeutsche Philharmonie Orchestra has successfully premiered Frangiz Alizade's music piece composed at our request especially for the orchestra, '' said Michael Horst.
`` Now we are going to perform this wonderful music on our concert tour across Germany. We were especially pleased that the composer attended the premiere and Gabriel Teschner, a representative of the international publishing house Hans Sikorsky, arrived from Hamburg. We have also invited Frangiz Alizade to join our concert tour, but, as we have learned, another premiere in England is expected in the near future, '' he said.
The premiere was expected with great excitement, not only because Frangiz Alizade is well known to the German listener for numerous works included in the programs of international music festivals and other interesting projects.
After a long break amid a coronavirus pandemic, this premiere was the first to be included in the renewed repertoire of the orchestra. Frangiz Alizade's work captivated the audience from the beginning. | general |
U.S. Hotels Still Adding Jobs But Will It Be Enough for the Summer Rush? | Get exclusive stories and unlimited access to Skift.com news
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Mary Ann Ha, Skift
April 1st, 2022 at 3:20 PM EDT
Steady job growth is a good thing, of course, but hotels are still facing a huge shortfall of workers. Summer vacation season is just around the corner and it could bring chaos if hotels don’ t confront the continuing scarcity.
Mary Ann Ha
U.S. hotels added 25,000 jobs in March, a healthy gain, but it comes against the backdrop of a nagging labor shortage and big expectations for a surge in summer travel.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly jobs report released on Friday showed that leisure and hospitality sector jobs accounted for 112,000 of the 431,000 jobs gained overall during March. The sector’ s unemployment rate dropped from 6.6 to 5.9 percent, still a good amount over the national average of 3.6 percent in March.
While the numbers in the March report have undeniably shifted in a positive direction, hotels still have a very long way to go. The summer season is coming, and agencies are seeing pent-up demand for travel and lodging — with a lack of employment to respond.
“ The bad news is that it’ s still an extremely extremely tight labor market and it’ s putting tremendous upward pressure on the cost of labor for the lodging sector specifically, ” said Daniel Lesser, CEO of LW Hospitality Advisors. “ That’ s a challenge, there’ s no question about it, and it’ s gon na remain a challenge for the foreseeable future. ”
A survey conducted at the beginning of the year by Longwood’ s International showed that 92 percent of the respondents had intentions to travel in the next six months, with a mere 21 percent indicating concern about Covid, which is the lowest level since the pandemic. Despite rising fuel and plane ticket costs, U.S. travel booking sites such as Hopper and Kayak reported higher demand for spring and summer leisure travel following relaxed Covid restrictions. Vrbo revealed that property requests were already outpacing last summer by 15 percent. | general |
Amazon workers vote to unionize Staten Island warehouse | Workers at an Amazon warehouse in New York City have voted to unionize, an historic first for workers at the e-commerce company. The final tally was 2,654 yes votes, and 2,131, with 67 challenges. The workers at the JFK8 fulfillment center in Staten Island will join the Amazon Labor Union, as the number of challenges is not sufficient to affect the outcome.
The National Labor Relations Board ( NLRB) determined in January that unionization efforts at the facility had “ reached a sufficient showing of interest ” to hold an election. The facility employs roughly 5,000 people.
In a statement posted to its website Friday, Amazon said it was “ disappointed with the outcome of the election because we believe having a direct relationship with the company is best for our employees. ” The company is evaluating its options, the post says, “ including filing objections based on the inappropriate and undue influence by the NLRB ” that it claims it witnessed. The post didn’ t specify what “ influence ” it was referring to.
The ALU has been trying to unionize Amazon workers in New York for nearly two years. In October 2021, it filed with the NLRB to hold a union election for two Amazon facilities on Staten Island but later withdrew the request because it didn’ t have enough signatures. The union refiled in December, focusing on just the JFK8 warehouse, which was the site of several worker protests and walkouts during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Unlike the Bessemer unionization effort, the ALU is not affiliated with a national union or larger organization. It is the personal project of Christian Smalls, who was fired from the Staten Island site after organizing a walkout. After Friday’ s tally was announced Smalls told reporters he wanted to thank former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos “ because while he was up in space we were signing people up. ”
The JFK8 election is the first to approve a union for Amazon warehouse workers in the US. Following another union drive at Amazon’ s BHM1 facility in Bessemer, Alabama, the NLRB ordered a re-do of an election held last year after it determined that Amazon had interfered with the first election. On Thursday, the votes in Bessemer appeared to go against the union, with 933 against and 875 in favor, but since the final result is so close, there will be a hearing on 416 challenged ballots. The hearing is expected to be scheduled in the next few weeks, and both the union and Amazon will have the opportunity to file any objections to the election over the coming month.
Update April 1st 2:19PM ET: Adds statement from Amazon and remark from Smalls. | tech |
America's job market is on fire. Here's why it doesn't feel like it |
America's economic recovery
from the historic shock of
the pandemic has been nothing short of extraordinary.
However, consumers are feeling disparaged as they struggle with
rising prices
on everything from garden furniture
and
groceries to gas. Home prices have gone through the roof but with the Federal Reserve raising interest rates, floating-rate
mortgages
are getting more expensive
, too.
For the many American households who are already worrying about their finances in the year ahead, the recovery is complicated.
The good: The labor market is almost back to normal
There are no two ways about it: America's job market is very strong right now.
Read More
America added 431,000 jobs in March, bringing the unemployment rate to a new pandemic low
The nation is only about
1% away from recouping all employment lost during the Covid pandemic
. Between January and March, the US economy added a whopping 1.7 million jobs. Aside from a hiccup in December 2020, when rising infections weighed on job creation, American employers have added a robust number of positions every month since the recovery began in May 2020.
That's remarkable and puts the nation on track to recover from the pandemic recession a gobsmacking eight years sooner than it did following the Great Recession.
`` We're experiencing the fastest labor market recovery in more than a generation, adding nearly 8
[ million ] jobs since [ President Joe Biden ] took office—which comprise 93% of jobs lost during the pandemic, '' wrote Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a
tweet
Friday.
At the same time, wages have climbed higher, rising 5.6% in the year ended in February. High demand for workers mean businesses have to pay more to attract and retain staff.
Data from the government's monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey shows that while
Americans quit in droves
, they are overwhelmingly moving on
to new jobs for better pay or benefits.
Yet, despite millions of available jobs and rising wages, things don't necessarily feel great for everyone.
The bad: Inflation, gas prices and geopolitics
Americans had to deal with a lot in the first three months of 2022.
Coronavirus cases surged at the start of the year as the highly infectious Omicron variant took hold, rampant inflation showed no sign of abating, prices at the gas pump surged -- and then Russia invaded Ukraine, throwing the global economy for a loop.
While the Omicron surge did abate, there's already a
new variant to worry about
. The other fear factors of early 2022, however, continue to cast their shadow
as the second quarter begins. This confluence of
anxiety-inducing factors
obscures how well things were actually going.
Inflation is at the highest level in 40 years, outpacing the strong wage gains necessitated by the labor shortage.
How does inflation affect my standard of living?
Energy prices, which have risen steadily over the past 12 months, jumped following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A conflict halfway around the world is therefore tangible every time Americans fuel their cars. This especially affects lower-income workers
,
who drive more and are less likely able to work remotely.
Consumer sentiment fell to its
lowest level since August 2011
in March as US families worry about what their finances might look like in the year ahead.
The contradiction is a dilemma that the Biden administration will have to address. In a
Quinnipiac University poll
released Wednesday, 30% of Americans said they consider inflation to be the most urgent issue facing the country at the moment. Just 14% named the war in Ukraine. The same poll showed that just one in three Americans approve of Biden's handling of the economy.
The Federal Reserve, which is independent from the White House, announced the end to its pandemic stimulus late last year. In March, it
raised interest rates for the first time since 2018
in order to get a handle on the nation's inflation problem.
But central bank tools are blunt and need some time to take effect. For Americans with adjustable-rate mortgages, the rising interest rates will become visible more quickly than for others, while inflation will only come down slowly, for example. Yet, it is the best the Fed can do. In terms of sentiment, however,
rising rates
will put yet another damper on optimism in the near-term. | general |
Accor, CitizenM CEOs Tout New Remote Working Models | Get exclusive stories and unlimited access to Skift.com news
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April 1st, 2022 at 2:30 AM EDT
Live on stage at Skift Forum Europe last week, industry leaders shared their top-level vantage points on the future of work, and hospitality. One of them was more ahead of the curve than others. A little too far, in fact.
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Editor’ s Note: Skift Future of Work briefing is available exclusively every Friday.
As organizations start to embrace distributed work and virtual meetings, the corporate travel and meetings sectors are preparing for change. How will travel managers respond to new patterns of employee mobility? What role will hotels play in catering to distributed workforces and distributed meetings? Can destinations, and airlines, capitalize on the anticipated boom in digital nomads? Does the coming future of work increase or decrease the travel spend?
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The increasing crossover between work and hospitality was a hot topic at Skift Forum Europe.
It was, inevitably, going to come up during the day’ s closing interview with Accor CEO Sebastien Bazin, who gave an update on his Wojo co-working brand. It’ s hard to keep up with the numbers because of the pace of new openings, whether dedicated spaces or hotel hotspots, but Bazin had an update, and claimed Wojo was now the second largest co-working space provider in France, with 70,000 square meters of space, and a 10,000 customer base of companies.
Travel agencies have long declared they’ re targeting employees from smaller companies, as multinational firms retain their travel bans. But Bazin spelled it out clearly during his interview at The Londoner hotel.
“ We stand to lose 20 to 25 percent of international business travelers, ” he said. “ But then you have the shift of working from the office, ( to working) from home and now working from anywhere. You have hundreds of millions of employees who will be extremely happy, if we can give them a booking engine, to use the premise. That is heaven, and it’ s planet friendly. ”
Accor has a head start, he added, with the group’ s now four-year old Wojo brand.
But he’ s not always been so lucky. As the CEO revealed he thought the wider industry had failed hospitality workers with low pay and limited career prospects, another mea culpa moment came with his launch of lifestyle-concept hotels.
“ I miserably failed five years ago. I said it’ s bizarre the hospitality players, as good as we are, only cater for the traveler …. there are 1.5 billion international travelers, which is great, and they represent 95 percent of what we do. But we have 7.5 billion people on the planet, which means we’ re missing probably 6 billion. I said this is foolish. ”
He said he tried to invite those people “ living next door ” to enter his hotels. General managers, however, didn’ t give a damn, he said. The food was boring, he joked, so Accor had to reinvent itself.
“ I refixed a lot of the food and beverage venues to attract the local population, which is why we went into the lifestyle concept, ” he said. Those lifestyle hotels are now gaining popularity with remote workers, so everything’ s come full circle.
CitizenM also had a lot to share. In a rare appearance, the Dutch hotel group’ s CEO spoke on stage. It’ s got a stack of cash to build its own hotels, some near company headquarters, but has its eye on smaller companies too.
Customers are customers, said Klaas van Lookeren Campagne, but: “ It’ s a little harder to build up your network from all those small customers, but they are a bit more resilient, so there’ s a big push we’ re going to do to find all those small companies. ”
It’ s new $ 12 a month subscription plan might play a part in that new land grab.
Airbnb’ s managing director for Northern Europe also touched upon another increasingly relevant area, as it factored in children and schooling to extend its own remote-work policy. Amanda Cupples said Airbnb made a call to extended the policy until September this year during her interview. There was uncertainty around future Covid outbreaks, but she also said the decision was based on the fact it represented a full school year.
“ Digital workplace ” was the overriding theme of a major announcement by Amadeus this week, as it revealed a new integration with Microsoft 365, involving Teams, Outlook and a lot more.
The main benefit is being able to plug into Microsoft’ s calendar, with its Cytric Travel & Expense now able to do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to sharing times, dates and venues to make booking a business trip a little easier.
One Amadeus boss is having a lot of fun with it all. Step forward Rudy Daniello, executive vice president of Amadeus Cytric Solutions.
He’ s excited about something called the “ Microsoft Graph ”, which is an entity that processes all the interactions users have in Microsoft 365. One element is it can discover who employees engage with on a daily or weekly basis.
No data privacy worries, as it’ s on an opt-in basis. However, another element of the “ digital workplace ” is Microsoft’ s LinkedIn platform. Microsoft has a lot of users, but LinkedIn has 800 members. “ It’ s too early to say when, but it is definitely in our plan to bring in LinkedIn as well, ” he said.
All eyes now will be on Sabre, which has a similar strategic partnership in place with Google. “ We have no indication at the moment that some other corporations are pursuing our objectives in the same holistic way, ” Daniello diplomatically added.
Who and what Skift has covered over the past week: AirAsia, Air India, Accenture, Amadeus, ATPI, CWT, Eurostar, International SOS, KLM, Yatra.
Free Now Promotes Marketing Exec to CEO | general |
Axa won’ t appeal landmark COVID-19 BI ruling | BI’ s Article search uses Boolean search capabilities. If you are not familiar with these principles, here are some quick tips.
To search specifically for more than one word, put the search term in quotation marks. For example, “ workers compensation ”. This will limit your search to that combination of words.
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French insurer Axa SA has decided not to appeal the London High Court’ s recent decision in favor of U.K.-based hospitality group Corbin & King Ltd. over the latter’ s COVID-19 business interruption insurance losses, The Caterer reported. The court’ s judgment and Axa’ s latest decision is likely to increase the hopes of hospitality businesses seeking to recover some of their losses from the COVID-19 lockdowns.
1. Regulator revokes licenses of financially troubled insurers
2. Axa won’ t appeal landmark COVID-19 BI ruling
3. Brokers calls for mandatory insurance for all buildings
4. Hardening market to go on longer than anticipated: Howden
5. Insurers settle $ 20.5 million claims related to plane crash
6. Insurance market hardening slows down, but concerns remain | general |
Latest Commercial Court Guide Reflects A Shifting Landscape | A great deal has changed in litigation since the first Commercial Court Guide was published in September 1986, an era before personal computers, the internet and mobile phones were commonplace. Indeed, many have complained about the stubbornness of some of the arcane practices of civil litigation to be swept away as analogue vestiges in a digital world.Then COVID-19 hit.The first lockdown arguably did more to revolutionize the pomp and ceremony of court proceedings in a few short weeks than centuries of the old normal had. Plenty has been written about the learning curve, but the latest incarnation of the... | general |
A massive study finds diabetes risk rises after COVID-19 | Those who got COVID-19 might be 40% more likely to develop diabetes.
A massive research has found that people who get COVID-19 have a higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes up to a year later.
According to the study published this week in Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Ziyad Al-Aly, chief researcher for the Veterans Affairs ( VA) St Louis Healthcare System in Missouri, and Xie, an epidemiologist also at the VA St Louis Healthcare System, examined records from more than 8 million people, including 180,000 who had COVID-19.
The researchers saw that the risk of developing diabetes rose as COVID-19 severity increased. When compared to people who did not have COVID-19 and were not hospitalized or admitted to intensive care, those who were hospitalized or admitted to intensive care had roughly four times the risk.
The findings are consistent with those of another study from Germany, which was smaller and shorter in duration than the new study. However, the results point to the same conclusion. “ The risk is small but not negligible, ” says Al-Aly, in an interview with Medscape Medical News. “ It’ s really, really clear that all these roads are pointing in one direction, that COVID-19 increases the risk of diabetes up to a year later. ''
According to the most recent study, people who got COVID-19 were around 40 percent more likely to develop diabetes up to a year later than those in the control groups.
This means that for every 1,000 patients studied in each group, roughly 15 more people were diagnosed with diabetes in the COVID-19 group. And nearly all of the cases were type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the body develops resistance to or does not produce enough insulin.
The researchers saw that even patients with minor illnesses and no previous risk factors for diabetes were more likely to develop the condition. Moreover, people with a high BMI, a measure of obesity and a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes had a more than doubled risk of developing diabetes with a COVID-19 infection.
This study and many others are adding to our understanding of the long-term implications of COVID-19. While this is not to say that the findings will surely apply to other groups of people, the increase in diabetes risk could cause a dramatic increase in the number of people diagnosed with the disease globally.
`` When this whole pandemic recedes, we’ re going to be left with the legacy of this pandemic — a legacy of chronic disease, '' for which health-care systems are unprepared, says Al-Aly, in a Nature report.
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Will Cautious Thailand Lose Out in Southeast Asia's Tourism Recovery Race? | Get exclusive stories and unlimited access to Skift.com news
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Peden Doma Bhutia, Skift
April 1st, 2022 at 9:30 AM EDT
It's good to be cautious, but Thailand may pay the price of being cautious to a fault. Having already lost out on the first-mover advantage, will the delay in reopening deal a major blow to the already-fragile economy of Southeast Asia's biggest tourism hub?
Peden Doma Bhutia
An emotional moment unfolded at Malaysia’ s Johor Bahru as many waited patiently for the clock to strike 12 on Thursday night.
Often described as the one of the world’ s busiest land crossings, the Johor Causeway — connecting Singapore and Malaysia — fully reopened to welcome vaccinated Malaysians back into the country for the first time in two years.
April 1 marked an important day in the recovery of tourism in Southeast Asia. Moving away from the vaccinated travel lanes, Singapore on Friday also transitioned to a new Vaccinated Travel Framework to help facilitate a seamless travel experience for arrivals into Changi.
After two years of disruption, the Southeast Asian tourism economy is finally limping back towards recovery. However, a destination conspicuously missing in this reopening story is the biggest tourism hub of the region — Thailand.
Even though Thailand has been open to foreign tourists with special tourist visas since October 2020, the number of foreign tourist arrivals has been disappointing. The government also launched two tourism recovery pilot programs in July 2021 — the Phuket Sandbox and Samui Plus.
In November, the authorities announced full reopening. However, following an Omicron surge in December, Thailand quickly closed its borders. In February this year, the Test & Go program was resumed again.
From Friday, international arrivals under any of the entry schemes in Thailand — Test & Go, Sandbox, and Alternative Quarantine — will be allowed to enter the country without any proof of a negative RT-PCR test.
However, under all three programs, medical insurance covering health costs over $ 20,000, and registration for the online Thailand Pass are required, irrespective of vaccination status. Arrivals are also required to get tested on Day 1 and Day 5, while those arriving under the Alternative Quarantine program would need to quarantine for five days.
A Tourism Council of Thailand poll that surveyed 200 overseas travellers this year showed that 71 percent found the process around the PCR test on arrival cumbersome.
And all this when destinations like Vietnam and Cambodia have fully reopened to international tourists with no quarantine requirements.
In line with the full reopening of Vietnam’ s borders in February, arrivals to the country surged 89 percent to 91000 in the first quarter of 2022. In 2021, tourist arrivals plunged 96 percent to 157,000 arrivals. In 2020 international visitor arrivals went down 79.5 percent and total tourism receipts decreased by 58.7 percent – a decrease equivalent to about $ 19 billion.
Before the pandemic outbreak, Vietnam witnessed a breakthrough growth of tourism with international arrivals going up to 18 million in 2019. This was the fastest growing globally according to a UNWTO report. Tourism contributes 9.2 percent to the Vietnam GDP.
Not to be outdone by Vietnam’ s border reopening news, Cambodia too reopened to fully vaccinated international travelers in mid-February. Since the onset of the pandemic, the country saw an over 80 percent drop in international tourism, with a significant effect on tourism businesses and direct jobs in the tourism industry.
Cambodia received almost 152,000 international tourists in the first quarter of 2022, marking a 114 per cent surge year-on-year.
Philippines also relaxed mobility restrictions allowing fully vaccinated international travelers to enter the country in February. Following this reopening, inbound visitor arrivals in Philippines reached 102,031 as of March 16, a high note for the country since its closure of borders at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.
Indonesia may soon join the race. A successful two-week trial in the Bali, Batam and Bintan islands paves way for a broader quarantine-free reopening of the country’ s borders. Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno has hinted at reopening in May, after Eid.
According to a report by the Asian Development Bank, Southeast Asia’ s overall international tourist arrivals increased by 58 percent in July to September 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, but remained 64 percent below 2019 levels.
Gross domestic product ( GDP) contributions from the industry have displayed continuous increases throughout the past decade until it halved in 2020 due to the global pandemic.
The tourism sector has been a key driver of Thailand’ s economic growth for many years. In 2019, revenue from international tourists accounted for 11 percent of GDP. However, the number of foreign tourists in Thailand plunged from 39.9 million in 2019 to 6.7 million in 2020 and 0.4 million in 2021, causing foreign tourist receipts to drop by around 90 percent and forcing businesses to shut down and lay off workers.
Thailand’ s GDP in 2020 contracted by 6.1 percent, its worst performance since the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The economy in the first half of 2021 expanded by only 2 percent due to a significant resurgence in Covid infections.
The Thai government has also talked about using Covid-19 as a catalyst to overhaul the tourism sector. In a bid to move away from mass tourism, the government plans to attract tourists with more spending power. High-income tourists — those who earn more than $ 60,000 per year — tend to account for only a small portion of Thailand’ s international arrivals ( 8 percent in 2019).
With big source markets like China and Russia closed, Thailand needs to think fast. The wait-and-watch game may not bode well for the country’ s tourism-reliant economy. | general |
Covid-19 hospitalizations hit a pandemic low in the US, HHS data shows | As of Friday, there are 16,138 people in the hospital with Covid-19 -- fewer than there have ever been since the US Department of Health and Human Services first started tracking in July 2020. Just 2% of hospital beds are currently in use for Covid-19 patients.
Previously, the lowest point was in late June 2021, just before Delta became the dominant variant in the country. Covid-19 hospitalizations reached a peak in January 2022 amid the Omicron surge, when more than 160,000 people were hospitalized with Covid-19 at one time.
While the strain on the US hospital system directly related to treating Covid-19 patients has been significantly reduced, experts say that many hospitals are still burdened by staffing shortages and other patients who are coming in sicker after postponing care during the height of the pandemic.
`` I can't hear that ( data on Covid-19 hospitalizations) without shouting 'hallelujah ' because the stress and strain of the last two years has been so enormous, '' Nancy Foster, vice president for quality and patient safety policy at the American Hospital Association, told CNN. `` But there are a number of things going on now that continue to make hospitals and their staff very busy. ''
She says hospitals expected an influx of patients who had delayed care, either by choice or because the hospital system couldn't accommodate them.
`` But I think it is that combination of having more people needing care than we had anticipated and having more staffing issues than we had anticipated that is really the biggest challenge right now, '' she said.
The broader snapshot of hospital capacity offers a stark contrast to the CDC's `` COVID-19 Community Levels '' map, which tracks new hospital admissions and beds in use specifically for Covid-19 patients.
The CDC map is nearly all green, with 95% of US counties considered to have a `` low '' community level of Covid-19.
But HHS data shows that more than three-quarters of inpatient beds are currently in use in hospitals across the country, and there are nine states where more than 80% of all beds in the state are occupied.
Experts say it's important to monitor both broader hospital capacity and the burden specifically from Covid-19.
`` From an endemic Covid monitoring perspective -- at least that's where we hope we're heading -- we need to be able to tell whether we're in a state that requires public health measures, '' Dr. Stephen Parodi, national infectious disease leader for Kaiser Permanente, told CNN.
But the pandemic has dramatically shifted the way hospitals operate. Pre-pandemic, there was typically seasonal variation in how many beds were filled, with more patients expected during flu season in the winter and a lighter volume over the summer.
`` What's different now, since the pandemic, is essentially we're running full all the time, '' Parodi said. `` That calculation of a plan -- when it comes to staffing those beds, having the workforce available, the doctors, nurses, the support services like laboratory and radiology -- it's changing our thinking about what we need to plan for an entire year as opposed to just one particular season. ''
Parodi and others expect the continued strain on capacity to persist at least through the end of the year.
Overall since August 2020, there have been about 4.6 million total hospital admissions for Covid-19 in the US, according to data from the CDC. More than a third of hospital admissions have been among seniors age 70 and older.
Black and Hispanic people have been hospitalized with Covid-19 at more than twice the rate of White people, and American Indians have been more than three times as likely to be hospitalized. | business |
America's job market is on fire. Here's why it doesn't feel like it | However, consumers are feeling disparaged as they struggle with rising prices on everything from garden furniture and groceries to gas. Home prices have gone through the roof but with the Federal Reserve raising interest rates, floating-rate mortgages are getting more expensive, too.
For the many American households who are already worrying about their finances in the year ahead, the recovery is complicated.
The good: The labor market is almost back to normal
There are no two ways about it: America's job market is very strong right now.
The nation is only about 1% away from recouping all employment lost during the Covid pandemic. Between January and March, the US economy added a whopping 1.7 million jobs. Aside from a hiccup in December 2020, when rising infections weighed on job creation, American employers have added a robust number of positions every month since the recovery began in May 2020.
That's remarkable and puts the nation on track to recover from the pandemic recession a gobsmacking eight years sooner than it did following the Great Recession.
`` We're experiencing the fastest labor market recovery in more than a generation, adding nearly 8 [ million ] jobs since [ President Joe Biden ] took office—which comprise 93% of jobs lost during the pandemic, '' wrote Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a tweet Friday.
At the same time, wages have climbed higher, rising 5.6% in the year ended in February. High demand for workers mean businesses have to pay more to attract and retain staff.
Data from the government's monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey shows that while Americans quit in droves, they are overwhelmingly moving on to new jobs for better pay or benefits.
Yet, despite millions of available jobs and rising wages, things don't necessarily feel great for everyone.
The bad: Inflation, gas prices and geopolitics
Americans had to deal with a lot in the first three months of 2022.
Coronavirus cases surged at the start of the year as the highly infectious Omicron variant took hold, rampant inflation showed no sign of abating, prices at the gas pump surged -- and then Russia invaded Ukraine, throwing the global economy for a loop.
While the Omicron surge did abate, there's already a new variant to worry about. The other fear factors of early 2022, however, continue to cast their shadow as the second quarter begins. This confluence of anxiety-inducing factors obscures how well things were actually going.
Inflation is at the highest level in 40 years, outpacing the strong wage gains necessitated by the labor shortage.
Energy prices, which have risen steadily over the past 12 months, jumped following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A conflict halfway around the world is therefore tangible every time Americans fuel their cars. This especially affects lower-income workers, who drive more and are less likely able to work remotely.
Consumer sentiment fell to its lowest level since August 2011 in March as US families worry about what their finances might look like in the year ahead.
The contradiction is a dilemma that the Biden administration will have to address. In a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday, 30% of Americans said they consider inflation to be the most urgent issue facing the country at the moment. Just 14% named the war in Ukraine. The same poll showed that just one in three Americans approve of Biden's handling of the economy.
The Federal Reserve, which is independent from the White House, announced the end to its pandemic stimulus late last year. In March, it raised interest rates for the first time since 2018 in order to get a handle on the nation's inflation problem.
But central bank tools are blunt and need some time to take effect. For Americans with adjustable-rate mortgages, the rising interest rates will become visible more quickly than for others, while inflation will only come down slowly, for example. Yet, it is the best the Fed can do. In terms of sentiment, however, rising rates will put yet another damper on optimism in the near-term. | business |
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The virus that causes covid-19 is known as SARS-CoV-2. People with covid-19 can shed this virus in their stool whether they have symptoms, have no symptoms, have had a covid-19 test, or were never diagnosed. Monitoring municipal wastewater for the virus that causes covid-19 allows for the detection of the virus in a large population and can provide an early warning of positive and asymptomatic cases of covid-19 in the community and possible outbreaks. Wastewater monitoring consistently captures most of the population with covid-19 given that everyone goes to the washroom. Wastewater monitoring can serve as a tool for mass public health surveillance and can assist in directing public health guidance.
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Israel-Premier Tech withdraw from Tour of Flanders for medical reasons | Israel-Premier Tech will not ride the Tour of Flanders on Sunday due to illness and injury, with the team unable to field enough healthy riders.
In a press statement on Friday morning, Israel-Premier Tech's general manager Kjell Carlström said that the decision had been made `` out of respect for the race and the rest of the peloton '' after two Covid cases in the camp.
The team will also not be riding next Wednesday’ s Scheldeprijs, which is also organised by Flanders Classics.
Illness continues to impact the professional peloton, depleting teams and affecting riders. On Thursday, Jumbo-Visma said it was `` unlikely '' that Wout van Aert would take to the start line on Sunday.
Patrick Lefevere, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl's boss, said on Thursday that 11 of his riders were currently out of action due to bad health.
> > > Paris-Sneeze: The tale of a Race to the Sun struck by illness
Israel-Premier Tech have been badly affected by illness in recent weeks, and were only able to fill five of the seven spots available to them at Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday.
In the run up to the Tour of Flanders, the team have not managed any notable results, with their best rider finishing 38th at the E3 Saxo Bank Classic, 55th at Gent-Wevelgem, and 42nd at Dwars. They have managed just won win this season, a stage of Gran Camiño through Michael Woods.
With the squad also riding in Spain this weekend, at the GP Miguel Indurain, and then at Itzulia Basque Country from Monday, they do not have enough riders to cover all the races.
“ This is a very regrettable situation and we are extremely disappointed to have to withdraw from Ronde van Vlaanderen, '' Carlström said. `` This decision has not been taken lightly but we feel this is our only option at this stage. It is no secret we have had covid and other illness and also crash-induced injuries wiping out the majority of our riders at one stage or another in recent weeks.
`` Right now, we have very few healthy riders who could take to the start line, but they are now close contacts, and it is out of respect for the race and the rest of the peloton, that we are making this decision. It is our duty of care to the other teams to not be willingly sending riders who have been exposed to covid into a race. ''
There have been very few acknowledged cases of covid in the peloton, with 'normal ' illness impacting riders the most. Back in February, whole teams were forced to withdraw from the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana due to Covid cases.
Carlström said that not racing Flanders would allow his riders to `` hit the reset button ''. Paris-Roubaix is a week later than usual this year, so the team might still be able to make an impact in the north of Europe this spring. “ By withdrawing from the race, we are allowing our cobbled classics riders to recover and hit the reset button, '' he said. `` No one is more disappointed than us but hopefully, this decision will allow us to save the remainder of the spring season and get back on track. ” | general |
Pandemic lockdowns had severe mental health consequences for women in the developing world -- ScienceDaily | The study from the University of California San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy finds that women whose social position may make them more vulnerable -- those with daughters and those living in female-headed households -- experienced even larger declines in mental health as a result of lockdowns.
The paper, to be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Economic Development, surveyed 1,545 households over the phone in various rural regions throughout Northern India. The surveys took place in fall 2019, before the pandemic and in August 2020, near the height of the first COVID-19 wave in India. Certain villages and districts had varying containment policies, which allowed the researchers to compare health outcomes of women who experienced lockdowns for several months to those who experienced zero levels of lockdowns.
The authors took many factors into consideration in their analysis including COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths from the novel coronavirus.
For surveyed women, moving from zero to average levels of lockdowns is associated with a 38 percent increase in depression, a 44 percent increase in anxiety and a 73 percent increase in exhaustion.
`` Not having access to access to work and socialization outside the home can be very detrimental for women's mental health in developing countries, '' said study co-author Gaurav Khanna, assistant professor of economics at the School of Global Policy and Strategy.
The pandemic resulted in dramatic losses of income for women. In the survey, roughly 25 percent of households reduced the number of meals consumed, compared to a normal month. However, these declines primarily impacted women because in many cultures throughout the developing world, women's food intake is the first be limited when food is scarce.
`` We wanted to know the impact lockdown policies have on women in lower-income countries where there may be limited social safety nets to absorb these shocks, '' Khanna added. `` As we found in our study, the consequences of lockdown policies are exacerbated for women. We hope policymakers in developing countries and beyond know what the implications are for these policies, especially for those in vulnerable positions because if there is another wave, communities could be faced with similar lockdowns. ''
The paper outlines policy recommendations that could help address the mental and physical health consequences experienced by women during the pandemic.
`` Policymakers should consider what supportive measures are necessary to limit economic devastation from lockdowns and they should target aid, particularly access to food, to vulnerable households and women, '' the authors note.
For example, in certain parts of India, the government did distribute food to rural areas, which helped prevent malnutrition and food insecurity.
Counseling and helpline services offered over-the-phone can also help address the pandemic's mental health impacts, the authors noted.
While the findings focus on the developing world, they have implications for women all over the world who experience lockdowns.
`` We suspect the impact in the U.S. on women and mothers in particular was also exacerbated, '' Khanna said. `` When kids are not in school, or daycare, the burden usually falls on women because of traditional gender roles with child care. Policymakers should be cognizant of the fact that women are going to be impacted differently by these policies. '' | science |
Russia, inflation, rate hikes, Covid: Q2 will be full of headwinds, but markets are ready | Surging inflation, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a speed-up of the Federal Reserve's rate-increase plan created a series of unique challenges for investors, which led to volatility about 50% higher than the same period in 2021.
There's no shortage of headwinds going into the second quarter, many extended from the previous quarter. But at this point analysts have had time to digest them and strategize.
`` If your goal is to avoid all risk, then you shouldn't be in the market, '' said Liz Anne Sonders, managing director and chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab. But when there are big swings and heightened risk, a plan is necessary.
Here are the problems analysts are watching for this quarter and how to plan for them.
Geopolitical unrest
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has stunned markets across the globe. The geopolitical unrest has rippled through energy markets, commodities and even to food insecurity issues.
It's incredibly important to factor these problems into your investment calculus, said Josh Leonardi, director of prime services at TD Securities. He's looking at commodities markets to hedge the Russian conflict, and he likes wheat in particular. About a quarter of the world's wheat supply comes from Russia and Ukraine. Future contracts for the crop are jumping as supply becomes scarce but demand remains the same. Oil and gas are trickier because they're so volatile and prices move quickly alongside headlines. But If the price of oil continues to rise, airline stocks will see a secondary impact as well.
Inflation
The US is currently battling an inflation problem it hasn't seen the likes of in 40 years, so it's time to look to real assets as a hedge on inflation, said Leonardi. That means investing in commodities, real estate, land, equipment and natural resources.
Interest in real estate investment is exploding, he said. `` I don't know if anything is hotter on the market right now. You have everything from single multi-family homes to data centers to cold storage facilities. ''
When investing in markets, look to companies that make money off of inflationary spikes. Banks earn more as interest rates rise and they profit from wider spreads. Companies with low capital needs are also good bets.
Here comes the Fed
The Federal Reserve is probably going to be aggressive in raising interest rates going forward, said Sonders.
Typically investors believe in a safety guard known as `` The Fed put. '' It's the notion that enough market weakness will cause the Fed to stop raising interest rates and tighten policy, and perhaps even reverse and ease rates. Because inflation is so out of hand, there's no way that's going to happen again, said Sonders.
`` Investors need to be aware of that, especially if they're being more aggressive because they think the Fed won't let markets down, '' said Sonders. They 'll continue to raise rates and will do it to slow economic growth. That means the risk of recession is higher than it otherwise would be.
Covid waves and other unforeseen emergencies
Emergency situations are a good time to play it safe, and to revert to investing basics, said Sonders. Make sure your portfolio is diversified. Take advantage of volatile swings by staying in gear and rebalance investments: add low, trim high.
If your portfolio swings one way — say the equities market grows by 15% — take advantage of that, sell some off and then pare it back. As Sonders said, `` Let the volatility work in your favor. '' | business |
Les dangers de la résistance croissante aux antibiotiques | Pour lutter contre les bactéries très résistantes, comme le staphylocoque doré, il est nécessaire de développer une nouvelle génération d’ antibiotiques.
La découverte de la pénicilline, en 1928 par Alexander Fleming, a marqué la naissance des traitements antibiotiques ainsi que la médecine thérapeutique. Des millions de vies sont sauvées chaque année depuis l’ apparition des antibiotiques. Il a fallu plusieurs années de recherche, après la découverte de Fleming, pour que la pénicilline puisse être produite et utilisée en masse. Sans doute, la première utilisation à grande échelle a eu lieu pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, permettant de soigner des blessés ou les maladies comme la tuberculose et la typhoïde.
Le mécanisme d’ une molécule antibactérienne est assez simple: le médicament arrête la croissance et la multiplication des bactéries, puis finit par les supprimer complètement. Revers de la médaille: les bactéries peuvent s’ adapter et même résister au traitement par les antibiotiques.
L’ OMS, dans le premier rapport sur la résistance aux antimicrobiens en 2014, tire la sonnette d’ alarme. « Cette grave menace n’ est plus une prévision, mais une réalité dans chaque région du monde qui s’ achemine vers une ère post-antibiotiques, où des infections courantes ou des blessures même mineures pourraient de nouveau tuer », s’ inquiète l’ organisation mondiale qui considère ce problème comme une urgence.
En effet, environ 1,2 million de décès sont enregistrés en 2019. Des décès directement liés à des infections résistantes aux antibiotiques, souligne un rapport publié en janvier 2022 par la revue scientifique The Lancet. Par ailleurs, l’ étude démontre que 26% des infections ont résisté aux traitements qui sont généralement prescrits, mais qu’ en 2050, cette proportion de bactéries résistantes va quasiment doubler. En somme, les infections sont d’ ores et déjà plus difficiles à traiter chez l’ humain et l’ animal, car le nombre de bactéries résistantes à certains antibiotiques ne cesse d’ augmenter. Mais les bactéries peuvent aussi développer des résistances à plusieurs familles de médicaments antibactériens: on parle alors de « super-bactéries » ou « bactéries multirésistantes » ( l’ appellation anglo-saxonne super bug est également souvent utilisée).
Avant tout, c’ est la prise inutile d’ un antibiotique qui est montrée du doigt. Les spécialistes sont formels: la prise d’ un médicament antibactérien va surtout contribuer à augmenter le pouvoir génétique des bactéries à s’ adapter pour résister en cas d’ infection bactérienne. Et quand la prise de ces médicaments est inutile, lorsqu’ il s’ agit de soigner les infections virales ou la grippe, les bactéries apprennent alors encore mieux à se défendre contre les molécules censées les éliminer. La prise d’ un antibiotique sans véritable raison augmente le risque d’ une infection ultérieure difficile, voire impossible à traiter.
Selon l’ Institut national de santé publique du Québec, de plus en plus de patients doivent recevoir des doses composées de plusieurs types d’ antibiotiques souvent plus nocifs pour les patients. La même source souligne que la gonorrhée figure parmi les infections bactériennes les plus difficiles à traiter actuellement. La bactérie à l’ origine de l’ infection sexuellement transmissible est devenue très résistante aux traitements antimicrobiens, avec un risque de devenir impossible à combattre dans les années à venir. Déjà en 2019, l’ OMS a averti que la résistance aux antimicrobiens fait partie des dix plus grandes menaces en santé publique pour toute l’ humanité. Et cela n’ est pas sans raison, car les bactéries responsables du choléra, de différentes sortes de pneumonies, de la légionellose, de la méningite font partie aussi des espèces pathogènes qui ont des capacités incroyables à adapter leur code génétique pour devenir plus résistantes.
Le développement de super-bactéries s’ accroît un peu partout dans le monde, mais leur émergence est surtout visible dans des pays en voie de développement. Avec un système de santé peu efficace et dépourvu de moyens de prévention, la vente d’ antibiotiques est libre et sans prescription. Leur usage incontrôlé contribue grandement à l’ augmentation des résistances bactériennes.
Parallèlement, l’ agriculture intensive et l’ élevage des animaux sont en grande partie responsables de l’ amplification du phénomène. Sur le continent américain, il est courant pour les agriculteurs de donner de fortes doses d’ antibiotiques à leurs animaux, même à titre préventif. En France et depuis 1999, l’ Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’ alimentation, de l’ environnement et du travail ( Anses) a mis en place un suivi de vente de médicaments vétérinaires. Selon cette agence, de 2011 à 2020, l’ exposition globale des animaux aux antibiotiques a diminué d’ environ 45% par rapport à la décennie précédente.
Devant ce problème mondial de super-bactéries résistantes, la communauté scientifique a commencé la recherche d’ une solution pour éviter une régression de la médecine mondiale de plus d’ un siècle en arrière. Pour cela, le développement de nouveaux antibiotiques est d’ une urgence absolue. L’ objectif est de trouver un traitement qui serait le plus sélectif possible, c’ est-à-dire de cibler étroitement les bactéries et seulement celles qui sont à l’ origine des infections. De cette façon, il serait possible de limiter la vitesse de développement des résistances. Or, les chercheurs dans les industries pharmaceutiques sont confrontés aux problèmes de financement de leurs travaux, car les traitements antibiotiques ne se vendent pas cher et, par conséquent, ne rapportent pas assez pour permettre un financement convenable de la recherche. Malgré le manque de fonds, quelques nouvelles molécules sont disponibles depuis environ cinq ans, comme la ceftolozane, dont les capacités se sont montrées convaincantes face aux bactéries devenues multirésistantes.
Par ailleurs, l’ une des solutions étudiées est celle de la phagothérapie: le virus qui cible et tue des bactéries. Une technique qui, toujours, n’ est pas disponible à grande échelle.
Malgré les constatations par l’ OMS que l’ utilisation abusive des antimicrobiens est une « épidémie invisible » qui pourrait être plus meurtrière à long terme que le Covid 19, en faisant plus de 10 millions de décès par an, il y a des raisons d’ espérer un avenir moins sombre.
En effet, en mai 2015, plusieurs organisations internationales comme l’ OMS, l’ Organisation des Nations unies pour l’ alimentation et l’ agriculture ( FAO) et l’ Organisation mondiale de la santé animale ( OIE) ont adopté un plan commun à l’ échelle planétaire pour combattre la multiplication des résistances des bactéries. Ce plan souligne le besoin de sensibiliser le public et le personnel de santé, de renforcer la surveillance, la recherche et les mesures d’ hygiène ainsi que d’ optimiser l’ usage des antibiotiques.
► À lire aussi:
La résistance aux antibiotiques tue plus que le sida ou le paludisme
La résistance aux antibiotiques à l'origine de 13 000 décès par an
Beaucoup d’ espoir après la découverte d’ un nouvel antibiotique
La bactérie NDM-1, résistante à presque tous les antibiotiques
► À écouter:
Résistance aux antibiotiques
Résistance aux antibiotiques: quels sont les risques? | general |
How to Attract and Keep Top Talent in the Pharma Industry | It is no secret that the pandemic has been the breaking point for the 47.2 million American workers who abandoned their jobs in 2021.
According to a McKinsey poll, this proportion is expected to rise in the next three to six months with 40% of surveyed employees anticipating quitting their job. The causes stem from many factors, such as wage stagnation and long-lasting job dissatisfaction.
Employees are tired of being underpaid and overworked for little to no benefits. They want jobs that pay them for their worth and they also want to work in a safe environment. Employers who offered remote work in the height of COVID-19 but then compelled their staff to return to the office are also now losing workers to competitors that have kept a remote workforce.
On Mar. 8, Pew Research Center published the results of a survey conducted to find the top reasons people left their jobs in 2021. As expected, low wages, lack of advancement opportunities and unfair treatment by employers were among the top three reasons people left their jobs.
The increased resignation of employees is making it difficult for companies to keep up with production and meet deadlines. In some cases, entire departments are being left in the dark as workers leave their posts and the biopharmaceutical industry has proven itself to be far from immune to this phenomenon.
This shift in staffing has far-reaching ramifications, and the biopharma sector is certainly feeling its influence. This is due to the pressure placed on companies to generate more medications, supplies and treatment options during the pandemic.
Many workers in this sector have been working long hours with little to no break since the beginning of the pandemic, which has put immense pressure on the already strained resources of the biopharma industry. The loss of key personnel has made it difficult to maintain production levels and meet deadlines.
In some cases, this has led to delays in the delivery of treatments and vaccines to patients. When employees leave, they take with them their knowledge and expertise. This can lead to delays in projects or a drop in productivity.
In order to recruit the best talent, biotech companies need to focus on creating a positive culture within their organization. This means promoting an environment of respect, communication, and collaboration. Promoting a positive culture will not only attract top talent but will also retain current employees. In the current job market, it is essential for companies to invest in their culture in order to be successful.
In order to keep up with the competition, it is important for biopharmaceutical firms to offer competitive wages and benefits. With the current state of the economy, many workers are looking for jobs that offer good pay and benefits. Some of the most popular benefits that employees look for include health insurance, paid time off, and retirement savings plans.
Health insurance is one of the most important benefits that workers look for in a job. In order to attract and retain top talent, it is important for biopharmaceutical firms to offer health insurance plans that are affordable and meet the needs of their employees.
In today's world, it is important for workers to have a healthy work-life balance. With the demands of modern life, many workers are finding it difficult to juggle their work and personal lives. Biopharmaceutical firms should promote a healthy work-life balance by offering flexible work schedules and possibly even telecommuting options. In addition, they should provide employees with ample time off so that they can recharge their batteries.
By offering competitive wages and benefits, promoting a healthy work-life balance, and investing in their culture, biopharmaceutical firms can attract and retain top talent. In order to be successful, it is important for firms to understand the needs of their employees and invest in their future.
In order to retain employees, it is important for biopharmaceutical firms to recognize the value of their employees. Employees want to feel like they are valued and appreciated for their work. When workers feel valued, they are more likely to be loyal to their employer and less likely to look for other opportunities.
One way that companies can show their employees that they are valued is by offering bonuses and incentives. Bonuses and incentives show employees that their hard work is appreciated and that they are valued members of the team.
In order to attract and retain top talent, it is important for biopharmaceutical organizations to establish clear career paths. Employees want to know that there is potential for advancement within the company.
By offering competitive wages and benefits, promoting a healthy work-life balance, investing in their culture, and establishing clear career paths, biopharmaceutical firms can attract and retain top talent. In order to be successful, it is important for firms to understand the needs of their employees and invest in their future.
Additionally, if talent is only briefly required for a single project, there are options for biopharma to outsource this work to a consultant or contract worker. This can be done by using an agency or recruiter, which can be beneficial for both the company and the employee. This option can provide the company with the necessary talent without having to worry about long-term commitment, and it can also provide the employee with the opportunity to work on a variety of projects.
If you are considering a career in the biopharma industry, now is a great time to make your move. The industry is ripe with opportunity, and there are many companies that are willing to offer competitive wages and benefits. The industry is growing rapidly, and there are many opportunities for advancement. | general |
Hot Dog! Mickey and the gang can now hug visitors | 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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Actors working at Disney parks and resorts this month will be able to hug visitors after the company on Wednesday announced changes to its workplace safety policies.
Starting as early as April 18, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line and Aulani Resort in Hawaii will start reintroducing traditional character greetings, ABC 7 in Los Angeles reported.
The theme parks released a video about the change to their COVID-19 social-distancing rules, complete with an image of Mickey Mouse waving for people to come inside and giving out hugs.
`` It's been so great to see live entertainment returning to our theme parks, resorts, and cruise ships, and today, I 'm thrilled to tell you about another quintessential Disney entertainment experience that's on the way back, '' wrote a communications manager on the company’ s blog. `` We know many of you have missed these special moments, and your Disney character friends have missed you, too! ”
One of the largest ice manufacturers in the United States is being sued over claims that the company’ s seven-pound bags of ice actually weigh less than that, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
1. Lockton recruits cyber leader from AIG
2. Munich Re tightens up cyber insurance policies to exclude war
3. Lakers can proceed with COVID property case against Chubb unit
4. Commercial prices continue to increase in Q1: MarketScout
5. Navigators adds former Everest wholesale property exec
6. Burger King accused of whopper of a lie | general |
Mom and dad to the rescue as Vancouver homebuyers shield paycheques: Realtor | The information you requested is not available at this time, please check back again soon.
In most of the U.S., housing markets are exuberant. In some of the country’ s priciest neighborhoods, they’ re relatively subdued.
Several Chinese lenders have been told they can file legal cases against China Evergrande Group in local courts, in an apparent easing of a restriction that required all such lawsuits to be handled in a single court, according to people familiar with the matter.
China’ s soaring Covid infections are provoking little panic in the stock market, with investors betting that the authorities will unleash stimulus to prop up growth.
Chinese property stocks may be poised for a pullback after surging 28% in three weeks as pandemic lockdowns put a brake on economic growth. China Vanke Co. meanwhile announced a share buyback.
The billionaire Benetton family’ s motorway and airport company Atlantia SpA is poised to become the target of a bidding war in what could be this year’ s biggest deal.
While a number of economists from Canada's Big Six banks have sounded the alarm on an affordability crisis in Vancouver's housing market, a local realtor said homebuyers are turning to the so-called bank of mom and dad to help shield their paycheques.
`` What we are seeing, feet on the ground perspective, is that people are coming up with very large down payments, '' said Steve Saretsky, a Vancouver realtor with Oakwyn Realty, in an interview.
`` A lot of gift-giving from mom and dad; and, you know, borrowing on existing home equity. So I don't think people are necessarily going 100 per cent of income. ''
In a report this week, RBC Economics calculated that owning a single-family detached home in Vancouver would have chewed up 99.7 per cent of median pre-tax household income in the fourth quarter, compared to the average of 69.7 per cent since 1985.
Similar to Saretsky, RBC Assistant Chief Economist Robert Hogue acknowledged there are numerous `` coping mechanisms '' available to homebuyers to avoid seeing the entirety of their income sucked up by servicing costs, including `` asking mom and dad for a gift ( or a larger gift) toward down payment. ''
He also noted that some homebuyers are seeking out more budget-friendly options, and pointed directly to Vancouver's comparatively cheap condo market, where 41.4 per cent of income would have gone toward mortgage payments and other ownership costs in the fourth quarter, according to RBC.
`` Buyers have taken notice and directed increasing attention to this segment, making it the fastest-growing category over the past year. We expect this to continue, '' Hogue wrote in his report.
National Bank's economics department also recently pointed out Vancouver's ignominious standing as the country's least affordable major housing market.
In a report released at the end of February, Kyle Dahms and Alexandra Ducharme modelled that it would take 431.2 months of savings ( at a rate of 10 per cent, using median household income) to cover the minimum cash down payment for a CMHC-insured mortgage on a non-condo home in Vancouver.
The combination of tight supply and low interest rates have propelled home prices across much of the country. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver's most recent update showed home sales in February were 26.9 per cent above the 10-year average for the month, while the composite benchmark home price climbed 20.7 per cent year-over-year to $ 1,313,400.
Saretsky, however, said activity is decelerating as mortgage rates climb amid anticipation for a series of rate hikes by the Bank of Canada.
`` We 've gone very quickly from this fear of missing out to, maybe I should wait a little bit longer and see how this plays out. '' | general |
China stocks rise as weak factory data fans stimulus hopes | - China stocks ended higher on Friday, with property developers leading the gains on expectations of more economic stimulus after data showed factory activity slumped at the fastest pace in two years in March.
The blue-chip CSI300 Index rose 1.3% to 4,276.16, while the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.9% to 3,282.72.
The Hang Seng index rose 0.2% to 22,039.55, while the China Enterprises Index gained 0.2% to 7,537.16.
For the week, the CSI300 Index added 2.4%, the biggest weekly gain so far this year, while the Hang Seng Index was up nearly 3%.
* * The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index ( PMI), which focuses more on small firms in coastal regions, fell to 48.1 in March, broadly in line with the official PMI released on Thursday, as the domestic COVID-19 resurgence and the economic fallout from the Ukraine war weighed.
* * China's commercial hub of Shanghai grounded to a halt on Friday after the government locked down most of the city's 26 million residents to stop the spread of COVID, even as official numbers showed cases falling for the second day in a row.
* * To some extent, negative headlines were priced in during the first quarter, said Yang Delong, chief economist at Shenzhen-based First Seafront Fund Management Co, adding he expected a potential rebound in the second quarter.
* * China's CSI300 Index tumbled 14.5% in the first three months of the year, marking its worst quarter since 2015.
* * Government officials have vowed to roll out policies to stabilise the economy, while analysts say the possibility of the central bank cutting reserve requirement ratios in April has risen as economic headwinds intensify.
* * Real estate developers surged 4.6%, financials firms gained 1.9%, and consumer staples added 1.6%.
* * Tourism and transportation stocks jumped 4.5% and 5.3%, respectively, ahead of the Tomb Sweeping Festival holidays.
* * Shipping and port firms surged, with Shanghai International Port Group jumping 10% after it forecast a 75.6% rise in first-quarter net profit.
* * Tech firms listed in Hong Kong dropped 0.7% as concerns over U.S. delisting lingered.
* * Search engine giant Baidu Inc, which was newly added to the list of stocks facing delisting in the United States on Wednesday, closed down 4.5%, while e-commerce giant Alibaba Group ended lower 2.1%.
* * China's securities regulator said on Thursday both China and the United States have a willingness to solve their audit disputes, and the outcome depends on the wisdom of both parties.
* * Hao Hong, head of research at BOCOM International, said there appears to be irreconcilable difference between the U.S. and Chinese regulators and it would be hard for them to reach an agreement.
* * The Hong Kong stock exchange suspended from trade on Friday the shares of Chinese developers such as Sunac China, Shimao Group and Kaisa Group, and about 30 other firms for a delay in declaring annual results. ( Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) | business |
A pandemic pandemonium has paved the way for metaverse success | We are excited to bring Transform 2022 back in-person July 19 and virtually July 20 - August 3. Join AI and data leaders for insightful talks and exciting networking opportunities. Learn more about Transform 2022
I was surprised to find out how many peers and friends had been gifted the Oculus over the holidays. In 2021, when Meta rebranded the popular CR headset to Quest 2, they hit a benchmark of 10 million units sold. As a creative storyteller, I’ m excited about the spread of the metaverse and the marketing opportunities that it could present. Still, I find the speed at which people are adapting to this lifestyle mesmerizing.
This isn’ t the first time that an alternative digital-based world has attempted to take off. We experienced a similar sensation when the then-popular, Second Life, launched in the early 2000s. And while Second Life technically still exists, it has certainly lost its luster, its promise. So why won’ t the metaverse just become another Second Life? And, what makes it the perfect time in society for the metaverse to take off and become a world of its own?
One obvious answer is technology. At the inception of Second Life, technology simply was not where it is today and social media use was less widespread. At its launch in 2003, only 9.7% of the world was using the internet, compared to a whopping 65% today. Many companies didn’ t have a social presence in 2003, much less the bandwidth, knowledge, and resources to integrate themselves into this social-forward, complicated virtual world. As a Creative Director in the space for the last 29 years, I hadn’ t started creating for social media until it started taking off about a decade ago.
The pandemic has set the perfect stage for the metaverse to take off. It has created a society where social anxiety is on the rise and the desire for convenience is at an all-time high. We as a society have become accustomed to being alone because of the prolonged periods of isolation that COVID-19 has forced us into. Some of us, speaking from personal experience, have found solace in the silence and have turned inward to uncover the introverted parts of ourselves. The metaverse is, by design, meant to be used in isolation. You don’ t need other people physically present when putting on a headset to travel the world or hang out at a virtual bar.
The pandemic has caused us to value convenience now more than ever before. We turn to our TV screens for instant entertainment, our phones for fast delivery, and our computers for quick check-ins with the boss. Droves of offices are downsizing, physical storefronts are closing, Uber Eats is bringing food to our doorsteps, making it virtually pointless to leave our homes.
The one truth that hasn’ t changed is that we, at our core, are social beings. People need social connection to stay emotionally well.
Enter the metaverse: a tool that provides emotional connection and convenience without needing to leave your physical space. Where you don’ t need to wait in security lines, pack a bag and board a plane to attend your next work event. A place where your next client meeting can be a casual walk in the Alps or your next brainstorm about a pop-up shop can take place right in Times Square. Your ideas are only limited by your imagination. How convenient.
The virtual gaming world has shown us that the way we advertise in this new world is by plastering sponsorships on walls and billboards. But that answer is 2D. How can brands take advantage of this new virtual world and elevate brand advertisements into brand experiences?
In the metaverse, consumers can live within the brand instead of being spectators of it. Imagine living among brand avatars, or entering a branded nightclub. In December of 2021, Disney announced that it filed for a patent to create the first-ever 3D theme park. Gucci has also taken to the virtual world by partnering with Roblox to release a “ Gucci Garden, ” where avatars can wander through different rooms and each visitor’ s mannequin can “ absorb elements of the exhibition. ” The yoga brand, Alo, created an “ Alo Sanctuary ” where users could do yoga and meditation in a relaxing tropical setting. Consumers crave escapism. So the idea of a headset taking us from our four walls to a universe of endless possibilities is becoming more and more appealing.
Of course, there’ s still so much for the metaverse to figure out. How do we introduce more everyday users into the metaverse, not just those already engraved in the tech industry? How do we make the metaverse an equitable experience for all people, age groups, ethnicities, etc.? ( Components of the metaverse like the blockchain, NFTs, and crypto have been heavily gatekept by an in-group of largely wealthier, often-men). These questions will be the true test as to whether this metaverse has staying power.
At the end of the day though, the need for connection prevails. The appeal of convenience persists. The lure of the sweatpants workforce is now. And I believe, the metaverse will prosper.
Jeff Berg is creative director at Haberman.
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Fed’ s Williams says could begin reducing balance sheet as soon as May meeting | The Federal Reserve may begin reducing its balance sheet as soon as its May 3-4 policy meeting to address the level of U.S. inflation that have become “ particularly acute, ” New York Fed chair John Williams said Saturday.
With Fed interest rate increases already underway, Williams, who also holds the title of vice chair of the board and is a permanent voter on the monetary policy committee, indicated that the central bank will now begin tightening financial conditions through a second channel by letting its nearly $ 9 trillion portfolio of Treasury bonds and mortgage backed securities decline each month. As the Fed’ s stock of asset holdings decline, it puts upward pressure on Treasury bond yields and mortgage rates.
“ This process of reducing the size of the balance sheet can begin as soon as the May ( Federal Open Market Committee) meeting, ” Williams said in remarks to a symposium at Princeton University’ s Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies, in New Jersey,
CNBC reported.
He cited inflation running at 6.5%, more than triple the Fed’ s 2% target, as the central bank’ s “ greatest challenge, ” with inflation potentially driven higher by the war in Ukraine, the coronavirus pandemic, and labor and supply shortages.
“ Uncertainty about the economic outlook remains extraordinarily high, and risks to the inflation outlook are particularly acute, ” Williams said.
“ Clearly, we need to get something more like normal or neutral, whatever that means, ” he told the symposium on Saturday after delivering a speech,
Bloomberg News reported
. “ Do we need to get there immediately? No. We can do this in a sequence of steps. ”
The Fed
increased its short-term federal funds rate in March
by a quarter of a percentage point, and is expected to continue with rate increases at each of its six remaining meetings this year. The Fed published projections showing the median policy maker expected to lift rates to 1.9% by the end of the year and 2.8% at the end of 2023. The median forecast for the neutral rate, a theoretical level that neither speeds up nor slows down the economy, is 2.4%.
Some Fed officials have advocated larger half percentage point increases to further tighten credit. Williams did not address that issue in his prepared remarks, but has
earlier said he would be open to the idea
depending on how economic data evolve.
The
consumer price index soared 7.9% in February
, the most since 1982. The Fed’ s 2% inflation target is based on a separate gauge,
the personal consumption expenditures price index, which rose 6.4% i
n the 12 months through February.
“ I anticipate inflation readings will begin to decline later this year, although this process will take time to fully play out, ” Williams said. “ For 2022 as a whole, I expect PCE inflation to be around 4%, then decline to about 2.5% in 2023, before returning close to our 2% longer-run goal in 2024. ”
Williams, in response to questions at the symposium about whether the Fed needed to hasten its return to a neutral policy rate that neither encourages or discourages spending, noted that in 2019 with rates set near the neutral level “ the economic expansion started to slow, ” and the Fed resorted to rate cuts,
Reuters reported.
“ We need to get closer to neutral but we need to watch the whole way, ” Williams said. “ There is no question that is the direction we are moving. Exactly how quickly we do that depends on the circumstances. ” | business |
UK hits record COVID-19 levels; nearly 5 million infected | The prevalence of COVID-19 in the U.K. has reached record levels, with about 1 in 13 people estimated to be infected with the virus in the past week, according to the latest figures from Britain’ s official statistics agency.
Some 4.9 million people were estimated to have the coronavirus in the week ending March 26, up from 4.3 million recorded in the previous week, the Office for National Statistics said Friday. The latest surge is driven by the more transmissible omicron variant BA.2, which is the dominant variant across the U.K.
Hospitalizations and death rates are again rising, although the number of people dying with COVID-19 is still relatively low compared with earlier this year.
Nonetheless, the latest estimates suggest that the steep climb in new infections since late February, when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson scrapped all remaining coronavirus restrictions in England, has continued well into March.
The figures came on the same day the government ended free rapid COVID-19 tests for most people in England, under Johnson’ s “ living with COVID ” plan. People who do not have health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus now need to pay for tests to find out if they are infected.
“ The government’ s ‘ living with COVID’ strategy of removing any mitigations, isolation, free testing and a considerable slice of our surveillance amounts to nothing more than ignoring this virus going forwards, ” said Stephen Griffin, associate professor at the University of Leeds’ medical school.
“ Such unchecked prevalence endangers the protection afforded by our vaccines, ” he said. “ Our vaccines are excellent, but they are not silver bullets and ought not to be left to bear the brunt of COVID in isolation. ”
More than 67% of people 12 years old and above in the U.K. have been vaccinated and had their booster or a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Beginning Saturday, parents can also book a low-dose vaccine for children between 5 to 12 years old in England.
James Naismith, a biology professor at the University of Oxford, said he believed that except for those who are completely shielded or not susceptible to the virus, most people in the country would likely be infected with the BA.2 variant by the summer.
“ This is literally living with the virus by being infected with it, ” he said. | business |
Blood pressure levels climbed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic | Hi, what are you looking for?
Blood pressure and COVOD-19: This is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
By
Published
Researchers are beginning to compile data about other health issues that have increased or decreased as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, ranging from mental health issues to physiological effects.
One such are of inquiry relates to blood pressure and the signs are that blood pressure levels have, on average, been increasing. This carries with it important health consequences.
As to why the pandemic is a factor this comes down to increased stress. Stress can cause hypertension through repeated blood pressure elevations as well as by stimulation of the nervous system to produce large amounts of vasoconstricting hormones that increase blood pressure.
For example, with one piece of research, data relating to self-tested blood pressure measurements from 72,706 people reveal that reading prior to the pandemic ( the period January 2019 to March 2020) were lower than those readings taken during the pandemic ( the period April 2020 to August 2020).
The pandemic saw average systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure each increase. Those classified with uncontrolled hypertension also rose. This is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
The researchers call on medical professionals to design strategies to mitigate their impact on future lockdowns. The researchers also raise the question of whether these changes in blood pressure initiated by COVID-19 will be longstanding or transient? If the answer is longstanding this will place considerable pressures upon health agencies.
According to lead researcher Eric Peterson: “ The study’ s findings are important because even a few millimeters of blood pressure change can result in measurable differences in risks for heart attack, stroke or heart failure. We need to get these patients under better control long term. ”
The results appear in the American Heart Journal where the paper is titled “ Trends of blood pressure control in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. ”
Similar data is provided by a second research study. This inquiry looked at 464,585 participants who were in an employer-sponsored wellness program ( the participants resided in the U.S.). The data collection period stretched from January 2018 through to December 2020.
The second study trends found that blood pressure levels remained stable in the 2018 and 2019 calendar years, and then proceeded to increase significantly throughout 2020. The greatest increases in blood pressure readings were for women.
The second study appears in the journal Circulation under the heading “ Rise in Blood Pressure Observed Among US Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic. ”
Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news. Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.
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.
AI, facial recognition, and biometrics can help the world get back to work.
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Roxanne Messina Captor talks about 'The Salon ' digital comedy series | Hi, what are you looking for?
Acclaimed director, producer, and filmmaker Roxanne Messina Captor chatted about the digital comedy series “ The Salon. ”
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Acclaimed director, producer, and filmmaker Roxanne Messina Captor chatted about the digital comedy series “ The Salon. ”
The series received a “ Best Ensemble Cast — Comedy ” nomination at the 2022 Indie Series Awards. This new digital series is from executive producers Kelsey Grammer and Tom Russo, and Roxanne Messina Captor served as writer, director, and producer.
She was drawn to “ The Salon ” for several reasons. “ It was truly a labor of love. I pulled on all avenues of my life to get this produced. Friends like Harry Shearer, Kate Linder, and Sam Rubin. Advanced students from my classes at Santa Monica College and UCLA. Deborah Landis found me a wonderful costume designer who had graduated from the UCLA program, ” she said.
“ My producing partners were all accomplished professionals in their chosen professions, had taken my production classes, and brought their expertise to The Salon. Key crew, like editors, were professionals ( working on Warner Bros. series) I had worked with on my other productions. With all the ups and downs of production, my team made this project fun with hard work, ” she elaborated.
On the Indie Series Award nomination, she said, “ I couldn’ t be prouder of this’ Best Ensemble Cast – Comedy’ nomination from the 2022 Indie Series Awards. ” I worked very hard to have a multicultural/multilingual cast with deaf actor Eddie Buck and talent hailing from Zambia, Dominican Republic, and Central America. The Salon had won Best Digital Series for the IHollywood FF, so this nomination is more recognition of great actors working together as one. ”
Captor had great words about working with Kate Linder. “ Kate had been in my Cannes Short Film Corner and Oscar Qualified film ‘ A Couple of White Chicks at the Hairdresser’ with Shelley Long and Harry Shearer. She is a gifted and talented actress. She makes every part sing. We have become friends. I was so happy that she could be part of The Salon. Her part of Marsha Flagg, a celebrity real estate agent I wrote for her, ” she said.
Captor opened up about being a director and producer in the digital age. “ Technology is freeing. Filmmakers have so many more choices and freedom because of the new technology and streaming. Many of my past films are getting renewed life on streaming services. As my mentor, Francis Coppola says, ‘ Technology is great in the hands of professionals.’ From my teaching experience and my time as the Executive Director of the SF International FF and Society, I can not agree more with Coppola’ s statement, ” she explained.
On her daily motivations, she responded, “ To be a filmmaker or any artist one must be curious. The world is a delightful place with so many exciting and diverse elements. It is our job to shine a light on the world in a way that many people may not view it. My work has always been diverse and socially conscious. Because of this, I have won the Ohio State and Humanities Award and the Chevalier De L’ Ordre des Arts et Des Lettres from the Republic of France. ”
Regarding her future plans, Captor remarked, “ I am developing “ Dream Moms, ” a musical project I wrote with Hallmark Channel. “ Pearl, ” a historical romance based upon the life of the Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl Buck starring Judith Light, William H. Macy, John Cho, Leehom Wang, and Jing Tian, with support from The Pearl S. Buck Foundation. ”
“ I would love to see ‘ The Salon’ on one of the major streamers, cable or networks, ” she added.
For young and aspiring directors and producers, she offered the following advice: “ I teach this in seminars and in my classes: ‘ Perseverance, Persistantance, Passion, and Discipline.’ This will keep you going when things get tough. ”
Captor concluded about “ The Salon, ” “ The goal for the series is to juxtapose the lives of patrons and workers in a Beverly Hills beauty salon. Here the stage would be set to tackle tough topics with frank on-screen dialog. I knew I wanted to have our cast representative of the microcosm of our nation, the world, including the deaf community. The series is comedic with deep subject matters and brilliantly acted by our remarkably diverse and eclectic cast. ”
To learn more about Roxanne Messina Captor, visit her official website.
For more information on “ The Salon, ” check out its official homepage.
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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COVID, Russia and economy put the ‘ China model’ to the test | A year ago, while many countries were still reeling from COVID-19, China seemed to be one of few places prospering through the pandemic. It was also the only major economy that reported growth in 2020. Global investors were bullish on Chinese stocks even as Beijing’ s regulatory crackdown on its private sector became more like a political campaign.
That led some people in China to argue that its one-party authoritarian rule offered a compelling alternative to traditional liberal democracy. The United States was declining politically and economically, they said, and the world was “ gravitating toward China. ” Many Chinese cheered the narrative online.
A year later, the tone within China is more one of anxiety, anger and despair. In the past month, hundreds of millions of people there have struggled under lockdowns as coronavirus outbreaks spread across the country. Foreign investors are dumping Chinese stocks over geopolitical, regulatory and pandemic uncertainties. And the government’ s support of President Vladimir Putin of Russia as he wages war in Ukraine has risked the world’ s criticism, and potentially sanctions.
It’ s all leading to increasingly anxious questions about the country’ s path — and even about whether too much power has been concentrated in the hands of the country’ s leader, Xi Jinping, who is seeking a third five-year term at the Communist Party congress late in the year.
On social media, a growing number of citizens are accusing the Communist Party of breaching its social contract with the people. They had tolerated, and sometimes praised, one-party rule in exchange for economic growth and social stability. But its stringent lockdown measures, which are straining entire cities, and its regulatory crackdowns are costing many of them jobs and income and leaving their futures looking much more uncertain and gloomier than a few years ago.
After one official newspaper, Guangming Daily, published a commentary about the government’ s persistence in pursuing its “ COVID zero ” policy, which has led to harsh and unpredictable lockdowns, users on the social media platform Weibo posted nearly 10,000 comments, with the vast majority urging the government to end the strategy. “ Please read these comments. Please look at the lives of ordinary people, ” wrote a user called Diqiuren1990. All the comments disappeared the next day after the commenting function was disabled.
After the Chinese ambassador to the United States wrote an opinion piece for The Washington Post about China’ s position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, tens of thousands of social media users on WeChat rushed to post comments on a Chinese translation. The vast majority of those posts criticized China’ s position, which is pro-Russia under a veneer of neutrality. “ There’ s no neutrality in the struggle between justice and evil, ” one comment said. “ Straddling between two boats will only end up in falling in the water. ” All of those comments ended up censored, too.
China’ s unforgiving pandemic control measures are being called the “ white terror, ” a nod to the vast army of neighborhood workers who wear white hazmat suits. | AFP-JIJI
And a viral video with the headline “ The demise of China’ s glory and dream ” lamented the disastrous effect of the government’ s crackdowns on the private sector. It was liked by many of the country’ s top investors, scholars and entrepreneurs, including a co-founder of Tencent, China’ s biggest internet company, who had left the company. The video has been deleted.
In private, some academics and businesspeople are discussing growing concerns about Xi’ s focus on rivaling the United States and proving the viability of the Chinese political model — a focus that some worry has become an obsession.
The competition between countries, Xi has said, is ultimately competition between political systems. The handling of the pandemic “ made it evident which country’ s leadership and political system is superior, ” he told top cadres in January 2021. “ Time and momentum are on our side. ”
Chinese citizens have to be extremely careful in criticizing Xi, some of whose critics have been sentenced to as long as 18 years in prison. So some are resorting to quoting former top leaders to express their frustration that Xi has stepped away from the proven path of reform and opening that provided the country with decades of prosperity.
Some quoted the country’ s former paramount leader Deng Xiaoping as saying the two countries that had benefited the most from invading China were Japan and imperial Russia, and to a certain extent the Soviet Union — a roundabout way to say China should distance itself from Russia.
They shared images of former President Jiang Zemin sharing a dance with Bernadette Chirac, the wife of France’ s former President Jacques Chirac, in 1999. Those were the days when China was more popular in the world.
They quoted former President Hu Jintao’ s famous instruction that China should “ avoid self-inflicted setbacks, ” which one Chinese diplomat interpreted as avoiding political campaigns like the Cultural Revolution that threw the country into chaos and destitution. Quoting that in the current context amounts to a not-so-indirect criticism of Xi’ s ruling style.
They even used the Soviet Union as an example to prove the peril of dictatorship. A modern nation “ should have the system to prevent one person from taking the whole nation over the precipice, ” according to one article posted on WeChat, the social media platform.
The public’ s pent-up anger is not likely to be enough to sway Beijing’ s decision-making or to threaten the rule of the Communist Party, which is accustomed to keeping people in line by using indoctrination and intimidation. But it marks a departure from the heavy silence that has prevailed under Xi’ s rule.
Two years ago, China celebrated the merits of its top-down ruling approach by pointing to its success in building a new hospital in just 10 days in Wuhan and containing the spread of the coronavirus in three months. Today, many people view the makeshift quarantine centers as a symbol of Beijing’ s stubborn insistence on a costly coronavirus policy that seems to mainly serve the purpose of proving the superiority of its system.
The country’ s unforgiving pandemic control measures are being called the “ white terror, ” a nod to the vast army of neighborhood workers who wear white hazmat suits. People have shared videos and photos of protests in which demonstrators chanted, “ We need to work! ” and “ We need to eat! ”
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Feb. 4. Many are worried that Beijing’ s pro-Moscow stance could accelerate China’ s decoupling from the West. | KREMLIN / VIA REUTERS
Some commenters said Beijing wasted its early success in pandemic control because it believed that its political will alone would suffice to beat the virus. They questioned why the government had not spent the huge resources it deployed in mass testing and quarantines on a vaccination drive, especially among older people. They asked whether Beijing was irresponsible in not approving the more effective Western vaccines for the sake of national pride.
Many accused the government of failing to see the huge sacrifices that businesses and individuals had to make, or complained that people were struggling to get by and falling behind on mortgages and other personal loans. They were angry that some people died of heart attacks, asthma, cancer and other diseases because hospitals turned them away under COVID-19 restriction guidelines.
“ As long as you don’ t die of COVID, you can die of any cause, ” goes a viral online quip.
“ In the past two years, China has fully demonstrated the significant advantage in its political system and its strong national capacity in containing the pandemic, ” read a commentary in the state-run People’ s Daily newspaper Monday. The COVID zero policy is a “ line of defense that a nation of 1.4 billion people will have to hold, ” it said.
Beijing also seemed to have dug in its heels on supporting Russia by running a series of official commentaries that blamed U.S. hegemony for the war in Ukraine. On Tuesday, a commentary in the People’ s Daily called the United States “ the initiator ” of the war, which it called a “ crisis. ” On Wednesday, another commentary on the same page said the United States was “ adding oil to flames ” by providing military assistance to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia.
That is troubling for many people who are worried that Beijing’ s pro-Moscow stance could accelerate China’ s decoupling from the West, or even lead to Russia-like sanctions that would have huge implications in technology, trade and capital markets.
Many in China have accused the government of failing to see the huge sacrifices that businesses and individuals had to make because of harsh coronavirus policies. | BLOOMBERG
“ Is it good or bad if China is cast on the same side of the Iron Curtain as Russia? ” nationalistic writer Wang Xiaodong asked his followers on Weibo. His conclusion: China should try its best to avoid the scenario because it would have to pay an extremely high price.
The only policy area that Beijing has relented on somewhat has been its regulatory crackdowns on the private sector. After a heavy sell-off of Chinese stocks in mid-March, China’ s economic czar, Liu He, urged government agencies to roll out market-friendly policies and to show caution in introducing any measures that risked hurting the markets.
But China’ s political-campaign style regulatory crackdown has done its damage. Mass job cutting, once rare in China, is happening in tech, real estate, education and online games, some of the industries that were hit the hardest by the crackdowns. Posts about unemployment are shared widely as a gloomy sentiment grips the educated middle class.
“ Standing at this historic turning point, we look back to the Golden Age, ” read an online post about China’ s four decades of economic transformation and dreams of individual prosperity. “ We all thought it would be our future, ” it said. “ It turned out to be an illusory dream. ”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times. © 2022 The New York Times Company | tech |
U.N. report warns carbon must be pulled from air to limit climate change | Paris – To save the world from the worst ravages of climate change, slashing carbon pollution is no longer enough — carbon dioxide will also need to be sucked out of the atmosphere and buried, a landmark U.N. report is expected to say on Monday.
If humanity had started to curb greenhouse gas emissions 20 years ago, an annual decrease of 2% out to 2030 would have put us on the right path. Challenging, but doable.
Instead, emissions climbed another 20% to more than 40 billion metric tons of CO2 in 2021.
This means an abrupt drop in emissions of 6% or 7% a year is needed to avoid breaching the Paris Agreement’ s goal of capping global warming at “ well below ” 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
Staying under the safer aspirational threshold of 1.5 C would mean an even steeper decline.
To put that in perspective, the painful 2020 shutdown of the global economy due to COVID-19 saw only a 5.6% decrease in carbon dioxide emissions.
Hence the need for carbon dioxide removal, or “ negative emissions, ” is likely to figure prominently in the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC) report.
Even under the most aggressive carbon-cutting scenarios, several billion metric tons of carbon dioxide will need to be extracted each year from the atmosphere by 2050, and an accumulated total of hundreds of billions of metric tons by 2100.
As of today, however, carbon dioxide removal is nowhere near these levels. The largest direct air capture facility in the world removes in a year what humanity emits in three or four seconds.
There are at least a dozen removal techniques on the table, with different potentials and costs.
Most of the hundreds of models laying out a game plan for a liveable future reserve an important role for a negative emissions solution called BECCS, or bioenergy with carbon capture and storage.
In a nutshell, this is the recipe: grow trees, burn them for energy, and bury the carbon dioxide underground, in an abandoned mineshaft, for example.
But what works on paper ( or in so-called integrated assessment models), has not materialized in reality.
One of the few commercial-scale BECCS facilities in the world, in Britain, was dropped last year from the S & P Clean Energy Index because it failed to meet sustainability criteria.
“ I don’ t see a BECCS boom, ” said Oliver Geden, a senior fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs and an expert on carbon dioxide removal.
Restoring forests and planting trees that absorb and stock carbon dioxide as they grow also figure prominently in development scenarios achieving net-zero emissions, whether in 2050 or later.
Many businesses, including fossil-fuel companies, rely heavily on carbon offset programs based on afforestation to compensate for continuing carbon pollution.
But the amount of land needed to put a serious dent in carbon dioxide levels through tree planting — up to twice the size of India — could clash with other priorities, such as growing food and biofuel crops.
Biodiversity could suffer as well, especially in savannahs converted to monoculture tree farms.
Newly planted forests could also fall victim to wildfires made more frequent and intense by rising temperatures, resulting in the release of all their stored CO2.
One of the youngest carbon removal technologies is also one of the hottest: direct air carbon capture and storage.
With variations, DACCS is a chemical process that extracts carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, converting it into solid form or locking it away underground.
Because carbon dioxide in the air is so sparse — a few hundred parts per million — it is a very energy-intensive and expensive process.
Last year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk launched the $ 100 million X-Prize for an innovative carbon removal technology, and Breakthrough Energy founder Bill Gates unveiled a corporate partnership to turbocharge its development.
How quickly it can scale up, and at what cost, remain open questions.
Enhanced weathering involves mining and crushing rocks rich in minerals that naturally absorb carbon dioxide, and then spreading them over land or sea.
It aims to vastly accelerate a process that normally unfolds on geological timescales of tens of thousands of years.
Silicate rocks with minerals rich in calcium and magnesium but lacking metal ions such as nickel and chromium are the best raw material for the job.
But, again, it’ s unclear if enhanced weathering can be scaled up enough, and at what cost.
Oceans already take up more than 30% of humanity’ s carbon emissions, and scientists are experimenting with ways to boost that capacity.
One approach is to enhance marine alkalinity, either by directly adding natural or synthetic alkaline minerals, or the electrochemical processing of seawater.
Another approach, known as ocean fertilisation, increases the density of tiny phytoplankton that produce and sequester organic carbon through photosynthesis, like plants on land. Adding nitrogen or iron stimulate phytoplankton growth.
The main concerns here include unintended consequences on ecosystems. | tech |
Rising vigilantism: South Africa is reaping the fruits of misrule | Once relegated to the margins of South African politics, anti-immigrant activism has gone mainstream. Several anti-immigrant groups including Operation Dudula, All Trucker Foundation and the South Africa First Party, have become reference points for national debate.
Reflecting forms of radical protectionism, they channel the frustrations of South Africans with corruption, crime, and unemployment. The results are campaigns to ‘ clean’ the country of immigrants, home invasions and widespread threats and violence.
This is not a response to an immigration crisis. Immigrant numbers are not higher than they have been for a decade. This is a crisis of constitutional credibility.
Anti-immigrant activism is politics by other means, with violence likely to become common amid fundamental ruptures in governance. After years of unfulfilled promises, a youthful citizenry has lost considerable faith in formal electoral politics.
Popular embrace of nationalism, street justice, and anti-immigrant activism reflects the ascendency of an extra-legal order. That regime is a mix of formal institutions and local fiefdoms held together by patronage and coercion. That system is now unravelling.
During the apartheid era, local gangsters often made alliances with the apartheid state. Some justified their violence and venality as a strategy to make the country ungovernable. This latter group – the ‘ comrade tsotis’ ( young thugs so-called for claiming to being anti-apartheid activists) – later connected with the post-apartheid governing party, the African National Congress ( ANC). This allowed them to maintain local influence with the tacit permission of the ANC. The opposition Inkatha Freedom Party has similarly relied on its sometimes violent network of hostel leaders.
This created a system of ‘ indirect rule’, reflecting a similar logic to the colonial administration where local ‘ chieftans’ worked in complex patronage networks to keep public order. But, where the gangsters once worked under the national government, the police and officials now appear to answer to vigilantes, participating in Dudula raids under ‘ sole authority of the local community’.
The post-apartheid system of indirect rule has been expedient for the governing party. Rather than extend its presence into cities whose populations swelled in the post-apartheid era, it closed party offices.
Under the country’ s party list system, locally elected municipal councillors are often absent or powerless. Viewed from the perspective of the historically neglected black residential areas and informal settlements, elected officials are often more committed to pleasing the party than the people they ostensibly represent.
The dominant parties maintained this system of indirect rule, relying on civic associations, local chiefs and other ‘ community leaders’ to deliver votes and maintain order, over two decades.
Unwilling or unable to displace them from local positions of authority, national, provincial, and municipal governments negotiate with them, further entrenching their power. The challenge now is that the political and economic resources the three spheres of government used to maintain this system are dwindling.
South Africa’ s economic crisis means there are fewer government tenders available, and less money for social programmes. More importantly, the dip in ANC support below 50% in the 2021 elections means party and bureaucratic bosses now face uncertain futures. Amid this, upstarts seeking opportunities and jockeying for position engage in new alliances, mobilisation and violence.
To be sure, more is going on than a crumbling patronage system. South Africans would generally prefer less immigration. There has been no time in the last two decades where they have broadly welcomed newcomers. COVID has exacerbated concerns about immigration, as youth unemployment hovers near 70%.
There is clearly cause for anxiety. Politicians with few plans for addressing this gap have capitalised on these attitudes.
Yet, these widespread trends do little to explain the violence in specific places, at particular times, or why it is so difficult to counter. Anti-outsider violence is not universal nor always aimed at immigrants alone.
It is also not easily explained by poverty. Many of the poorest areas have remained peaceful while more prosperous ones have not. Instead, violence tends to occur repeatedly in specific neighbourhoods, because of localised political power games.
One example from our research in Mamelodi, outside Pretoria, the country’ s seat of national government, illustrates this point.
Its population growth has outpaced any kind of state intervention, police control, or service provision.
Working together two groups have filled the political and regulatory vacuum. One is the South African National Civic Organisation. The other, the Phomelong Residents Association, is a local informal group headed by self-appointed leaders. Those wanting to build, do business, or even transport goods through the area pay them or get out.
To finance their protest and political activities, the two groups plunder foreign-owned shops and businesses. Like the self-financing armies of old, protesters are given license to loot. One leader reported that,
when protesters feel hungry, they go and get food from shops to eat or take home to cook; and if shops here are closed they go to shops in other locations.
Through the distribution of resources and the eviction of foreigners, the associations legitimate their form of rule, positioned as gangster intermediaries. With popular support, they then demand attention by the municipal authorities. Cleverly, their leaders borrow the language of continued black deprivation and need for ‘ radical economic transformation’ to legitimise themselves.
Another example of this indirect rule is Philani, a poor area largely neglected by city government, outside eThekwini in KwaZulu-Natal. In early 2019, the Delangokubona Business Forum displaced and kidnapped about fifty foreigners living in the area.
Claiming to champion ‘ black economic empowerment’, they accused foreigners of blocking the economic advancement of poor black citizens.
They extracted ransoms from their families and friends, while negotiating with the government for their safe return. Successful on both counts, they positioned themselves as intermediaries and peacemakers – the de facto local authorities.
As in other cases in the country, these groups effectively create multi-faceted protection rackets. Increasingly ( and implausably) claiming to be military veterans of the anti-apartheid struggle, they use violence to create instability and instil fear to extract resources and establish legitimacy.
These actions create powerful local forces that demand payment from any state development projects in the areas they control. This way, the state is able to preserve the appearance of authority and constitutionalism while allowing someone else to do the dirty work of keeping people in line. But trouble ensues when the developers can no longer pay or other parties are eyeing the booty - money, houses, businesses, and votes.
Given the legacy of indirect rule, it is unclear who the government can call to reign in the violent leaders who effectively govern some townships. Or, indeed, if it has the desire or popular legitimacy to do so. Impunity for past misdeeds has emboldened these groups, strengthening them so much that police respond to them rather than the other way around.
Authority to decide who lives where, who does what, and what are appropriate standards of behaviour rests with them - rather than the constitution or town councils.
South Africa’ s national action plan on xenophobia calls for conversations and dialogue with these groups. This is precisely the system they have manipulated to entrench their power.
Ending violence against foreigners and true economic recovery can only happen by first recognising – and addressing – the hazards of South Africa’ s crumbling system of indirect rule. | business |
Experts warn of a new wave of COVID-19 as cases rise across Japan | Japan is seeing a rebound in COVID-19 cases across the country, government data showed Saturday, as experts caution that another resurgence of infections may be around the corner.
The number of new coronavirus cases confirmed in a week through Friday increased in 44 of the country’ s 47 prefectures, according to the government data, less than two weeks after Japan completely lifted quasi-emergency measures entailing business restrictions and other curbs.
Experts on a government panel monitoring the pandemic situation say new daily cases had been gradually declining for more than a month after the government began implementing quasi-emergency measures in January to contain a sixth wave of infections, but recent rises need to be carefully monitored given a notable increase in infections among teens.
On Saturday, 48,825 new COVID-19 cases were reported nationwide, up about 1,500 from a week earlier, with the spread of the highly contagious BA.2 subvariant of the omicron strain likely to blame.
The number of COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms stood at 518, down 15 from Friday.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 7,395 new COVID-19 cases, with the daily count nearly matching the 7,440 reported a week earlier.
The capital also reported four new deaths, while the number of severely ill patients under the metropolitan government’ s standards rose by two from Friday to 32.
The seven-day average of new cases came to 7,622.4, up from 6,274.9 a week earlier.
Elsewhere, Kanagawa Prefecture saw 4,807 new cases and six deaths and Osaka Prefecture logged 3,666 cases and 13 deaths.
On Friday, Japan reported 49,266 new cases nationwide, with the daily count rising by some 1,800 from a week before.
Across the country, there were 78 new fatalities among COVID-19 patients.
Other countries are also seeing a rise in coronavirus cases as the omicron subvariant becomes the dominant COVID-19 strain at a time when they relaxed antivirus measures.
Japan ended quasi-emergency measures on March 21 in Tokyo and other major prefectures. As many as 36 prefectures were under the measures at one point. | tech |
Russia headed for recession and closed economy despite ruble rebound, U.S. says | Washington – Punishing sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies on Moscow for invading Ukraine are pushing Russia into recession and starting to turn it back into a closed economy, a senior U.S. Treasury official said Friday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that the Treasury sees Russia as struggling with steep inflation, diminished exports and shortages despite a recovery of its ruble against the dollar. The official dismissed the rebound as driven by stringent capital controls and foreign exchange curbs, not market forces.
Inflation that has run as high as 6% over the past three weeks is a better indication of the sanctions’ performance inside Russia, revealing the ruble’ s diminished purchasing power, the official said, adding that black market ruble exchange rates were well below the international rate.
After Western democracies imposed initial sanctions immobilizing around half of the Russian central bank’ s $ 630 billion in foreign exchange assets and cutting several key Russian banks off from the SWIFT international transaction network, the ruble lost half its value against the dollar.
It has since recouped its pre-invasion value, touching a five-week high in early Moscow trade on Friday before settling in the 83-84 range to the dollar.
But the Treasury official said that will not stop a steep contraction in Russia’ s economic output that outside analysts now forecast at about 10% this year — far worse than the 2.7% contraction it suffered during 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“ The economic consequences Russia is facing are severe: high inflation that will only get higher, and deep recession that will only get deeper, ” the official said.
The Treasury official said the cumulative effect of sanctions on banks, wealthy oligarchs tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin, key industrial sectors and U.S. export controls that deny Russia access to critical technologies, was to push Russia towards its Cold War existence as a closed economy.
But Russia, a producer of mainly commodities and raw materials, was ill-equipped to produce its own consumer and technology goods, the official said.
“ As a closed economy, Russia will only be able to consume what they produce, which will be a stark adjustment, ” the official added.
The process will not happen immediately. China, India and other countries are still trading with Russia, and could replace some goods and parts that Russia would normally buy from Western firms.
However, its access to semiconductors, software and other technologies is limited due to the U.S. export restrictions that also will prevent China from selling Moscow any such chips since all its semiconductors are made with U.S. technology or software.
Washington was comfortable with enforcement of the sanctions and export controls thus far, but remained on the lookout for any violations.
The Treasury comments come as senior Biden administration officials traveled the globe to press world leaders to keep up sanctions pressure on Russia.
Washington planned to maintain humanitarian exemptions from the sanctions, given growing food insecurity problems and Russia’ s role as a major wheat producer, the Treasury official said.
Other exemptions were intended to protect Western financial institutions that hold Russian assets, through a license to allow Russian debt payments to be made. | tech |
Spain’ s Tourism Numbers Approaching 80 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels | Get exclusive stories and unlimited access to Skift.com news
Access exclusive travel research, data insights, and surveys
Reuters
April 2nd, 2022 at 5:12 AM EDT
As eager as Spain is to get back to numbers it saw in 2019, it hasn’ t thrown away safety precautions. It’ s focus on smart public health measures is one of the better models going forward.
Jason Clampet
Spain expects international tourist arrivals to reach 80% of pre-pandemic volumes in the second quarter as northern Europeans shrug off concerns over the Ukraine conflict and return en masse for Easter, a senior tourism official said on Friday.
“ Easter isn’ t showing any direct impact from uncertainty caused by the conflict, ” Secretary of State for Tourism Fernando Valdes said, adding that he was confident the industry would bounce back from the drop caused by the Omicron coronavirus variant in late 2021 and early 2022.
Any future hit from the war to Spanish tourism would depend on its duration and intensity, he told a news conference.
Bookings for the long Easter weekend have already reached 90% of 2019 levels, according to data from market-intelligence firm ForwardKeys he showed at the news conference.
Reservations from Denmark and Sweden were nearly 40% higher than over the same period before the pandemic, while the number is 26% higher for Germans and 13% for Britons, the data showed. The number of tourists from the United States is around 26% lower than in 2019.
The Balearic and Canary Islands are among the fastest recovering destinations, with Ibiza and Tenerife registering more Easter bookings than before COVID, the ForwardKeys data showed.
Some international travelers have been reconsidering their planned trips this year, even to countries safely far from the Ukraine war. Tourism leaders in France and Spain have been reacting in innovative and nimble ways.
( Reporting by Corina Pons; Editing by Nathan Allen) | general |
Op-Ed: Five reasons why Erik Fellows should win the 2022 Indie Series Award for ‘ Best Actor— Drama’ | Hi, what are you looking for?
Erik Fellows is one of the six nominees vying for the “ Best Lead Actor — Drama ” 2022 Indie Series Award.
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Erik Fellows is one of the six nominees vying for the “ Best Lead Actor — Drama ” 2022 Indie Series Award. Here are the five reasons Fellows 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, Fellows played Bobby, an ex-con in a raw, vindictive, and manipulative manner. He stole every scene he was in. This was quite impressive since the series was filmed in a cave in Armenia, and he sustained the viewers’ attention for both seasons.
Second, Fellows has great chemistry with all of his “ Purgatory ” co-stars, which include Tatjana Marjanovic ( Lisa) and Danny Mahoney ( Chris), and they scored Indie Series Awards acting nominations as well for their work in this series.
Third, Fellows was able to humanize Bobby, and turned him into a character that the audience wanted to secretly root for.
Fourth, he was not afraid to be raw and vulnerable. His acting ran the gamut since he excelled in both the subtle and the dramatic scenes. One could hear Fellows’ heart in this series despite the villainous nature of his character.
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. If it wins that major category, it may score additional wins for its lead actors in their categories.
His powerhouse acting reel for his work in “ Purgatory ” may be seen below.
The digital drama series “ 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.
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.
COPYRIGHT © 1998 - 2022 DIGITAL JOURNAL INC. Digital Journal is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more about our external linking. | general |
Japanese firms struggling with higher costs amid Ukraine war and lingering COVID fallout | Soaring resource and raw materials prices amid Russia’ s invasion of Ukraine are increasingly pressuring Japanese firms to raise their product and service prices at a time when many are still battling the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bank of Japan’ s tankan quarterly survey for March showed Friday that business sentiment both among large manufacturers and among large nonmanufacturers had deteriorated for the first time in seven quarters.
Ginza Cozy Corner Co. was one of the affected firms, raising prices for sponge cake and some other items Friday.
“ It was a tough decision, ” an official with the cake shop operator said. “ Corporate efforts ( to cut costs) are reaching the limit. ”
The price hikes came after the company judged it impossible to cushion the impact of higher raw material prices such as for flour, dairy products and sugar, by taking cost-cutting measures such as reducing the lineup of items.
On Friday, the central government raised the prices of imported wheat it sells to domestic wholesalers by some 17%.
Bracing for further rises in grain prices, as well as domestic price growth on the yen’ s weakening, the Ginza Cozy Corner official was not optimistic about a quick turnaround.
“ We can not rule out a second round of price hikes to pass on ( higher costs), ” the official said.
In the March tankan, business sentiment among large nonmanufacturers over rising procurement costs hit the highest level since the September 2008 survey released in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers, which triggered that year’ s global financial crisis.
Miki Watanabe, chairman and president of major restaurant chain operator Watami Co., pointed out that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has also been affecting the procurement of seafood items.
“ Hefty price hikes are certain to come, ” due in part to the weaker yen, Watanabe warned.
Automakers, whose business sentiment had already been deteriorating amid supply bottlenecks caused by semiconductor shortages, are struggling with higher resource prices.
Resource prices are rising “ at an unprecedented pace, ” a Toyota Motor Corp. official said.
“ We want to offset the rises ( in resource procurement costs) by reducing other costs, but the size of the increases is just too big, ” a Honda Motor Co. official said.
People’ s expectations that the pandemic was coming to an end had been fueled by the country’ s progress on COVID-19 vaccinations. This, however, shrank rapidly as the highly transmissible omicron variant of the virus began spreading late last year.
In surveys conducted by Teikoku Databank Ltd. in January and February, over 70% of polled firms said they expected the COVID crisis to have negative effects on their business performances.
The share of such companies exceeding 70% for two months in a row was the first since last August-September, when the country was battling a fifth wave of infections.
J. Front Retailing Co. faced tough business conditions in January and February as the number of visitors to its department stores plummeted due to the government’ s COVID-19 quasi-emergency measures, a company public relations official said.
After the quasi-emergency measures were fully lifted on March 22, there have been hopes for a recovery in private spending.
“ Consumer appetite is improving, ” another source in the department store industry said.
Meanwhile, Natsuko Kimura, the retail director for Japan at major travel booking website Expedia, said there are signs of a recovery in inbound tourists as Japan is eases its COVID-19 border controls in stages.
Nonetheless, the Japanese and overseas economies are overshadowed by many uncertainties stemming from the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic and the Ukraine conflict.
In Shanghai, de-facto lockdown measures were imposed late last month due to a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.
If the war in Ukraine is prolonged, companies’ appetite for capital investment may deteriorate, said Yoshiharu Inaba, head of the Japan Machine Tool Builders’ Association. | tech |
Brazil drops Covid test for vaccinated travelers | Hi, what are you looking for?
Brazil loosened its pandemic restrictions for international travelers ending its Covid-19 test requirement for vaccinated passengers.
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Brazil loosened its pandemic restrictions for international travelers Saturday, ending its Covid-19 test requirement for vaccinated passengers and scrapping a lengthy health questionnaire.
Travelers will now only be required to present proof of vaccination on arrival in the country, according to new regulations published late Friday in the government gazette, following a recommendation to the same effect from federal health regulator Anvisa last week.
Proof of vaccination is not required for Brazilians or foreigners with residency in Brazil. Unvaccinated travelers will have to present a negative Covid-19 test dated no more than one day before departure.
But under the new regulation they will no longer have to quarantine for 14 days.
The country also dropped Anvisa’ s pandemic health questionnaire for travelers, which had been required since December 2020.
Brazil has been among the countries hit hardest by Covid-19, which has claimed more than 660,000 lives in the country — second only to the United States.
But the number of infections and deaths has fallen dramatically as the South American country has ramped up immunization, with nearly 75 percent of its 212 million people now fully vaccinated.
Brazil’ s average daily Covid-19 death toll has fallen to around 200, from more than 3,000 at the height of the crisis a year ago.
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.
COPYRIGHT © 1998 - 2022 DIGITAL JOURNAL INC. Digital Journal is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more about our external linking. | general |
Make passive income from NFTs with EverGrow Coin’ s NFT marketplace | Join Our Telegram Channel for More Insights. Join Now
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Cash flowing into NFTs equaled funding made available by the World Bank to buy up COVID-19 vaccines last year. Total NFT sales in 2021 were at $ 25 billion according to market tracker DappRadar – a massive increase from $ 95 million in sales throughout 2020.
Around 28.6 million wallets traded NFTs last year, but not everyone made big money. While Beeple’ s “ Everdays – the first 5000 days ” sold for a record-breaking $ 69.3 million at Christie’ s the most common NFT sales ranged between $ 100- $ 1,000.
Furthermore, just 10% of traders accounted for the overwhelming majority of transactions ( 85%). This leaves a huge supply of low-to-average value NFTs gathering dust in millions of digital wallets.
The most common way to make money off NFTs is through trading. You put an NFT up for action on one of the top marketplaces like OpenSea, and hope someone meets the minimum bid requirements. Unless you’ re an artist or owner of one of the more famous NFT collections ( like BAYC or Crypto Punks) you’ ll be unlikely to break past the $ 1,000 barrier.
This is where EverGrow Coin’ s NFT marketplace comes in. EverGrow Coin launched as a project to help crypto newcomers and experienced investors alike earn passive income from digital assets. This started with EverGrow Coin becoming the top reflection token on the BNB Chain ( over $ 35.5 million BUSD paid to investors since September last year) and continues this coming April with a new NFT marketplace.
In a preview video of the marketplace, EverGrow Coin’ s chairman Sam Kelly touches on the innovative Lending tab on the top menu. This is a first in crypto. When the NFT marketplace drops in April 2022, it will be the first to allow users to borrow crypto using only their NFTs as collateral.
The mechanism, built on the fast and secure BNB Chain, will offer NFT owners a brand-new way to access crypto and watch it work to make them passive income.
Before the end of 2022, the NFT marketplace will also launch in the first metaverse of its kind. EverGrow Coin’ s partner Objective Reality Studios recently offered a sneak peek into the virtual gallery where users can buy, trade, and borrow against their NFT assets all within one metaverse called The Abstract.
The Abstract not only combines a virtual crypto exchange ( which looks like a luxury bank) and play-to-earn games streamed on the cloud but offers easy access for crypto newcomers. The Abstract will cater to the 50 million US citizens with VR headsets, many of whom lack the computing power to play high-quality games at home.
What this means for NFT owners is a marketplace that doesn’ t directly compete with existing platforms like OpenSea, but brings in its own user base to buy, sell and borrow against NFTs. EverGrow Coin has announced that the NFT marketplace will drop in the next few weeks as the team of top development and investment professionals fine-tune the final interface.
We are so deep into this build now. Remember, this has been designed & coded from scratch & will be 100% unique. So happy with this beautiful utility! # EGCFAM $ EGC pic.twitter.com/xveg1x1QhI
Great to see a preview of the vision being built by @ TheAbstract OR that will ultimately bring the # EverGrowCoin ecosystem into the Metaverse. We will change the way people shop, invest & socialise online. pic.twitter.com/kVAwSRxI9W
Join Our Telegram Channel for More Insights. Join Now | tech |
Tesla delivers record vehicles in Q1; output falls as China shutdown weighs | `` This was an * exceptionally * difficult quarter due to supply chain interruptions & China zero Covid policy, '' Chief Executive Elon Musk tweeted. `` Outstanding work by Tesla team & key suppliers saved the day. ''
Tesla delivered 310,048 vehicles in the quarter, a slight increase from the previous quarter, and up 68% from a year earlier. Wall Street had expected deliveries of 308,836 cars, according to Refinitiv data.
Tesla produced 305,407 vehicles from January to March, down from 305,840 the previous quarter.
Tesla, the world's most valuable automaker, has navigated the pandemic and supply chain disruptions better than rivals and its new Shanghai factory has been driving growth.
But a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in China has forced Tesla to temporarily suspend production at the Shanghai factory for several days in March and April as the city locks down to test residents for the disease.
The deliveries were `` better than feared given supply chain issues, '' said Daniel Ives, an analyst at Wedbush, in a report.
Tesla said it sold a total of 295,324 Model 3 sedans and Model Y sport utility vehicles, while it delivered 14,724 Model S luxury sedans and Model X premium SUVs.
PRICE HIKE
Skyrocketing gas prices spurred by the Ukraine crisis is expected to fuel demand for electric cars, but lack of inventory and higher vehicle prices would weigh on sales, analysts said.
Tesla in March raised prices in China and the United States https: //www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-raises-prices-some-china-made-vehicles-2022-03-15 after Musk said the U.S. electric carmaker was facing significant inflationary pressure in raw materials and logistics after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. https: //www.reuters.com/technology/musk-says-tesla-spacex-facing-significant-inflation-pressure-2022-03-14
`` Impressive ( deliveries) given all the headwinds, '' Gene Munster, managing partner at venture capital firm Loup Ventures, said, adding he expected Tesla to continue outperforming other automakers in sales growth.
Toyota and GM, Hyundai Motor on Friday reported lower first-quarter U.S. sales than a year earlier.
Musk said in October that Shanghai had surpassed its Fremont, California factory - the company's first plant - in output. The two factories are critical for Tesla's goal to boost deliveries by 50% this year, as production at its new factories are expected to ramp up slowly in their first year.
Tesla started delivering vehicles made at its factory in Gruenheide, Germany, in March and deliveries of cars made at its plant in Austin, Texas, were to begin in the near future.
The company's stock soared after Tesla this week revealed plans to seek investor approval to increase its number of shares to enable a stock split. Tesla shares have risen about 3% so far this year, while GM and Ford shares have declined.
( Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin in San Francisco, Akash Sriram, Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Alistair Bell, Diane Craft and Richard Chang)
By Hyunjoo Jin and Akash Sriram | business |
Sri Lankan president declares nationwide curfew to preempt protests | Sri Lanka imposed a countrywide curfew starting Saturday evening until Monday morning, in addition to a state of emergency declared by the president, in an attempt to prevent more protests blaming the government for a worsening economic crisis.
The government's information head Mohan Samaranayake said that the curfew is being imposed under powers vested with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He drew the ire of protesters who called for his resignation outside his residence on Thursday night, leading to police firing tear gas and arresting scores of people.
`` The curfew is an attempt to shut the people up, '' said Ruki Fernando, a human rights activist who headed to a protest in the capital, Colombo, which dispersed early after the curfew came into force.
`` I don't know why a curfew has been declared. What we need now is not a curfew, we need food, gas, fuel and the freedom to express ourselves, '' Fernando said.
Rajapaksa assumed emergency powers on midnight Friday amid widespread calls for protests throughout the country on Sunday, as anger over shortages of essential foods, fuel and long power cuts boiled over this week.
Sri Lanka faces huge debt obligations and dwindling foreign reserves, and its struggle to pay for imports has caused a lack of basic supplies. People wait in long lines for gas, and power is cut for several hours daily because there's not enough fuel to operate power plants and dry weather has sapped hydropower capacity.
The island nation's economic woes date back a failure of successive governments to diversify exports, instead relying on traditional cash sources like tea, garments and tourism, and on a culture of consuming imported goods.
The Covid-19 pandemic dealt a heavy blow to the economy with the government estimating a loss of $ 14 billion in the last two years. Protesters also point to mismanagement — Sri Lanka has immense foreign debt after borrowing heavily on projects that don't earn money. Its foreign debt repayment obligations are around $ 7 billion for this year alone.
The crisis has hit people from all walks of life. Middle class professionals and business people who would normally not take part in street protests have been holding nightly rallies with candles and placards in many parts of the country.
On Thursday, angry crowds demonstrated along the roads leading to Rajapaksa's private residence on the outskirts of Colombo and stoned two army buses that police were using to block their path. The protesters set fire to one of the buses and turned back a fire truck that rushed to douse it.
Rajapaksa's office blamed `` organized extremists '' within the thousands of protesters for the violence. Police fired tear gas and a water cannon and arrested 54 people. Dozens of other people were injured and some journalists beaten by police.
Senior police spokesperson Ajith Rohana said that 24 police personnel and several other civilians were injured. Total damage was estimated to be around $ 132,000 and the suspects will be charged with damaging public property, Rohana said.
Nuwan Bopage, who represents some of the suspects, said 27 were released on bail when they appeared in court on Friday night and the others were waiting to be processed.
The emergency declaration by Rajapaksa gives him wide powers to preserve public order, suppress mutiny, riot or civil disturbances or for the maintenance of essential supplies. Under the emergency, the president can authorize detentions, seizure of property and search of premises. He can also change or suspend any law except the constitution.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the largest lawyers ' group, said the emergency declaration was not the answer to the country's problems.
`` These protests reflect the desperate situation of the people who are seeking to secure for themselves and their families some of the most basic essentials in life, '' the lawyers said in a statement, urging Rajapaksa to revoke the emergency and ensure people's rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
A curfew already had been implemented in the suburbs of Colombo following Thursday's protests but was lifted Friday morning.
The powerful Rajapaksa family includes not only the president but his older brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. He was credited with a military victory that ended the country's 25-year civil war against Tamil rebels in 2009. Five other family members serve as lawmakers, including Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Irrigation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa and a nephew, Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa.
The Rajapaskas ' immense political clout has raised fears of the family control over key state functions and of weakening independent government institutions. | business |
Tesla delivers record 310,048 vehicles globally in 'exceptionally difficult ' Q1, Elon Musk says | Tesla Inc. delivered a record 310,048 cars worldwide in what Elon Musk said was an “ exceptionally difficult '' first quarter, as a growing tide of consumers made the switch to EVs.
The results, posted Saturday, slightly edged out expectations. Analysts had expected that 309,158 vehicles would be shipped, based on the average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Fluctuations in Covid-19 infection rates and rules worldwide continue to impact logistics and supply chains. The automaker also temporarily suspended production at its Shanghai factory beginning last month after the city enacted a lockdown over its worsening coronavirus outbreak. | general |
Azerbaijan confirms 40 more COVID-19 cases, 36 recoveries | Azerbaijan has detected 40 new COVID-19 cases, 36 patients have recovered, and three patients have died, Trend reports citing the Operational Headquarters under Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers.
Up until now, 792,019 people have been infected with coronavirus in the country, 781,974 of them have recovered, and 9,697 people have died. Currently, 348 people are under treatment in special hospitals.
To reveal the COVID-19 cases, 4,297 tests have been carried out in Azerbaijan over the past day, and a total of 6,710,309 tests have been conducted so far.
Some 12,558 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 in Azerbaijan on April 2.
The first dose of the vaccine was injected into 1,069 citizens, the second one to 1,180 citizens, the third dose and the next doses to 9,718 citizens. Some 591 citizens were vaccinated with a booster dose after a positive test result for COVID-19.
Totally, up until now, 13,481,759 vaccine doses were administered, 5,326,364 citizens received the first dose of the vaccine, 4,827,053 people - the second dose, 3,098,441 people - the third dose and the next doses.
Some 229,901 citizens were vaccinated with a booster dose after a positive test result for COVID-19. | general |
Tesla delivers over 1 million electric cars over past year | Hi, what are you looking for?
US electric car manufacturer Tesla shipped a record number of more than one million cars over the past year.
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US electric car manufacturer Tesla shipped a record number of more than one million cars over the past year, according to figures published Saturday.
The company delivered 1.06 million cars from April 2021 to March 2022, including more than 310,000 cars in the first quarter of this year alone, which is 67 percent higher than over the same period last year.
Still, the figure fell short of analysts’ expectations of 317,000 cars, according to data compiled by FactSet.
Deliveries are considered similar to sales figures published by other manufacturers.
Growth, however, slowed sharply in recent months for the Austin, Texas-based company, with deliveries rising a minuscule 0.4 percent since the fourth quarter of last year.
The number of vehicles produced is also slightly down against the previous quarter ( -0.1 percent).
“ This was an exceptionally difficult quarter due to supply chain interruptions & amp; China zero Covid policy, ” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter, referring to China’ s strict health restrictions. “ Outstanding work by Tesla team & amp; key suppliers saved the day. ”
However, Tesla is still faring better than its competitors, with the entire automobile industry affected by supply chains snarls.
Toyota saw its sales in North America fall 23.5 percent in volume in the first quarter of 2022, compared to the same period last year, and 26.3 percent in value.
General Motors earned a profit of $ 1.7 billion for the quarter ending December 31, down 38.7 percent from the final three months of 2020 as revenues dropped 10.5 percent to $ 33.6 billion.
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...
AI, facial recognition, and biometrics can help the world get back to work.
Sri Lanka urged its citizens overseas to send home money to help pay for desperately needed food and fuel.
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Sarah Palin seeks return to national politics, launches bid for House seat | In her first campaign for public office since 2008, former Alaska governor and onetime Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin announced Friday she was running for Congress.
Palin, who was catapulted onto the national stage as Sen. John McCain's running mate 14 years ago, jumped into a race to fill the seat held by GOP Rep. Don Young for almost 50 years before he died last month.
`` Public service is calling, and I would be honored to represent the men and women of Alaska in Congress, just as Rep, Young did for 49 years, '' Palin wrote in a statement. `` America is at a tipping point. As I 've watched the far left destroy the country, I knew I had to step up and join the fight. ''
In her announcement, Palin blasted `` out-of-control inflation, empty shelves, and gas prices, '' and vowed to `` combat the left's socialist, big-government, America-last agenda. ''
`` I 'm in this race to win it and join the fight for freedom alongside other patriots willing to sacrifice all to save our country, '' she wrote.
It is not clear if Palin has filed to run for a full term. She only said that she threw her hat in the ring for the special election prompted by Young's death. More than 40 candidates have already filed for the open special election.
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Palin's path to Congress will be complicated. The special primary is scheduled for June 11 — but it's open to any party affiliation. The top four vote-getters will advance to the special general election on Aug. 16. The special general election winner will be determined by ranked-choice voting.
The winner will only serve for a few months, the remaining portion of Young's term.
Palin, who helped usher in a new brand of GOP politics more than a decade ago, has previously flirted with a return to Washington.
In 2016, NBC News reported that she had expressed interest and been in touch with Trump transition officials about a potential role with the administration.
More recently, she was in the news for her defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. She has lost two court battles so far.
While in New York for the court proceedings, Palin came under fire for returning to a city restaurant two days after she tested positive for Covid-19. She was seen dining indoors even though she was not vaccinated against the virus. | business |
China's President sends congratulatory letter to President Ilham Aliyev [ UPDATE ] | President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.
His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
On behalf of the government and people of the People's Republic of China and on my own behalf, it is my honor to extend my sincere congratulations and best wishes to you and through you to the friendly people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People’ s Republic of China and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
China and Azerbaijan are traditional partners of friendship and cooperation. For 30 years, the China-Azerbaijan relations have been maintaining healthy and stable development dynamics. The mutual political trust is steadily deepening, the cooperation in all areas is actively advancing, both countries are interacting closely at regional and international levels. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Azerbaijan have been assisting and supporting each other, combining their efforts to cope with the difficulties, which is the indicative of traditional relations of friendship between our peoples.
I attach great importance to the development of bilateral relations, and on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Azerbaijan, I would like to note that I am ready to make joint efforts with you to achieve new accomplishments in China-Azerbaijan relations and cooperation in various fields to the benefit our countries and peoples.
I wish you the best of health and success in your endeavors, and the friendly Azerbaijan prosperity and progress, and its people happiness and tranquility. | general |
Daniel McConnell: Martin is striding away from past strife with an eye on the future | Micheál Martin seemed to be dogged by misfortune — losing not one but two agriculture minister for instance — but his slow and steady style appears to be paying dividends. File picture
Politics is such a fluid entity.
You can be up one minute and down the next.
On Thursday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin did a radio interview with Claire Byrne on RTÉ. As you would expect, she asked him about his impending move out of the Taoiseach’ s office and what will happen after that.
At the end, when Byrne asked Martin was it his intention to lead his party into the next general election, he stated clearly that he would. Now, he has been consistent in his answers on that question since becoming Taoiseach, so you may ask what’ s the big deal about him saying it now.
The big change is that when Martin said it a year ago, nobody believed him. Now, he is odds-on to deliver on his promise, if that is his wish, when the time actually comes.
In the early days of this government in 2020, Martin looked like a most unlucky general. His party’ s poll ratings nosedived on taking office and are now only starting to revive.
He lost not one but two agriculture ministers in a space of seven weeks.
His own troops were bitching about him constantly and briefing against him, particularly over his choice of health and education ministers.
He as leader struggled to control the narrative not only around Covid-19 but even over basic fundamental political matters.
It was a torrid start to his tenure, which he also knew would only last two and a half years.
While Micheál Martin floundered, Leo Varadkar’ s Fine Gael thrived, still riding high from the strong public support they got in the early stages of the pandemic. Martin drove his troops round the bend with his slow and steady approach and it seemed the public were not buying it either.
The chaos around December 2020 and the opening up of society, only to reverse into a savagely long and painful lockdown, was perhaps his lowest ebb.
But now, in early April 2022, things have changed, changed utterly.
Varadkar and his party have slumped to historic lows in the polls, and while Fianna Fáil remains behind them, the gap has narrowed significantly and Fianna Fáil under a far steadier Martin are building some momentum.
Martin, as leader, has enjoyed a prolonged spell of relative calm and his own previously disgruntled backbenches are becalmed. For now.
He, too, got a good deal of sympathy on foot of the fact he missed out on meeting US president Joe Biden in person on St Patrick’ s Day, having contracted Covid on the eve of that meeting in Washington.
What many in his own party have begun to say is that his steady leadership of the country is paying off. His approach, less spin-driven than Varadkar’ s, has been shown to be one of substance rather than style.
Several people have used the tortoise and the hare analogy to describe the dynamic between Martin and Varadkar and, as things stand now, you can see why.
It was significant last weekend to see Barry Cowen, one of the fallen agriculture ministers, speaking about how the much-talked heave against Martin is off.
Reflecting the reality that no one is prepared to risk taking Martin out, Cowen told the Irish Mail on Sunday his leader is safe and heir apparent Jim O’ Callaghan has “ lost ground ” since the disastrous Dublin Bay South by-election, where the party took less than 5% of the vote.
Personally, Martin looks far more comfortable in his own skin as Taoiseach.
His recent appearance on comedian Doireann Garrihy’ s podcast, was an unusual adventure for him, but he was able to convey a far lighter side to his personality than he normally does.
Now, I am not saying he is a changed man. ‘ Muinteoir Micheál’ is never too far away and his cautious approach highly frustrates many in Cabinet.
But he is far more secure now in his position than at any time since became leader of Fianna Fáil in early 2011.
So, he is odds-on now to become Tánaiste in December when Varadkar is expected to reclaim the Taoiseach’ s office for a second time.
Martin has plenty of options
All of that raises a host of interesting questions such as what portfolio will he take over.
He is unlikely to do a direct swap with Varadkar in the Department of Enterprise, as he is a former minister in that department.
So, with Varadkar now in the Taoiseach’ s office, Martin would need a new department and some in government have speculated that he would take over in the Department of Higher Education, one he set up in 2020 in order to cement his legacy.
As Simon Harris has found out, the advantage of moving to that department is that he would have a comparatively light workload, allowing him to concentrate on rebuilding the party ahead of the election in a way he is simply not able to do now.
However, as the changeover of office is the point at which a wider reshuffle will happen, other scenarios are possible. Martin will have to replenish his Cabinet line-up and that means someone will have to be axed.
When you look at the Fianna Fáil ministerial line-up, it is hard to look beyond Health Minister Stephen Donnelly as the most likely to be demoted, senior sources say.
Health? Stranger things have happened
Again with his eye on his legacy, could Martin be willing to step back into health for a final spin? Stranger things have happened. | general |
Iran reveals COVID-19 data for April 2 | As many as 1,887 people have been infected with the coronavirus ( COVID-19) in the past 24 hours in Iran, reads the statement of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran, Trend reports.
In addition, 37 people have died from the coronavirus over the past day.
At the same time, the condition of 1,697 people remains critical.
So far, more than 49.5 million tests have been conducted in Iran for the diagnosis of coronavirus.
In total, over 147 million doses of vaccines have been used in Iran so far. A total of 63.9 million doses have been used on the first stage, 56.9 million doses - on the second stage, and 26.2 million doses – on the third stage.
Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. According to recent reports from Iranian officials, over 7.16 million people have been infected, and 140,277 people have already died.
Meanwhile, over 6.88 million people have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread of the virus.
Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease. The Islamic Republic announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19.
The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019.
The World Health Organization ( WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. | general |
IMF ready to support Central Asia in mitigating effects from sanctions against Russia | International Monetary Fund stands ready to support Central Asian countries in mitigating possible economic effects from anti-Russia sanctions, Jihad Azour, Director of the International Monetary Fund’ s ( IMF) Middle East and Central Asia Department, told Trend.
Azour noted that Central Asian countries are likely to feel longer-term impact from increased uncertainty and geopolitical factors in the face of anti-Russia sanctions.
He said countries that export commodities such as oil, gas, and metals including gold, will benefit from higher prices for those exports, which should strengthen their external and fiscal positions.
`` However, all countries are expected to feel the impact from economic contraction in Russia and sanctions, whether through weaker demand for their exports of goods or services such as tourism ( up to 27 percent of CCA exports go to Russia), lower remittances that reduce income especially for vulnerable populations ( the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan receive more than 20 percent of GDP in remittances from Russia), scaled-back investment especially in the energy and mining sectors, or higher inflation in particular food and energy prices, which would increase burdens on low-income consumers, '' he said.
Longer-term impacts are also expected from increased uncertainty and geopolitical factors such as international investors considering the region as less reliable and more risky, reducing foreign direct investment and hampering economic diversification and growth prospects, he said.
Azour noted that Central Asian countries have historically had close economic and financial ties with Russia.
`` This includes through trade; migration and remittance flows; investment, especially in the energy and mining sectors; and financial sector linkages, including correspondent banking relationships and payments systems. The impact of the sanctions against Russia and Russia’ s economic slowdown are likely to be transmitted to Central Asia through most if not all of these channels, '' he noted.
Azour emphasized that while substantial uncertainty remains, activity in all Central Asian economies should be affected.
`` Yet individual countries’ situations will vary substantially, '' he said.
Commenting on how do Central Asian countries mitigate these affects, Azour said that there is no one-size-fits-all policy prescription in this situation since the nature and magnitude of the adverse effects will be different depending on country circumstances.
First, he noted, existing fiscal policy space should be used to support the most vulnerable, while preserving long-term debt sustainability.
`` More broadly, policy responses will need to take into account available policy buffers, which vary greatly from country to country, and in many cases have been eroded during the COVID-19 pandemic. To counter inflation pressures, some countries have already tightened monetary policy and more could be needed, including as global commodity prices rise and financial conditions tighten. Where possible, exchange rate adjustments should also help absorb at least part of the external shocks. Macro-prudential policies should help mitigate the risks to financial sectors, '' he added.
Azour noted these macro-financial policy measures would need to be supported by continued reforms to encourage private sector development and investment, as these will be critical to safeguard future growth and job creation.
`` The Fund is closely monitoring developments and assessing the implications for CCA countries. The Fund stands ready to help each of them with policy advice and financial assistance as appropriate, '' he said. | general |
Azerbaijan confirms 42 more COVID-19 cases, 49 recoveries | Azerbaijan has detected 42 new COVID-19 cases, 49 patients have recovered, no patient has died, Trend reports citing the Operational Headquarters under Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers.
Up until now, 792,061 people have been infected with coronavirus in the country, 782,023 of them have recovered, and 9,697 people have died. Currently, 341 people are under treatment in special hospitals.
To reveal the COVID-19 cases, 4,048 tests have been carried out in Azerbaijan over the past day, and a total of 6,714,357 tests have been conducted so far. | general |
COVID-19 tracker: Tokyo logs 7,899 new cases, up slightly from last week | The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 7,899 new infection cases Sunday, up by 55 from a week before.
Nine new fatalities were confirmed among COVID-19 patients in the capital.
The number of severely ill patients under the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’ s own criteria decreased by one from Saturday to 31.
The seven-day average of new infection cases in Tokyo stood at 7,630.3 as of Sunday, up from 6,466.6 week on week.
Elsewhere, Chiba Prefecture confirmed 3,303 cases and three deaths, Aichi Prefecture saw 2,088 cases and one death, and Hokkaido marked 1,845 cases and two deaths.
On Saturday, Japan reported 48,825 new cases, with the daily count growing by 1,496 from a week ago to extend its rising streak to an eighth day.
The number of severely ill patients dropped by 15 from Friday to 518, while 55 new fatalities were confirmed among COVID-19 patients. | tech |
Japan's justice minister tests positive for COVID-19 | Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Justice Ministry said Sunday.
Furukawa became the second Cabinet minister confirmed to have the virus, after Seiko Noda, minister in charge of measures against the declining birthrate, whose infection was announced Friday.
The justice minister was scheduled to visit Poland as a special envoy of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida from Friday to learn the needs of Ukrainian evacuees who fled to Poland to escape Russia’ s invasion of their country. But the trip was canceled because at least one member of his family was infected with the novel coronavirus and he could be a close contact. Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi flew to Poland in place of Furukawa.
According to the Justice Ministry, Furukawa took an antigen test for COVID-19 and was confirmed positive for the virus on Sunday. He is currently recovering at home. | tech |
Six months into tenure, Kishida's economic recovery plan facing headwinds | Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’ s plan to pave the way for an economic recovery before the House of Councilors election this summer is facing an unexpectedly bumpy road.
The prime minister, marking six months in office on Monday, has overcome challenges with quick decision-making based on public opinion. But now he is faced with the need to address the double challenges of another COVID-19 resurgence and soaring prices amid the war in Ukraine.
“ The international community needs to work together and take strong measures so that Russia will stop the invasion as soon as possible, ” Kishida told a meeting of the House of Councilors, the upper chamber of parliament, on Friday.
Five days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Kishida had a conference call with U.S. President Joe Biden, with the two leaders sharing the view that attempts to change the status quo by force will come at a price for Moscow.
At the same time, Kishida announced additional economic sanctions against Russia, targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin and others. “ The decision to impose sanctions on Putin has broadened awareness throughout the government that we should do whatever we can, ” a government official said.
Such responses to the war in Ukraine have provided Kishida with a tailwind of support. His Cabinet’ s approval rating, which had been on a decline in February, picked up in March. The prime minister “ looked relieved ” when he saw recent opinion poll results, a source said.
Kishida apparently saw his predecessor, Yoshihide Suga, as a guide for what to avoid when it comes to coronavirus policies. Suga’ s administration suffered low approval rates and was criticized for slow responses to the COVID-19 crisis.
Sources close to Kishida said his quick decision-making has led to higher approval ratings.
Kishida, who hopes to gain a foothold to build a long-term administration with a strong showing in the Upper House election, now needs to address the recent resurgence of the coronavirus in Japan.
The number of new infections in the country has turned upward again, with cases involving the BA.2 omicron subvariant now accounting for over 50% of infections in Tokyo.
The administration of COVID-19 booster shots to young people, meanwhile, has been slow.
Furthermore, there still seems to be no clear way out of the challenge of oil price surges caused by the war in Ukraine. Russia’ s invasion of its neighbor has led to higher prices of many goods, including food, and is putting pressure on people’ s livelihoods.
When Kishida took office, he envisioned a strategy to overcome the pandemic at an early date and rebuild the economy, partly by using the Go To Travel stimulus program, in the run-up to the Upper House poll, which is expected to take place on July 10.
However, although the election is only about three months away, the administration has been occupied with more immediate issues.
Late last month, Kishida gave out an order to compile a comprehensive stimulus package, apparently as an emergency step to respond to soaring crude oil prices. A source close to him admitted that the package is not designed to boost gross domestic product and is more of a stopgap measure.
The administration would likely face criticism if it misreads the public’ s opinion, as was the case with the ruling bloc’ s controversial proposal to provide ¥5,000 to all pensioners.
“ If prices remain high through summer, high air conditioning costs could lead to criticism of the administration, ” a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party said, expressing concern that the party may face difficulties before the election. | tech |
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“ ICIS price forecasts have helped us allocate resources smartly and efficiently, to anticipate price changes, and to buy PP at favourable prices. The reports have saved our internal team a lot of time and effort when analysing pricing trends. ”
Energy and financial markets are exacerbating the risks ahead. Oil prices at current levels – as the chart confirms, they now account for more than 3% of global GDP – have historically led to recession as the chart shows. The reason is that consumers have to cut back on their discretionary spending, which drives economic growth, in order to heat their homes and travel to work and school. Today’ s high levels of natural gas prices add to this risk.
This is why we are facing a K-shaped recession. Companies and investors have a difficult time ahead. They not only have to navigate a potentially major downturn. But they also have to completely reposition their portfolios for the New Normal world that will follow.
These are difficult times, and there is no guarantee that they may not get worse. But they also remind us of the critical need to move beyond the Age of Oil, and develop more sustainable energy resources for the future.
Automakers are ahead of the game in terms of strategic planning. They soon realised the move to EVs meant their traditional business model, based on proprietary engine technology, would inevitably become obsolete. And so they quickly realised they need to pivot to focus on AVs and become software-driven. The rest of us need to catch up.
Exponential rapidly rising or falling markets usually go further than you think, but they do not correct by going sideways.
A new report from the International Energy Agency confirms that electricity is set to be the fuel of the future, powered by renewable sources. And the new German government’ s decision to allocate 2% of Germany’ s landmass to windfarms confirms the scale of the changes underway. The IEA’ s chart above details the expansions now planned on [ … ]
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the fundamental changes which were already underway in global markets, as I discuss in a new interview with Will Beacham of I.C.I.S. Companies and investors need to focus on the challenges and opportunities created by 5 major paradigm shifts as we move into the New Normal. These will impact individual [ … ]
Oil prices are finally starting to reconnect with other fossil fuel prices, as the chart shows. It compares US WTI prices in terms of $ /MMBtu value ( WTI/5.8), versus US natural gas and coal prices: In January 1990, WTI was $ 3.94 versus natgas at $ 2.30 and coal at $ 1.45 ( all $ /MMBtu) In January 2000, WTI was [ … ]
Oil markets can’ t quite make up their mind as to what they want to do, as the chart confirms. The are trapped in a major ‘ flag shape’. Every time they want to move sharply lower, the bulls jump in to buy on hopes of a major US-China trade deal and a strong economy. But when [ … ]
Back in 2015, veteran Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi was very clear about Saudi’ s need to adopt a market share-based pricing policy: “ Saudi Arabia cut output in 1980s to support prices. I was responsible for production at Aramco at that time, and I saw how prices fell, so we lost on output and on prices [ … ]
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COVID-19 Disease Severity Linked to N Protein of SARS-CoV-2 Virus | SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus structure.
Insight into the function of the nucleocapsid protein could help develop drugs that reduce coronavirus impact.
A multicenter collaboration tracking the spread and evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Saudi Arabia has identified mutations in the virus’ s N protein associated with increased viral loads in COVID-19 patients. The study provides insight into the function of this nucleocapsid protein, which could help develop drugs that reduce the impact of coronavirus infection.
“ The nucleocapsid ( N) protein is the most abundant protein in all coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, ” explains KAUST research scientist Muhammad Shuaib. This protein binds to various parts of the viral RNA, affecting how it is packaged within the virus. It also plays roles inside host cells related to viral replication and host immune responses.
The researchers, working with Arnab Pain, found that two consecutive mutations in the N protein, called R203K and G204R, were associated with increased severity of COVID-19 in patients. Analyses showed that the changes to the protein made it bind more strongly to the viral RNA.
From left: Sharif M. Hala, Sara Mfarrej, Professor Arnab Pain, Muhammad Shuaib and Tobias Mourier ( not pictured) studied the N protein of SARS-CoV-2 to further understanding of its role in disease severity. Credit: © 2022 KAUST
Further tests in laboratory cells suggested that the changes in the N protein allow the virus to more efficiently hijack host cell translation machinery to facilitate virus replication. They were also associated with increased expression of genes involved in interferon and chemokine production. This could be behind the life-threatening cytokine storm that happens in some COVID-19 patients, making it very difficult for them to breathe.
The findings were the result of analyses of viral genome sequences from 892 patient samples taken from various parts of Saudi Arabia between March and August 2020, relatively early in the pandemic. This was followed by comparisons with patient data to understand how mutations affected viral load and virulence.
“ Compared to the spike protein, the N protein is highly conserved in the different coronaviruses, like SARS and MERS; yet attempts to design vaccines against it have not been successful, ” says Tobias Mourier, a consultant research scientist working on Pain’ s team. “ Understanding N protein’ s function could help develop drugs that target it and potentially limit disease severity in COVID-19 and other coronavirus infections. ”
The KAUST-led research team, which includes scientists and clinicians from institutions and hospitals all over Saudi Arabia, continues to monitor the SARS-CoV-2 virus nationwide and observe how mutations affect virus-host interactions under various vaccination regimens. “ Sequencing virus genomes and reporting genomic changes from regions of the world that are severely underrepresented in current databases is essential for tracking and assessing new variants of concern, ” says Pain.
Reference: “ SARS-CoV-2 genomes from Saudi Arabia implicate nucleocapsid mutations in host response and increased viral load ” by Tobias Mourier, Muhammad Shuaib, Sharif Hala, Sara Mfarrej, Fadwa Alofi, Raeece Naeem, Afrah Alsomali, David Jorgensen, Amit Kumar Subudhi, Fathia Ben Rached, Qingtian Guan, Rahul P. Salunke, Amanda Ooi, Luke Esau, Olga Douvropoulou, Raushan Nugmanova, Sadhasivam Perumal, Huoming Zhang, Issaac Rajan, Awad Al-Omari, Samer Salih, Abbas Shamsan, Abbas Al Mutair, Jumana Taha, Abdulaziz Alahmadi, Nashwa Khotani, Abdelrahman Alhamss, Ahmed Mahmoud, Khaled Alquthami, Abdullah Dageeg, Asim Khogeer, Anwar M. Hashem, Paula Moraga, Eric Volz, Naif Almontashiri and Arnab Pain, 1 February 2022, Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28287-8 | tech |
The metaverse has been heavily hyped – but it could enable entirely new ways of screen production | Screen production was hit hard by the pandemic, with delayed releases and interrupted or cancelled production. One day we might even get to see Mission Impossible 7.
But, like your typical screen hero, it might just be the metaverse to the rescue. Let us explain.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta ( formally Facebook) presents the metaverse as the future of human interaction where the alignment of virtual and augmented realities ( VR and AR) allows us to work, rest and play via a second virtual life that can be accessed by a screen or overlaid ( via special glasses) onto the real world.
Traditional production relies on cast and crew being in the same location at the same time. The past two years have shown there is a strong need to be able to either shoot films where the cast/crew are in separate locations, or where the production space is partly or wholly in a virtual space ( such as The Lion King remake).
What we can do now, even with a nascent metaverse, is significant. The current tools of the trade include technology such as deepfakes that uses machine learning techniques to seamlessly stitch anyone in the world into a video or photo and production computer programs ( such as Unreal Engine) that create locations and avatars.
Disney studio The Volume, home to The Mandalorian, uses this latest technology to brilliant effect. In The Mandalorian, high-definition digital screens are attached to the walls and roof, providing background, perfect perspective and light, using a mixture of real and wholly computer-generated imagery.
Working with the caveat that money is no object, here’ s how these technologies can currently be deployed when tackling the two most pressing production problems in a post-COVID world.
If this was The Lion King remake, director John Favreau could just access the virtual environment remotely using his VR device from his home media room. For other productions, the director can interact with the actor via AR glasses the actor puts on between takes to make it seamlessly appear the director is in the room.
In this way the function of the media room evolves, becoming a home communications hub with an array of cameras and displays. This is already happening and is something big tech is looking to accelerate. Products such as Microsoft’ s Mesh for Teams are being rapidly rolled out, where mixed-reality allows for three-dimensional holographic interaction for meetings and collaboration.
( a) film each actor separately with different crews in front of a green screen, and then match the backgrounds ( but the actors will have no interaction).
( b) use AR glasses for the actors to see each other, then digitally remove them as Justice League did with Henry Cavill’ s moustache.
( c) use two human stand-ins and use deepfake technology to modify their faces. This is useful if the actors need to touch.
However, all have drawbacks – or, in fact, the same drawback. The actor.
Until we can perfect both the realism of the person and the performance, ( just look at the brilliant but not-quite-good-enough Mark-Hamill-less Luke Skywalker in The Book of Boba Fett) the Metaverse will never quite fulfil its potential as a true alternative environment for screen production.
The latest iteration of the young Luke Skywalker was generated from a combination of physical actor ( not Mark Hamill) and deepfake technology. It looked physically perfect, but not when “ Luke ” began talking. This necessitated most of the dialogue to be spoken off-camera. There was also a strong sense of the uncanny valley about the performance, originally named for the negative emotional response towards robots that seem ‘ almost’ human.
The day of perfect human avatars could be coming very soon. It was foreseen by novelist/futurist Michael Crichton – not in Westworld or Jurassic Park, but his obscure 1981 film Looker. The story concerns technology that scans and animates actors, allowing them to retire and simply manage their image rights.
In this proposed near future, COVID is not a concern, nor the death of an actor during production. All films can be made like The Lion King, in a virtual environment.
Actors will remote-in from their media rooms to control their avatars, or perhaps not. In the future, Mark Hamill can have two prices: one where he turns up, another where just his digital twin is used, one that can procedurally generate his performance by watching all of his films to work out what acting choices to mimic.
History shows us new technology is not usually taken up wholesale and old technology never completely dies. Think vinyl. What is more probable is a certain reverse snobbery. Many shows will fully use the metaverse, enabling them to keep shooting despite real-world calamities.
Perhaps a whole new hybrid genre will be formed. Films that might have once been animation can now be photorealistic – call them “ live-animations ”.
But in a future where most of us will be eating meat grown in a laboratory, only the top restaurants will still be using living animals. The same is likely for screen production: the ultimate prestige picture will be made old-school, real actors really acting against each other in real environments, pandemics and the metaverse be damned. | business |
Close to home: The Canadian far right, COVID-19 and social media | Weeks after the so-called “ freedom convoy ” protests ended, a familiar quietness has returned to the streets of downtown Ottawa. No more sounds of blaring horns and people partying into the wee hours. The only remaining visible traces are abandoned trucks in impound yards and barriers on streets.
But these too will be cleared, just like the 40 trucks worth of litter and debris the convoy amassed. However, the convoy isn’ t just an event for the history books. It’ s still happening.
The convoy’ s reach — inspiring similar movements globally — amazed the world and shocked Canadians, prompting suspicions of “ foreign interferences, ” linking it to American funders and Russian bots.
While not denying the roles of non-Canadian participants, it’ s misleading to construe the protests as being imported from outside Canada — it’ s also inaccurate to view it as an emergent, novel phenomenon. The “ freedom convoy ” was a culmination of years of the far-right’ s persistent mobilization.
Far-right networks grew during the last two years as they digitally tapped into grievances about the pandemic. The convoy was a far-right-led and co-ordinated event that exploited COVID-19-related gripes and existing discontents on various socio-political issues, shared among Canadians who harboured growing distrust in the Liberal government.
Hijacking truckers for their brand, the convoy is a far-right movement masquerading as a working-class revolution.
The convoy’ s leadership included veteran far-right activists like James Bauder, the creator of Canada Unity, Tamara Lich and Patrick King, members of the Maverick Party and veterans of Wexit.
They partnered with relatively newer figures, BJ Dichter, a former conservative candidate, and Chris Barber, a truck company owner. These people all have a history of publicly posting discriminatory messages on social media and are super-spreaders of conspiracy theories online.
The convoy can be seen as a continuation of the 2019 United We Roll ( UWR) organized by the Yellow Vests Canada movement.
The convoy and UWR share many of the same organizers, notably Lich and King, and participants, like Canada First and Diagolon networks. Both were supported by the same political figures, including Maxime Bernier ( People’ s Party of Canada) and Andrew Scheer ( Conservative Party).
While they differ in the main issue they exploited, namely oil and pipelines versus COVID-19, both grew out of extreme communities where explicit anti-Muslim racism and calls for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’ s execution were rampant. Boosted by the COVID-19 conspiracy movement and million-dollar funding, the convoy is UWR on steroids.
From the spread of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s to a pre-Second World War Nazi “ Swastika ” movement in the 1930s, to the Edmund Burke Society in the 1960s, the Creativity Movement in the 1970s and neo-Nazi skinheads in the 1980s-90s Canada has always been home to hateful far-right groups and movements.
Now, Canada has far-right groups like Canada First, ACT! For Canada, PEGIDA, The Canada Defence League and terrorist entities like the Three Percenters, The Base, Atomwaffen Division and the Proud Boys. In the past decade, they have all found a welcoming audience across Canada, primarily by extensive use of social media.
Due to limited mainstream media access, far-right groups were among early adopters of digital media. Social media platforms are the far-right’ s primary tool to form community and mobilize action. And social media’ s lack of regulation allows the far-right to circulate disinformation and conspiracy theories to feed on people’ s fears.
Far-right groups commonly use conspiracy theories to justify the belief that out-groups — “ the others, ” the Muslims, the left, the liberal, the immigrants — are always in secret actions to control in-groups’ welfare.
Once the pandemic hit, far-right narratives switched from being predominantly racist and xenophobic to those based on civil rights, freedom and COVID-19-related conspiracies. Many far-right groups alleged that the pandemic was plotted by Bill Gates and a “ New World Order ” to facilitate the injection of 5G enabled microchips into the population, none of which is true.
While they may be dismissed by some as bonkers, these false claims continue to be believable for people looking for certainty while living through unprecedented times.
To reach a wider audience, the far-right spread false claims that vaccine mandates violate Canadians’ charter rights and freedoms. Using freedom and rights as umbrella terms, they easily formed alliances with existing anti-COVID-19 mandate groups in Canada like Vaccine Choice Canada, Hugs Over Masks and Canadian Frontline Nurses as well as networks with similar interests outside of Canada, notably in the United States.
These alliances allowed for the expansion of offline and online networks, much wider dissemination of conspiracies and disinformation and increased the capacity to mobilize protests and fundraising.
The far-right benefited from social media’ s tendency to privilege reductionist and simplified narratives. By providing simplified explanations of complex crisis and clear identification of the enemy that caused the crisis conspiratorial messages are more memeable and, therefore, more likely to be popular and viral than any scientific explanations about the virus.
The far-right also capitalized on algorithmic biases that privileges content that evoke emotions. The algorithmic dynamics helped the far-right in propagating the binary populist framework — “ we, the people ” versus “ the corrupt and evil elites, ” “ bad politicians and leaders ” who implemented COVID-19 measures versus “ good politicians and leaders ” who don’ t — to foster and incite rage among discontent Canadians.
This binary logic was powerful not only in fuelling the rage of those who share far-right ideologies, but also in striking a chord with those angriest over COVID-19 restrictions. The pandemic will eventually be over, but the Canadian far-right networks are here to stay. | business |
Hong Kong-based chef gets first Michelin star for Venezuela | Hi, what are you looking for?
Ricardo Chaneton’ s symphony of flavours familiar to Latin Americans has earned his Hong Kong restaurant a coveted Michelin star.
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Published
Arepas, tacos and an old family recipe of chimichurri: Ricardo Chaneton’ s symphony of flavours familiar to Latin Americans has earned his Hong Kong restaurant a coveted Michelin star — the first awarded to a Venezuelan chef.
For Chaneton, who for so long was known for French cuisine, getting the star two years after his restaurant Mono’ s opening is a source of great pride — as well as a “ very nice weight ” of responsibility.
“ On that side of the world, everyone is watching us. The fact of being the first Venezuelan to have a Michelin star makes people put their eyes on you, ” the 34-year-old chef told AFP.
“ But I tell them not to worry because we are representing our continent and our countries in the best way we can. ”
Located in Hong Kong’ s upscale Central district, Mono has already received region-wide approval — in 2021, it was among Asia’ s 50 Best Restaurants, the first such appearance for a Latin American joint.
It was initially billed as “ contemporary French ” because of Chaneton’ s experience in Mirazur, the famed French Riviera restaurant voted the world’ s best in 2019.
But a month into Mono’ s opening, diners were already calling his restaurant Latin American, he said.
“ That is what we wanted. That French element will always be there, but I was born in Venezuela, Colombian grandmother, Argentine grandfather, and that’ s how I put in my own flavour, ” the Caracas native said.
Different accents of spoken Spanish can be heard from Chaneton’ s open kitchen — his staff hail from Venezuela, Mexico, Guatemala and Brazil — and their dishes are a testament to the region’ s diverse tastes.
– Hong Kong’ s dining woes –
On Chaneton’ s menu is a French Racan pigeon fused with chimichurri and jicama — a root vegetable common in South American cuisine — and a wild Brittany turbot fillet that gets its vivid yellow colour thanks to annatto oil, popular in Latin and Asian dishes.
The sides are also reminiscent of street food familiar to Venezuelans or Mexicans — like fresh corn hallaquitas, which are like Venezuelan tamales, or arepas filled with lobster and slow-cooked beef.
“ We do not want to make a 100 percent traditional cuisine, but it is based on our perception and our interpretation of nostalgia and taste memories, ” the chef said.
Despite getting the star, Mono’ s experience has been anti-climatic given Hong Kong’ s coronavirus restrictions on indoor dining during an Omicron-fuelled wave.
Chaneton said he received news of the award on a January morning — the same day Hong Kong’ s government told restaurants to stop indoor dining after 6 pm.
“ We had that bittersweet experience all in the same day, ” Chaneton told AFP. “ I can’ t wait to provide Michelin star service at night. ”
With cases ebbing, the government has announced that nighttime dining will resume April 21.
He has no regrets over his circuitous path to his Michelin star, beginning in a Caracas pizza joint to mastering French cuisine under the leadership of legend Mauro Colagreco.
After working as the executive chef in Hong Kong’ s Petrus at the Shangri-La Hotel before striking out on his own, Chaneton said he is grateful for how “ fate has played ” with his culinary journey.
“ I think the most beautiful thing about Mono is that it is a window in Asia to the refined Latin American gastronomy, ” he said.
“ If I had won that star doing French cuisine, it would not have had the same weight. ”
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FM: Azerbaijan ready to meet halfway if Armenia sticks to peace process [ PHOTO ] | Azerbaijan is ready to meet halfway if Armenia is seriously involved in the peace process, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has said.
He made the remarks at a joint press conference with Italy's Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Luigi Di Maio in Baku.
`` In recent days, we have been hearing positive messages from Armenia in this direction. I hope this is indeed a display of a serious approach. Azerbaijan has openly expressed its position. If Armenia is really serious about this process, then Azerbaijan is ready to meet halfway and take concrete steps, '' he added.
The minister stressed that Italy will provide additional support to Azerbaijan in de-mining liberated territories.
`` During the meeting, we addressed the issues of mine safety and the mine-clearing process. My Italian colleague noted that their companies would take additional steps in this regard. They will help relevant Azerbaijani agencies in de-mining, '' Bayramov said.
The Azerbaijani minister informed his counterpart about the need to create a working group on the delimitation and demarcation of the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the proposals made to Armenia for a peace agreement, and the main basic principles of this agreement, presented by Azerbaijan in February.
Bayramov briefed Luigi Di Maio about Azerbaijan's proposals to Armenia to open communications in the region.
He underlined that Italy has been the first partner country of Azerbaijan to take part in the restoration of the territories liberated from Armenian occupation in the 2020 second Karabakh war.
The minister made the remarks at the `` Azerbaijan - Italy: Path to multifaceted strategic partnership '' conference at ADA University.
The minister stressed that Azerbaijan hopes for Italy's participation in the development of joint projects on renewable energy sources.
`` Azerbaijan is paying great attention to the development of renewable energy sources. We hope that Italian companies will take part in the development of joint projects in this area, '' Bayramov said.
Speaking about bilateral economic ties, the minister noted the importance of the energy sector.
`` There is high-level cooperation between the two countries in the oil and gas sector. The commissioning of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline ( TAP) allowed us to supply Azerbaijani gas to Italy, '' Bayramov stated.
Azerbaijan is currently one of the key partners of Italy, Luigi Di Maio said at the joint press conference.
According to Di Maio, it’ s necessary to diversify energy resources, and Italy has plans for energy security.
In his remarks at the '' Azerbaijan - Italy: Path to multifaceted strategic partnership '' conference at the ADA University, the Italian minister described Azerbaijan as his country's important energy partner.
According to him, gas cooperation has become a very important part of relations between Azerbaijan and Italy.
He emphasized that Azerbaijan and Italy cooperate at a high level not only in the energy sector but also in other sectors of the economy.
According to him, relations between the countries are developing in various fields, both in education and humanitarian and trade spheres.
The minister added that Azerbaijan and Italy have also strengthened their partnership in the energy sector thanks to the launch of the TAP project.
“ Azerbaijan and Italy have traditionally friendly relations. These friendly relations are built on a very solid foundation, ” Bayramov earlier told the joint press conference after his meeting with the Italian counterpart.
He said that Azerbaijani-Italian relations have successfully developed over the past 30 years and reached the level of strategic cooperation and partnership.
“ High-level visits between the two countries have played an important role in developing ties between the two countries, ” the minister added.
Bayramov underlined the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations with the Italian Republic.
The joint statement on strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries during Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Italy in February 2020 is of particular importance, he said.
The minister noted that Azerbaijan-Italy relations reached the level of strategic cooperation and partnership.
The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Italy reached $ 10 billion, Bayramov said.
It is scheduled to open an Azerbaijani cultural center in Italy, the minister added.
Bayramov noted the high-level cooperation between Italy and Azerbaijan established in the field of culture.
Of particular note is the work carried out by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in this area, the minister stressed.
`` Italian companies have extensive experience in the restoration of cultural monuments, and cooperation in this direction has been discussed, '' Bayramov said.
The minister said that Italy and Azerbaijan provided friendly support to each other during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He added that Azerbaijan provided assistance to Italian hospitals during high-level coronavirus infection in the country.
`` When there was a high spread of COVID-19 in Azerbaijan, specialists from Italy came to our country to help us, '' Bayramov said.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio signed a protocol on the first Strategic Dialogue.
The first meeting of the Azerbaijan-Italy Strategic Dialogue was held in Baku.
Moreover, the parties signed a document on the establishment of the university and later laid the foundation of the building of Italian-Azerbaijani University.
Jeyhun Bayramov, Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, Education Minister Emin Amrullayev and Di Maio took part in the groundbreaking ceremony.
Di Maio said that thanks to the creation of the Italian-Azerbaijani University, relations between the countries will reach a new level.
`` Today's ceremony is another confirmation of strong ties between Azerbaijan and Italy, '' he emphasized.
The Italian minister added that it’ s important to strengthen the academic partnership between the two countries. | general |
Georgia reports 217 coronavirus cases, 592 recoveries, 5 deaths | Georgia reported 217 coronavirus cases, 592 recoveries, and 5 deaths on Sunday, the official figures show, Trend reports citing 1tv.ge.
Georgian capital Tbilisi recorded the highest number of 107 Covid-19 cases within the last 24 hours, followed by the Imereti region with 34 cases, and the Guria region with 23 cases.
A total of 13 061 tests have been conducted in the past 24 hours throughout the country. Among them, 9 714 tests were rapid tests, while the remaining 3 347 were PCR tests.
The daily test-positivity rate stands at 1,66%, while 2,88% in the past 14 days.
Georgia’ s total case tally reached 1 649 222, among them 1 627 958 people recovered and 16 756 died. | general |
Oman's oil output to rise nearly 20% by 2025: S & P Global Ratings | In the ever-evolving crude market, the dearth of crude from Iran, Venezuela and, most recently,...
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GDP to expand 3.9% in 2022 thanks to higher oil prices, output
Oman, the largest Middle East oil producer outside OPEC, is forecast to boost its oil production to 1.135 million b/d by 2025, an 18.6% increase from 2021, as the OPEC+ group continues to relax curbs on its collective output, S & P Global Ratings said in a report.
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Oman's oil output will reach 1.040 million b/d in 2022, up from an estimated 957,000 b/d in 2021, the ratings agency said in an April 1 report.
Although Oman is not an OPEC member, it is part of the broader OPEC+ alliance, which has been gradually unwinding historical output cuts that were initiated in 2020 as the pandemic crippled economies and destroyed crude demand.
Oman's economy is set to benefit from higher oil prices and expand 3.9% in 2022, up from an estimated 2.1% in 2021, S & P Global Ratings said.
`` Following high fiscal and external pressures since 2015 that culminated in 2020 with the double shock from the COVID-19 pandemic and sharp fall in oil prices, we now expect Oman to benefit from higher oil prices and the government's ongoing reforms, '' the ratings agency said. `` Higher oil prices and production, about 90% double-dose vaccination rates for those 18 years and above, removal of pandemic-related measures, and public investment spending will drive stronger growth this year. ''
Oman is expected to enjoy higher oil revenue because it has based its 2022 budget on a `` conservative '' oil price of $ 50/b, the agency said.
S & P Global Ratings in February raised its Brent oil price assumptions to $ 85/b from $ 60/b for 2022 and to $ 70/b from $ 55/b for 2023.
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Junshi Biosciences Announces FDA Approval of | SHANGHAI, China, April 03, 2022 ( GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co., Ltd ( “ Junshi Biosciences, ” HKEX: 1877; SSE: 688180), a leading innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapies, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA) has approved its Investigational New Drug ( IND) application for its anti-CD112R monoclonal antibody ( TAB009/JS009) for the treatment of advanced solid tumors.
TAB009/JS009 is a recombinant humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody against human CD112R developed independently by Junshi Biosciences, for the treatment of advanced malignant tumors. CD112R, also known as PVRIG ( Poliovirus receptor-related immunoglobulin domain-containing protein), is a new immune checkpoint pathway discovered by the company. Dr. Sheng Yao, Senior Vice President of the company, is one of the discoverers of this novel pathway.
CD112R is a single-pass transmembrane protein of the PVR family, mainly expressed on T cells and NK cells, and is significantly upregulated upon activation. CD112R and TIGIT share a common ligand, CD112, which is expressed on the surface of antigen-presenting cells and certain tumor cells. CD112R can inhibit the anti-tumor effect of T cells and NK cells after ligand engagement. TAB009/JS009 binds specifically to CD112R with high affinity and effectively blocks the interaction between CD112R and its ligand CD112, thereby facilitating the activation and proliferation of T cells and NK cells and enhancing the immune system’ s ability to kill tumor cells. To date, no product targeting CD112R has been approved for marketing globally.
TIGIT is another immunosuppressive target of the PVR family. Its ligands include PVR and CD112, and its binding site for CD112 is different from that of CD112R. TAB009/JS009 can work synergistically with TIGIT blocking antibodies to promote T cell activation. Pre-clinical in vivo pharmacodynamics has shown that TAB009/JS009 in combination with the anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody ( TAB006/JS006) developed independently by the company exhibits significant synergistic anti-tumor effects. The investigational new drug application for TAB006/JS006 has already been approved by both China’ s National Medical Products Administration ( NMPA) and the U.S. FDA.
In addition, TAB009/JS009 in combination with TAB006/JS006 as well as the company’ s commercialized product toripalimab, the anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, can further increase T-cell activation and improve the efficacy of clinical treatment. Junshi Biosciences plans to actively explore drug combinations to maximize the synergistic anti-tumor potential of its self-developed products.
About Junshi BiosciencesFounded in December 2012, Junshi Biosciences ( HKEX: 1877; SSE: 688180) is an innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative therapeutics. The company has established a diversified R & D pipeline comprising over 50 drug candidates, with five therapeutic focus areas covering cancer, autoimmune, metabolic, neurological, and infectious diseases. Junshi Biosciences was the first Chinese pharmaceutical company that obtained marketing approval for anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody in China. Its first-in-human anti-BTLA monoclonal antibody for tumors was the first in the world to be approved for clinical trials by the FDA and NMPA and has since entered Phase Ib/II trials in both China and the US. Its anti-PCSK9 monoclonal antibody was the first in China to be approved for clinical trials by the NMPA.
In the face of the pandemic, Junshi Biosciences’ response was strong and immediate, joining forces with Chinese and international scientific research institutions and enterprises to develop an arsenal of drug candidates to combat COVID-19, taking the initiative to shoulder the social responsibility of Chinese pharmaceutical companies by prioritizing and accelerating COVID-19 R & D. Among the many drug candidates is JS016 ( etesevimab), China’ s first neutralizing fully human monoclonal antibody against SARS-CoV-2 and the result of the combined efforts of Junshi Biosciences, the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Science and Lilly. JS016 administered with bamlanivimab has been granted Emergency Use Authorizations ( “ EUA ”) in over 15 countries and regions worldwide. Meanwhile, VV116, a new oral nucleoside analog anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug designed to hinder virus replication, is in global Phase III clinical trials. The JS016 and VV116 programs are a part of the company’ s continuous innovation for disease control and prevention of the global pandemic.
Junshi Biosciences has more than 2,800 employees in the United States ( San Francisco and Maryland) and China ( Shanghai, Suzhou, Beijing and Guangzhou). For more information, please visit: http: //junshipharma.com.
Junshi Biosciences Contact InformationIR Team: Junshi Biosciencesinfo @ junshipharma.com+ 86 021-2250 0300
Goby GlobalBob Aibai @ gobyglobal.com+ 1 646-389-6658
PR Team: Junshi BiosciencesZhi Lizhi li @ junshipharma.com+ 86 021-6105 8800 | general |
12 new cases of COVID-19 revealed in Kyrgyzstan | Kyrgyz health authorities added 12 fresh cases of coronavirus infection on Sunday, Trend reports citing Kabar.
The latest report received from the Republican Headquarters for Combating COVID-19 showed that now the country's total count of infections stands at 200,968.
The HQ also reported that 10 more coronavirus patients have cured in the last 24-hours period, taking the total number of those recovered to 196,243.
1 new virus-associated death was recorded, pushing the nationwide death toll to 2,991.
According to the report, number of patients receiving treatment in hospitals of Kyrgyzstan is 90, and 57 people are being treated at home. | general |
Iran reveals COVID-19 data for April 3 | As many as 1,275 people have been infected with the coronavirus ( COVID-19) in the past 24 hours in Iran, reads the statement of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran, Trend reports.
In addition, 38 people have died from the coronavirus over the past day.
At the same time, the condition of 1,667 people remains critical.
So far, more than 49.5 million tests have been conducted in Iran for the diagnosis of coronavirus.
In total, over 147 million doses of vaccines have been used in Iran so far. A total of 63.9 million doses have been used on the first stage, 56.9 million doses - on the second stage, and 26.2 million doses – on the third stage.
Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. According to recent reports from Iranian officials, over 7.16 million people have been infected, and 140,315 people have already died.
Meanwhile, over 6.88 million people have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread of the virus.
Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease. The Islamic Republic announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19.
The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019.
The World Health Organization ( WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. | general |
UK hits record COVID-19 levels with nearly 5 million infected | Some 4.9 million people were estimated to have the coronavirus in the week ending March 26, up from 4.3 million recorded in the previous week, the Office for National Statistics said on Friday.
The latest surge is driven by the more transmissible omicron variant BA.2, which is the dominant variant across the UK.
Hospitalisations and death rates are again rising, although the number of people dying with COVID-19 is still relatively low compared with earlier this year. Nonetheless, the latest estimates suggest that the steep climb in new infections since late February, when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson scrapped all remaining coronavirus restrictions in England, has continued well into March.
The figures came on the same day the government ended free rapid COVID-19 tests for most people in England, under Johnson's “ living with COVID ” plan. People who do not have health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus now need to pay for tests to find out if they are infected. | general |
New inventory technology can tackle supply chain shortages | Hi, what are you looking for?
Advanced reporting and analytics functions in inventory management systems allow telecom retailers to make highly informed decisions.
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Published
How can retailers resolve supply chain shortages? New inventory management solutions can help to bridge this s well as allowing telecom retailers to provide a unifying customer experience. We probe this further an look at one technological example.
Supply-chain disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively impact the telecom retail industry, which is exacerbated by the global silicon chip shortage. Additional supply-chain challenges include managing inventory, preventing theft, protecting data integrity, and streamlining omnichannel delivery logistics.
The economic disruption means that it is essential for the retail industry to adapt quickly. Demand is rising as carriers retire the 3G network and consumers are poised to gravitate from 3G and 4G adopt 5G and purchase new devices.
A survey from Deloitte ( reported in the Wall Street Journal) shows that 28 percent of U.S. consumers will likely buy a compatible smartphone when 5G service is available in their area ( which can be broken down further to show this applies to about 40 percent of Gen Z and millennials).
Stacy Hamer, VP of Client Experiences at iQmetrix, tells Digital Journal that she believes that retailers using the latest inventory management tech solutions have a strong competitive advantage as device sales boom.
To demonstrate this trend, iQmetrix has developed a robust, centrally managed, advanced inventory management solution that can be integrated into an existing tech stack and effectively control telecom stock. These new features will help resolve retail numerous pain points.
As examples:
Intelligent data
Advanced reporting and analytics functions in inventory management systems allow telecom retailers to make highly informed decisions about which items to order, as well as optimal in-stock levels and replenishment schedules. Therefore, telecom retailers can avoid overstocking or understocking by analyzing the data such as historical sales and past promotions’ impact.
Standardizing product identification data
Inventory management is no longer about just one system. It is a wider technological ecosystem, including carrier-mandated device inventory, vendor-managed accessories, sales data, and analytics. Having standardized product identification data across all those systems–and any others–gives retailers clarity and offers customers more options. For example, customers can return a product to any store, regardless if it is a corporate or authorized retailer-operated location. C
hanges in pricing, promotion, and product naming can also be fed into every store’ s inventory system instantaneously and consistently.
Reducing fraud and theft
Employee theft of physical inventory is always a risk in any retail sector with high-value, desirable products. These kinds of losses are a huge blow to the retailer, as the items are extremely valuable and it is tough to recover the profits. To combat employee theft and other forms of fraud, retailers can use the serial number, which is provided by cell phone manufacturers and unique to the specific item, to track items throughout their entire life cycle, across all retail locations. The traceable data help retailers maintain a clear record, showing where the item is at any given point and who has handled the item at each stage, which may deter employees from even attempting a theft.
Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news. Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.
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