In a historic victory in the just concluded , celebrated actor-turned-politician, John Dumelo has emerged as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ayawaso West constituency. Representing the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dumelo defeated the incumbent candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mrs Lydia Alhassan, in a keenly contested race that has captured national attention. The final results saw Dumelo secure 47,560 votes, significantly outpacing Mrs Alhassan, who garnered 39,214 votes. This decisive margin reflects a growing endorsement of Dumelo’s vision for transformative leadership in the constituency. Dumelo’s victory is particularly significant as it marks a comeback after his narrow loss in the 2020 elections to the same opponent. His 2024 campaign focused on pressing local issues, including infrastructure development, youth and women empowerment, education reforms, and job creation. These resonated strongly with voters, particularly young people, who were drawn to his promise of social change and community empowerment. In his victory speech, Dumelo expressed profound gratitude to the electorate, saying: “This victory is not just for me, but for the people of Ayawaso West. Together, we will build a stronger, more prosperous community. “I am committed to fulfilling every promise I made during this campaign.” The result is seen as a seismic shift in Ayawaso West, a constituency long considered an NPP stronghold. Dumelo’s achievement testifies to the growing appeal of individuals who bring relatable, issue-based campaigns to the political arena. His campaign leveraged grassroots engagement and focused on inclusivity, drawing support from diverse demographics within the constituency. This victory also signifies the rising influence of the NDC in traditionally competitive regions, signalling broader implications for the party’s momentum in the national political landscape.
Littler, who won the Grand Slam of Darts last week, hit checkouts of 170, 164 and 136 as he threatened to overturn an early deficit, but Humphries held his nerve to win the last three legs. “I’m really, really proud of that one to be honest,” Humphries told Sky Sports. FOR THE SECOND TIME 🏆🏆 Luke Humphries retains his 2024 Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals title, beating Luke Littler 11-7 in the final. — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) “I didn’t feel myself this week playing-wise, I felt like I was a dart behind in a lot of the scenarios but there’s something that Luke does to you. He really drives me, makes me want to be a better player and I enjoy playing him. “He let me in really early in that first session to go 4-1 up, I never looked back and I’m proud that I didn’t take my foot off the gas. These big games are what I live for. “Luke is a special talent and he was right – I said to him I’ve got to get these (titles) early before he wins them all. “I’d love to be up here and hitting 105 averages like Luke is all the time but he’s a different calibre, he’s probably the best player in the world right now but there’s something about me that never gives up. “This is a great way to go into the worlds.” HUMPHRIES GOES BACK-TO-BACK! 🏆 Luke Humphries retains his Players Championship Finals title! Cool Hand puts on an absolute clinic to defeat Luke Littler 11-7 in an epic final! 📺 | Final — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) Littler, who lost the world championship final to Humphries last year, said: “It was tough, missed a few doubles and if you don’t take chances early on, it’s a lot to come back. “I hit the 170 and the 164 but just didn’t have enough in the end. “It’s been a good past two weeks. I just can’t wait to go home, chill out, obviously practice at home for the worlds. That’s it now, leading up to the big one.”
Pegasus Spyware Infections Proliferate Across iOS, Android DevicesPeople facing long waits for NHS weight loss services could be taking matters into their own hands by buying potentially unsafe jabs online, the nation’s top GP has warned. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, warned some people are putting themselves at risk by purchasing drugs online from unregulated retailers, as well as potentially missing out on wraparound support needed alongside the medication. She also raised concerns about the safety of cheaper alternatives to the pre-filled injection pens which involve people preparing part of the medicine at home. It comes as the medicines regulator warned against buying weight loss medicines without a prescription on social media or through beauty salons. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) urged people to be aware of fake pharmacy websites and social media posts offering weight-loss medicines illegally without a prescription. It warned criminals will go to “great lengths” to make their businesses appear “authentic” and the products they are selling could potentially contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”. Andy Morling, MHRA’s deputy director of criminal enforcement, said: “At this time of year, with many of us thinking about shedding a little excess weight, we see people offering weight loss medicines for sale as a quick fix, without a healthcare professional’s prescription, from beauty salons, websites and on social media. “These are not cosmetic treatments; they are powerful medicines that can only be legally and safely dispensed against a prescription issued by a healthcare professional. “Fake pharmacy websites and social media sellers illegally supply medicines that are not approved for use in the UK. These may contain toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm, and you may even end up in hospital.” Meanwhile, Prof Hawthorne said the population is “gradually getting bigger and bigger” and has called on the Government to improve existing weight reduction services by ensuring they are properly resourced and have enough staff to meet demand. She urged people to reach out for help from their GPs before turning to the internet to buy drugs online. In an interview with the PA news agency, Prof Hawthorne said: “I think quite a lot of people are buying weight loss drugs privately. “We do have some serious concerns about that, because you don’t always know the provenance of the drugs that you’re buying unless it’s coming from an accredited company that’s properly regulated, and some of these places are not fully regulated. “So I think I would definitely be counselling the public not to do that privately, if they can possibly help it, and go to their GP.” Prof Hawthorne added that patients may not be getting appropriate wraparound care when they purchase the drugs online. The vast public and political interest in new weight loss drugs has made urgent action to address longstanding issues across the entire range of treatment services an unavoidable priority. We are pleased to see so much media interest in the report https://t.co/ff1gHmHuZf — Obesity Health Alliance (@OHA_updates) October 16, 2024 She continued: “The place where I’m working we are referring people to weight loss clinics, but there’s a very long wait. “In the meantime, we’re talking about what else they can be doing to lose weight.” Asked if the long wait for weight management services could be turning people to buying drugs online, she said: “Yes, I’m sure that they do. “If you’re faced with a two-year waiting time and you want to lose weight now, and you know that there is a way that you can lose weight, you know that drug works because nobody’s denying that they don’t work, you might well decide that you’re going to just sort it out yourself. “I would definitely suggest that you come and talk to your doctor or practice nurse about what you’re intending to do and let them help you – they may know ways of helping you that you haven’t thought about. “So definitely come and talk about it. Please don’t go off and buy a (weight-loss injection) unless it is under the supervision of a medically qualified doctor.” Prof Hawthorne went on: “We are as a population gradually getting bigger and bigger, and that brings with it a huge amount of chronic illness. “We are calling on the Government to improve the services for weight reduction.” A recent Obesity Health Alliance report highlighted how some patients are being asked to wait for up to five years for specialist weight management support. Some overweight and obesity management services are so overstretched that they have closed their waiting lists entirely. The alliance claimed the provision of services is “insufficient and unavailable to a significant number of people”. Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, told PA: “Weight loss medications offer hope of tangible improvements in the lives of people with severe, chronic obesity. “However, these drugs are only safe and effective for those for whom they are medically appropriate, as prescribed by a legitimate prescriber, and are not a long-term solution for the millions of people living with obesity.” Today we are joining @OHA_updates in calling for an urgent review of how obesity is treated in @NHSEngland . Their new report warns new pharmaceutical treatments have caused a wave of demand, adding enormous pressure to already over stretched services: https://t.co/5dP4mZMIVa pic.twitter.com/M2gurXIA2c — The BMA (@TheBMA) October 16, 2024 Earlier this year, NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said “weight loss drugs will be a game-changer”, but “without transforming pathways they could overwhelm already-stretched services”. Obese people have been told they “will have to wait” for the so-called King Kong of weight-loss jabs, Mounjaro, amid a carefully managed NHS rollout, which spans 12 years. In the initial three years of its rollout, an estimated 220,000 people could benefit from the drug, out of around 3.4 million people estimated to be eligible. Those with the highest need will be front of the queue and NHS officials have pledged to review the rollout after the initial phase. The latest Health Survey for England shows 64% of adults were overweight or obese in 2022. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Obesity can be debilitating, costing lives, the economy and the NHS. “The introduction of the weight loss drugs to the NHS will ensure that those with the most need will receive treatment first. “Where appropriate, these obesity drugs can greatly benefit those in real need. “However, we recognise these drugs are not a replacement for a good diet and exercise and as part of our 10 Year Health Plan we will shift the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention.”
Registered initially in 1958 by CIBA-GEIGY, atrazine has been a major agricultural herbicide in the US for more than 30 years. Manufactured by Swiss-based agrochemical giant Syngenta, it is a chlorinated triazine systemic herbicide. Pesticide products containing atrazine are registered for use on “field corn, sweet corn, sorghum, and sugarcane, wheat, macadamia nuts, and guava, as well as non-agricultural uses such as nursery/ornamental and turf.” Around 80 million pounds (over 36 million kilograms) of atrazine are What’s Wrong with Atrazine? The compound’s “chemical properties make it susceptible to leaching and runoff, especially during heavy rains,” according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Atrazine lingers in soil for months, or years in some types of soil, and can reach groundwater through runoff, research carried out by German scientists and in 2010 showed. A study published in 2014 found that in Germany, “even 20 years after the ban of atrazine, the groundwater concentrations of sampled [observation wells] remain on a level close to the threshold value of 0.1 μg l−1 without any considerable decrease.” Around 30 million Americans in 28 states have some level of atrazine in their drinking water, a report by the Environmental Working Group in 2018. Screenshot showing container of weed killer atrazine. © Photo Is It Dangerous for Humans? Short answer: . Atrazine (ATR) can cause as well as and , a study of Kentucky counties in 1997 published in and Chinese research featured in in 2023 . There was a “statistically significant increase in breast cancer risk with medium and high levels of triazine exposure,” researchers at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in 1997. Atrazine can increase proliferation rate of according to featured in ScienceDirect in 2023. Atrazine exposure causes , including , and more. US researchers found that “higher county levels of atrazine were associated with infant diagnoses of gastroschisis,” a rare birth defect where an opening in the newborn’s abdomen wall causes the intestines to spill outside the body, published in in 2024. Children of mothers with high levels of exposure to atrazine “had nearly a two-fold increase in risk for choanal atresia or stenosis,” which lead to life-threatening respiratory symptoms, said a Texas the National Library of Medicine in 2014. Endocrine disruption, interrupting regular hormone function, irregular estrogen levels and menstrual cycles, decreased sperm count in men, abnormal birth weight and unexplained infertility are all linked to the compound, as substantiated by international studies, were laid out in the International Journal of Ecosystem in 2011, and by Canada's Bureau of Reproductive and Child Health. Atrazine may cause , US research titled “ ” published by the National Library of Medicine in 2016 . of atrazine “align with pathological characteristics in Parkinson’s disease,” and studies support “a strong evidence base that low-concentration ATZ exposure during development can elicit increased risk of neurodegeneration,” a January 2024 study showed. Screenshot of publication on reapproval of atrazine by US EPA in 2020. © Photo : Despite the overwhelming science linking atrazine use to severe illness, the US EPA in 2020 for another 15 years. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that atrazine is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans, allowing its continued use with new requirements. Why Was It Reapproved & Who Lobbied For Atrazine? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) openly acknowledges in its September 1994 that banning atrazine would impose “costs on farmers and consumers” ranging between “$517 million and $665 million.” US agrochemicals giant (acquired by Germany’s Bayer in 2018) also had a finger in the pie. While not a primary manufacturer of atrazine, its flagship product, Roundup, contains the toxic weed killer ingredient . Monsanto invested $4.6 million to influence agricultural policy and pesticide regulations in 2016, . Monsanto coordinated its lobbying strategies at the national, EU, and international levels with atrazine-maker Syngenta, according to Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO). Ex-Monsanto staff got powerful positions in government, while scientists were paid to act as mouthpieces, . During the US EPA review of atrazine in 2003, industry lobbyists reportedly participated in with EPA regulators. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is entwined financially with large agribusiness corporations. Its insurance affiliates have bought stock in companies like the US multinational food corporation Cargill, wrote in 2012. Cargill Inc. $1,060,000 lobbying in 2024. Screenshot showing annual lobbying by Cargill Inc. © Photo : Center for Responsive Politics Farm groups including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Corn Growers Association, and Agricultural Retailers Association, along with state farm bureaus and grower groups and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, with the EPA in 2022 urging to refrain from restricting the use of atrazine. They argued that this would " ." From 2005 to 2010, ten leading agribusiness interests spent $127 million lobbying Congress and federal agencies, fielding 159 lobbyists in 2010, with Monsanto and the American Farm Bureau leading the pack, by Environment Maryland in 2012 showed. Syngenta spent $260,000 lobbying the Environmental Protection Agency and other government officials, an Associated Press showed in 2004. The EPA, tethered to the interests of the pesticide industry, has since recalculated the level of concern for atrazine as 9.7 μg/L measured as a 60-day average (July 2024) following a peer review. Its cumulative on atrazine “ .” 24 June 2020, 20:14 GMT
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Robinson won't appear at Trump's North Carolina rally after report on online posts, AP sources sayClosing Bell: Saudi main index rises to close at 11,864Rich countries' promise of $300 billion a year in climate finance brought fury at talks in Baku from poor nations that found it too paltry, but it also shows a shift in global political realities. The two-week marathon COP29 climate conference opened days after the decisive victory in the US presidential election of Donald Trump, a sceptic both of climate change and foreign aid. In the new year, Germany, Canada and Australia all hold elections in which conservatives less supportive of green policies stand chances of victory. Britain is an exception, with the new Labour government putting climate high back on the agenda, but in much of the West, concerns about inflation and budgetary shocks from Russia's invasion of Ukraine have dented enthusiasm for aggressive climate measures. At COP29, Germany and the European Union maintained their roles championing climate but also advocated a noticeably practical approach on how much money historical polluters should give poorer countries. "We live in a time of truly challenging geopolitics, and we should simply not have the illusion" otherwise, European climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra told bleary-eyed delegates at COP29's pre-dawn closing session Sunday, as activists in the back loudly coughed to drown him out. But he vowed leadership by Europe, hailing COP29 as "the start of a new era for climate finance". German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, a Green party member and longtime climate advocate, called for flexibility on ways to provide funding. Europe should "live up to its responsibilities, but in a way that it doesn't make promises it can't keep", she said. Avinash Persaud, special advisor on climate change to the president of the Inter-American Development Bank, called the final deal "the boundary between what is politically achievable today in developed countries and what would make a difference in developing countries". Activists say that climate funding is a duty, not choice, for wealthy nations whose decades of greenhouse gas emissions most contributed to the crisis that most hits the poorest. This year is again set to be the hottest on record on the planet. Just since COP29, deadly storms have battered the Philippines and Honduras, and Ecuador declared a national emergency due to drought and forest fires. Wealthy historic emitters' promise of $300 billion a year by 2035 is a step up from an expiring commitment of $100 billion annually, but all sides acknowledge it is not enough. The COP29 agreement cites the need for $1.3 trillion per year, meaning a whopping $1 trillion a year needs to come from elsewhere. Even within the $300 billion commitment, some activists see too much wiggle room. "It is, to some extent, almost an empty promise," said Mariana Paoli, the global advocacy lead at London-based development group Christian Aid. She described the target as "creative accounting", saying there was not enough clarity on how much money would come from public funds and in grants rather than loans. She acknowledged the politics of the moment but said that wealthy nations had options such as taxation on fossil fuel companies. "There is a backlash because there is no political will," she said. In one closely scrutinised part of the Baku deal, countries will be able to count climate finance through international financial institutions toward the $300 billion goal. The text states that it is "voluntary" -- potentially opening the way to include China, which is the world's largest emitter but refuses to have requirements like long-developed countries. In a joint statement at COP29, multilateral development banks led by the Washington-based World Bank Group but also including the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank -- which has long faced US criticism -- expected that they together can provide $120 billion annually in climate financing and mobilise another $65 billion from the private sector by 2030. Melanie Robinson, director of the global climate program at the World Resources Institute, said there were good reasons to rely on multinational development banks, including how much capital they can leverage and their tools to advance green policies. "They are the most effective way to turn each dollar of finance into impact on the ground," she said. She agreed that the $300 billion was insufficient but added, "It's a down payment on what we need." Beyond the debate on dollar figures, she pointed to an initiative within the G20 by Brazil, which holds COP30 next year, to reform financial institutions so as to incorporate debtor nations as well as climate concerns. "There is really a much bigger opportunity for us -- which is shifting the whole financial system," she said. sct/giv
Omnicell, Inc. (NASDAQ:OMCL) Stock Position Reduced by BNP Paribas Financial MarketsAboard the boat, Milliman’s schedule is pretty regimented. “For me, it’s BLD, BLD, BLD — breakfast, lunch, dinner, breakfast, lunch dinner, breakfast, lunch, dinner,” he says. TRAVERSE CITY — You never know where life is going to take you. It took Jim Milliman to the Mississippi River, where he’s been working on a tugboat since spring 2022. Longtime Traverse City area residents and food aficionados will remember Milliman as one of the breakthrough chefs who came on the scene in the 1980s and 1990s and contributed to a transformation of the local food landscape. He first established Hattie’s in Suttons Bay in 1987, operating it for 18 years before going on and starting Hanna in downtown Traverse City. He kept Hanna going until the economy started faltering around 2008. “I knew there would be devastation, so I decided I wanted to be on a list of one restaurant for sale and not 30 and decided to sell,” he recalls. Milliman worked as an adjunct faculty member of Northwestern Michigan College for a while and also spent a winter working at a restaurant in the Caribbean at one point, eventually going to work as a business consultant for Gordon Food Service. One of his responsibilities during the 11 years he spent there included taking on a role that was not unlike that of Robert Irvine of The Food Network’s “Restaurant Impossible” but without the bluster, helping customers solve problems that were impeding their success. “Basically I’d go into places that were struggling and help them take steps forward,” he says. “I had some really nice success stories.” Milliman relocated to Nashville, Kentucky during that time. When he was laid off because the restaurant industry ground to a halt during COVID, the now 72-year-old could have retired but didn’t really want to. His son suggested that he should try something completely different — like see if there might be some kind of a chef opening at a place like the McMurdo Station in Antarctica. While Milliman thought that was a little far, the lifelong boater discovered that there were culinary opportunities on tugboats. Jim Millman works for the Nashville-based Ingram Barge Company. He works a four weeks on, four weeks off schedule aboard the tugboat Martha Ingram that has him traveling the Mississippi River from Kentucky to north of New Orleans and back again. That’s what brought him to the Nashville-based Ingram Barge Company. He works a four weeks on, four weeks off schedule aboard the tugboat Martha Ingram that has him traveling the Mississippi River from Kentucky to north of New Orleans and back again as the tugboat pushes barges carrying everything from coal to chemicals. “This whole project is about working part-time,” he says. “I remember a doctor at Munson (Medical Center in Traverse City), who has sadly passed away. But when he retired he said ‘What’s so neat is I have control of my time,’ and I’ve never forgotten that. This allows me control of my time.” To a point. Aboard the boat, his schedule is pretty regimented. “For me, it’s BLD, BLD, BLD — breakfast, lunch, dinner, breakfast, lunch dinner, breakfast, lunch, dinner,” he says. “There’s a total of eight of us on the boat, so it’s not a lot. They work six hours on, six hours off from the captain on down. They’re very hard working.” Milliman puts in about 11 hours each day he works, getting up at 3:45 a.m. to prepare and serve breakfast by 5. He goes back to bed for two hours before rising to make lunch, which runs from 11 a.m. to noon and per company policy is equivalent to a hearty meal versus the more typical sandwich or salad. There’s a little free time in the afternoon, with dinner from 5 to 6 p.m. “Both lunch and dinner are more like dinner,” he says. While many who followed and loved Milliman’s work as a chef might imagine having him cooking for them 24-7 to be a foodie dream come true, the tugboat crew is a more meat and potatoes type of crowd. “The tastes on the boat are maybe just simpler,” he says. “So a box of scalloped potatoes is better than trying to do it from scratch. I view my job as that I am here to serve them, I’m not here to serve them Hattie’s or Hanna’s food. I’m here to make sure they have food to eat ... if you could do meat and mashed potatoes every day, that would be fine — and pizza.” He does some signature meals, Taco Tuesdays being one. “We’re not supposed to serve sandwiches, but I’ll do unique sandwiches like a Reuben and patty melt,” he notes. The crew appreciates what he does, Milliman says. While he’s not making beef and chicken stocks from scratch, for example, he does occasionally attempt to get them to try new things. “So I made coconut curry lentils (and the response is) ‘What’s a lentil?’ he laughs. “I tell them to just give it a try, it’s a bean. ‘But it doesn’t look like a bean,’ (someone will say).” He plans menus out by the week and orders groceries from companies along the way, often grocery stores on the Mississippi that have a marine division to serve river traffic. They’re typically large orders. Everyone on the boat pitches in to load the groceries, then Milliman spends a few hours putting it all away. Milliman reads a lot. He’s always liked to write, too, which is one of the ways he passes his time on the tugboat. In fact, his current work has helped inspire the 16 and counting “Chef on a Tugboat” blog entries he’s posted at medium.com . “While I’m out here cooking, I’m also collecting ideas and thoughts and trying to translate them to the written word,” he says. He’s not sure how long he’ll continue to work on the tugboat. Meanwhile, he’s getting involved in a nonprofit in Nashville that works with teenagers who have been incarcerated to teach them culinary skills. Milliman would eventually like to come back to Michigan and bring his own boat back with him to sail on the Great Lakes. “I miss the adventure of Michigan,” he says. “In Nashville, it gets so galdarned hot.” And he continues to write. As he says in one of his blogs, “Someday full retirement will commence. For now I write and cook ... and sleep.”