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NoneGive up stubbornness, talk to farmers: Punjab CM Mann to CentrePopular Mozambique rapper Nikotina KF is rattled and stressed after facing police tear gas and rubber bullets just hours earlier but is determined to bring his voice to the youth-led protests running through his country. On the streets and in music videos that get thousands of views on YouTube, the 32-year-old musician is throwing himself into the waves of demonstrations that have gripped Mozambique since disputed October 9 elections. “I don’t think this is a political issue. It’s a social issue,” Nikotina told AFP on a busy street in Maputo’s rundown Mafalala neighborhood, his face tired and drawn after that morning’s protest dispersed by police. Rights groups say security forces killed dozens of people in youth-led protests called by opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who rejects results showing he lost the presidential election to the Frelimo party that has governed for nearly 50 years. “People already had the gunpowder; Venancio lit the fuse,” said Nikotina, whose real name is Higino Fumo. “People realize that one group of people has a lot and another has very little. This creates social divides.” The southern African nation has ample resources — including newly discovered natural offshore gas — but more than 70 percent of its people live in poverty, according to the African Development Bank. Around two-thirds of the population of 33 million is under 25, according to UN figures, and young people are most affected by unemployment or underemployment. The despair of Mozambique’s youth, for whom the election had held the promise of change, is the theme of Nikotina’s latest collaboration, “Pray for Mozambique”, which shows him selling loaves of bread in a humble market. “You want to make a living, but you end up losing it when a policeman takes your peace away,” he sings in Portuguese in the clip, which had nearly 100,000 views in the week after it was published in early December. “I can die for everything, but I won’t live for nothing,” he sings. At least to dream “I’m not mobilizing young people because of Venancio,” the rapper, who often wears his trademark baseball cap and a single earring, told AFP. “I’m using my influence to promote the fundamental right to demonstrate that is in the Constitution of the Republic of Mozambique.” It is a point he makes in “Artigo 51 Uma Aula De Direito” (“Article 51 A Lesson in Law”). “For me, the biggest problem of young people is lack of hope. It is important that the government creates mechanisms for young people to at least dream.” His message and music inspire a huge following of fans and he is regularly stopped in the street to sign autographs or take pictures. As long as there is no hope for a better future, young people will not give up the protests, said Zilton Macas, a 29-year-old barber in Maputo’s Maxaquene neighborhood that has become a demonstration hotspot. “We young people really lack jobs,” he said. “In the past 10 years, Mozambique has become a lion’s den where only some people are able to survive.” Juvencia Bila, 43, graduated more than a dozen years ago with a degree in environmental management but has only found work selling fast food. “You grow up being encouraged by your mum and dad to study to have a better future. I went to school and even looked for a job from an early age, but it came to nothing,” she said from her stall, her university graduation cap on her head. Wilson Lobo, 24, ekes out a meagre living as an agent for mobile wallet apps, a far cry from his plans for a better life that led him to leave his rural province of Zambezia. “We want a different government to see if the country is poor or if it’s the leaders who are making the country poor,” he told AFP. Power to the people Using his profile to speak out in Mozambique’s increasingly bitter standoff has led to threats against him and his family, Nikotina said. It is a mission to which he committed after the death in March 2023 of his idol Mano Azagaia, one of the most respected social justice rappers in Mozambique and other Portuguese-speaking countries. In front of a mural of Azagaia, whose 2008 “Povo no Poder” (“People Power”) has long been an anthem of anti-government protests in Mozambique, he raises a fist of solidarity. — AFP
(Photo by Skitterphoto via Pexels) By Stephen Beech via SWNS Cleaning surfaces every two hours at airports cuts potentially deadly norovirus infections by 83%, according to a new study. Researchers found that airport restaurants had the highest risk of norovirus transmission . But frequently disinfecting surfaces, mask-wearing and antimicrobial surface coatings at the transport hubs can all help prevent the highly contagious illness - also known as the winter vomiting bug - from spreading, say scientists. Study author Professor Nan Zhang, of the Beijing University of Technology in China, said: "Norovirus causes severe vomiting and diarrhea and is responsible for about 685 million cases and 200,000 deaths each year. "The virus is primarily transmitted through surfaces and outbreaks during air travel are especially common, due to the large number of public surfaces in airports." (PLOS Computational Biology via SWNS) To investigate the risk of norovirus infection from surfaces among passengers in different zones of the airport, the research team collected real touch data from 21.3 hours of video, which captured almost 26,000 touches. They developed a model of surface transmission and simulated the risk of infection from norovirus and the effectiveness of various interventions in different airport areas. More from this section Zhang said: "The touch data showed that, without any interventions, restaurants at airports had the highest risk of norovirus transmission, with approximately 4.6 out of 51,494 travelers infected. "Disinfecting public surfaces every two hours reduced the risk of norovirus infection per visit to the airport by 83.2%. "In contrast, handwashing every two hours reduced the risk by only 2%, and mask-wearing 50% of the time reduced risk by 48.0%, because masks stop people from touching their face. CDC "Furthermore, using antimicrobial copper or copper-nickel alloy coatings for most public surfaces lowered the infection risk by 15.9% to 99.2%." He says the study, published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology , provides "crucial" insights for developing infection prevention and control strategies specifically tailored for norovirus within airport environments. Zhang noted that the data for the study was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic , so surface-touching behaviors may have been different from normal. But he said that, overall, the simulated results indicated that public surface disinfection, mask-wearing wearing and the use of antimicrobial surfaces are effective ways of controlling the spread of norovirus via surfaces. Zhang added: "Regular surface infection is much more effective than regular handwashing for blocking norovirus transmission via fomite route in airports."20ft garlands from 200kg flowers, petal showers bring extra biz in poll season
Quebec hospital steps into the future with robot tech for knee surgeries
China isn’t short of options when it comes to critical minerals that could be used as counters in a trade war with the US. Beijing’s ban on Tuesday covering sales to the US of gallium, germanium, antimony and superhard materials, and tighter controls on graphite, are likely an opening salvo in export controls that could be extended to dozens of niche materials if trade frictions with Washington escalate. “This may only be the start of the country ensuring national security and its strategic role in mineral resources,” Citic Securities said in a note. The state-backed brokerage listed 10 commodities, including the 17 elements grouped as rare earths, in which China holds an outsized role as producer or processor. The minerals are typically crucial to high-tech manufacturing, including so-called dual uses in military applications. Beijing’s latest restrictions were imposed after the White House on Monday slapped fresh curbs on the sale to China of high-end memory chips made by US and foreign companies. The Biden administration is using targeted measures to slow the country’s development of advanced semiconductors and artificial intelligence systems that may help its military. President-elect Donald Trump, however, has threatened import tariffs as high as 60 percent on all Chinese goods, a measure that would invite a heavy response from Beijing. Beijing is reminding Washington —including the incoming Trump administration — that it has a new arrow in its quiver, said Bloomberg Economics. We expect a second US-China trade war in Donald Trump’s second term. One key difference could be that Beijing escalates by using export controls in response to US tariffs. As well as rare earths, Citic’s list includes tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, tin, indium, chromium, tantalum, niobium and cesium as candidates for export curbs. China also enjoys dominance in other commodities such as arsenic, which has a wide range of applications from herbicides to telecommunications. In recent years, the US has relied on China for 60 percent of its supply of the metal, according to the US Geological Survey. Rare earths, meanwhile, have been a feature of China’s previous trade disputes, and last year the government halted the export of a range of technologies associated with processing the elements, making it harder for the US and its allies to bolster supplies of the strategic raw materials. In the wake of Beijing’s ban, investors rushed into companies that mine and refine critical minerals. In China, Yunnan Lincang Xinyuan Germanium Industrial Co. surged by 10 percent, the daily limit, while Yunnan Chihong Zinc & Germanium Co. rose as much as 7,8 percent. In Sydney, Lynas Rare Earths Ltd. advanced as much as 5.6 percent. The company last month opened the largest processing facility for the elements outside China. The problem for Beijing is that further curbs on strategic minerals will only hasten efforts by the US and its allies to counter its dominance, which will dilute their impact. For example, when China first tightened export controls on germanium and gallium in 2023, it would have signaled to buyers they needed to diversify supply. As a result, Chinese customs data showed zero exports of the two minerals to the US this year, which suggests that firms were instead tapping inventories or procuring the metal from other sources.AP News Summary at 5:38 p.m. EST
'Pushpa 2: The Rule' leaked on Tamilrockers, and other piracy sites; here's big danger warning if you planning to downloadAn IDF soldier unconscious after suffering severe head injuries in the fighting in South Lebanon, began communicating with his doctors and even asked for a drink of water after being unconscious for a month. The exciting development at the Rambam Heath Care Campus last month, was due to a new technology developed by Dr. Goded Shahaf, principal investigator of Rambam’s Applied Neurophysiology Laboratory, which enables patients who have been unresponsive due to injury or illness, to respond to and relay messages using blinking. Shahaf who has been collaborating with his wife, Dr. Danan Baron Shahaf, developed the technology alongside the Reut Rehabilitation Hospital. The tool was designed to facilitate communication with unconscious patients," he says. 4 View gallery Dr. Dana Baron Shahaf illustrates EyeCon treatment ( Photo: Rambam ) 4 View gallery Illustration of EyeCon technology ( Photo: Rambam ) 4 View gallery Illustration of EyeCon technology ( Photo: Rambam ) The technology called EyeCon System uses electrodes wrapped around the patient's had that allow the reception of braines waves (EEG) and evaluation of the state of eye muscle contractions. The system includes computer software for advanced processing of the EEG waves to determine where in the brain the patient "is awake" and pull him toward a further consciousness. “The aim of the technology, which is based on advanced EEG wave algorithms, is to identify the patient’s level of awareness and to advance them step by step toward regaining consciousness. We use it with patients who are in a chronic state of unresponsiveness for 5, 10, or 15 years. We also use it for patients experiencing a lack of communication with reduced levels of consciousness, as well as intensive care patients, in order to promote communication with them,” explains Dr. Baron Shahaf." “Using this technology, we can begin to teach patients step by step how to use their eyes to communicate, each according to their ability. A patient who was unable to move, is suddenly able to signal that they want to listen to music, watch television, or go outside—it completely changes their world.” The EyeCon technology effectively demonstrates the results of a recent study published in the leading New England Journal of Medicine, which examined a sample of 353 unresponsive patients in vegetative or comatose states across six medical centers worldwide. Using standard EEG and MRI technologies the study sought to determine the number of conscious patients. They found that some 25% of the patients demonstrated distinct patterns of consciousness. The study also suggested that repeated testing over time would significantly increase the number of patients demonstrating patterns of consciousness. This study corroborated prior well-known smaller scale studies, which found that a significant percentage of these patients, often hospitalized for extended periods, have a higher level of consciousness than indicated during their clinical diagnosis, but are unable to communicate with their surroundings. The first stage of treatment measures a patient’s attention level. Next, the patient listens to music they enjoyed prior to their injury. After 30 seconds, the music stops. Guided by a family member, the patient is instructed to blink to restart the music. The software is repeatedly activated automatically, allowing the patient to practice the most basic communication—to indicate “yes” by blinking. By avoiding blinking in response to aversive auditory stimuli (noise), the patient also learns to indicate 'no.' Through these responses of blinking and avoiding blinking, the patient undergoes cognitive assessments and progresses to using a communication board where they can choose messages to express what they want at varying levels of complexity. As mentioned, the system is designed to be used by the family, allowing them to take the lead in the rehabilitation process rather than a passive role. Thus, the system allows the patient to practice communicating independently without an occupational therapist or a speech pathologist at their bedside. Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play : https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store : https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv The EEG provides immediate metrics, allowing caregivers to determine whether the patient is engaged in the process, experiencing pain, or suffering from an acute undetected illness that could hinder their training. According to the results, the process can be fine-tuned. “We give families a lifeline," Dr. Shahaf says. "Many patients who were destined for nursing care without significant recovery are now moving towards a path of substantial rehabilitation and the ability to communicate.” >
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Known across the globe as the stuck astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams hit the six-month mark in space Thursday with two more to go. The pair rocketed into orbit on June 5, the first to ride Boeing’s new Starliner crew capsule on what was supposed to be a weeklong test flight. They arrived at the International Space Station the next day, only after overcoming a cascade of thruster failures and helium leaks . NASA deemed the capsule too risky for a return flight, so it will be February before their long and trying mission comes to a close. While NASA managers bristle at calling them stuck or stranded, the two retired Navy captains shrug off the description of their plight. They insist they’re fine and accepting of their fate. Wilmore views it as a detour of sorts: “We’re just on a different path.” “I like everything about being up here,” Williams told students Wednesday from an elementary school named for her in Needham, Massachusetts, her hometown. "Just living in space is super fun.” Both astronauts have lived up there before so they quickly became full-fledged members of the crew, helping with science experiments and chores like fixing a broken toilet, vacuuming the air vents and watering the plants. Williams took over as station commander in September. “Mindset does go a long way,” Wilmore said in response to a question from Nashville first-graders in October. He’s from Mount Juliet, Tennessee. “I don’t look at these situations in life as being downers.” Boeing flew its Starliner capsule home empty in September, and NASA moved Wilmore and Williams to a SpaceX flight not due back until late February. Two other astronauts were bumped to make room and to keep to a six-month schedule for crew rotations. Like other station crews, Wilmore and Williams trained for spacewalks and any unexpected situations that might arise. “When the crews go up, they know they could be there for up to a year,” said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio found that out the hard way when the Russian Space Agency had to rush up a replacement capsule for him and two cosmonauts in 2023, pushing their six-month mission to just past a year. Boeing said this week that input from Wilmore and Williams has been “invaluable" in the ongoing inquiry of what went wrong. The company said in a statement that it is preparing for Starliner's next flight but declined comment on when it might launch again. NASA also has high praise for the pair. “Whether it was luck or whether it was selection, they were great folks to have for this mission,” NASA's chief health and medical officer, Dr. JD Polk, said during an interview with The Associated Press. On top of everything else, Williams, 59, has had to deal with “rumors,” as she calls them, of serious weight loss. She insists her weight is the same as it was on launch day, which Polk confirms. During Wednesday's student chat, Williams said she didn't have much of an appetite when she first arrived in space. But now she's “super hungry” and eating three meals a day plus snacks, while logging the required two hours of daily exercise. Williams, a distance runner, uses the space station treadmill to support races in her home state. She competed in Cape Cod’s 7-mile Falmouth Road Race in August. She ran the 2007 Boston Marathon up there as well. She has a New England Patriots shirt with her for game days, as well as a Red Sox spring training shirt. “Hopefully I’ll be home before that happens -- but you never know,” she said in November. Husband Michael Williams, a retired federal marshal and former Navy aviator, is caring for their dogs back home in Houston. As for Wilmore, 61, he's missing his younger daughter's senior year in high school and his older daughter's theater productions in college. “We can’t deny that being unexpectedly separated, especially during the holidays when the entire family gets together, brings increased yearnings to share the time and events together,” his wife, Deanna Wilmore, told the AP in a text this week. Her husband “has it worse than us” since he's confined to the space station and can only connect via video for short periods. “We are certainly looking forward to February!!” she wrote. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.(Photo by Skitterphoto via Pexels) By Stephen Beech via SWNS Cleaning surfaces every two hours at airports cuts potentially deadly norovirus infections by 83%, according to a new study. Researchers found that airport restaurants had the highest risk of norovirus transmission . But frequently disinfecting surfaces, mask-wearing and antimicrobial surface coatings at the transport hubs can all help prevent the highly contagious illness - also known as the winter vomiting bug - from spreading, say scientists. Study author Professor Nan Zhang, of the Beijing University of Technology in China, said: "Norovirus causes severe vomiting and diarrhea and is responsible for about 685 million cases and 200,000 deaths each year. "The virus is primarily transmitted through surfaces and outbreaks during air travel are especially common, due to the large number of public surfaces in airports." (PLOS Computational Biology via SWNS) To investigate the risk of norovirus infection from surfaces among passengers in different zones of the airport, the research team collected real touch data from 21.3 hours of video, which captured almost 26,000 touches. They developed a model of surface transmission and simulated the risk of infection from norovirus and the effectiveness of various interventions in different airport areas. More from this section Zhang said: "The touch data showed that, without any interventions, restaurants at airports had the highest risk of norovirus transmission, with approximately 4.6 out of 51,494 travelers infected. "Disinfecting public surfaces every two hours reduced the risk of norovirus infection per visit to the airport by 83.2%. "In contrast, handwashing every two hours reduced the risk by only 2%, and mask-wearing 50% of the time reduced risk by 48.0%, because masks stop people from touching their face. CDC "Furthermore, using antimicrobial copper or copper-nickel alloy coatings for most public surfaces lowered the infection risk by 15.9% to 99.2%." He says the study, published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology , provides "crucial" insights for developing infection prevention and control strategies specifically tailored for norovirus within airport environments. Zhang noted that the data for the study was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic , so surface-touching behaviors may have been different from normal. But he said that, overall, the simulated results indicated that public surface disinfection, mask-wearing wearing and the use of antimicrobial surfaces are effective ways of controlling the spread of norovirus via surfaces. Zhang added: "Regular surface infection is much more effective than regular handwashing for blocking norovirus transmission via fomite route in airports."
The Miller Beach Tourism Bureau has installed maps around the lakefront Miller section of Gary highlighting local merchants, including at the new South Shore Line Station. It also established the visitmillerbeachgary.com website with a directory of local businesses and detailed guide to the Indiana Dunes National Park, Lake Michigan and other attractions. It is further launching a social media presence on Instagram and Facebook that showcases the area's natural beauty and role as the western gateway to the Indiana Dunes. Small businesses owners came together to form the Miller Beach Tourism Bureau group, which landed grant funding from the Knight Foundation and Legacy Foundation to promote Miller Beach as an ecotourism destination. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts The graphic designer Brianna Schwab designed the Miller Beach business district map sign, which has been installed on Lake Street and the South Shore Miller Park. A new highway exit sign also was added on Dunes Highway. New wayfinding signs were put in to guide visitors to Marquette Park and the newly reopened Douglas Nature Center, which is part of the Indiana Dunes National Park and a trailhead for the Miller Woods. Brochures, a detailed downtown map and tear sheets were distributed to local businesses to help guide people to businesses like Indie Indie Bang Bang, Tiny's Coffee Bar and the Miller School Shops & Spaces. "We are so very grateful to NICTD for fabricating and installing this sign," said Peggy Blackwell, President of the Miller Beach Tourism Bureau. "Miller Beach is a hyperconnected destination. In just 50 minutes from Millennium Station in downtown Chicago, visitors can disembark with a bike and ride to Lake Michigan in just 20 minutes. Along the way, they’ll find charming restaurants, unique shops, and key points of the Indiana Dunes National Park, including the Douglas Nature Center. This sign will help guide visitors from the train station to all of these amazing places." For more information, visit visitmillerbeachgary.com .None
Billionaires' wealth more than doubles in 10 years: UBSPresident Joe Biden and his senior aides are discussing possible preemptive pardons for people who might be targeted by the incoming Trump administration, according to a source close to the president. Possible names include current and former officials such as retired Gen. Mark Milley, former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, Sen.-elect Adam Schiff and Dr. Anthony Fauci. Politico was first to report the news. The consideration comes after Biden issued a full pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, on Dec. 1. The move sparked backlash from Republicans and criticism from many Democrats. MORE: How President Biden came to the decision to pardon his son Hunter The White House said Biden did so, despite his past pledges not to pardon his son, because "it didn't seem his political opponents would let go of it." Throughout his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump vowed to exact "retribution" on his political enemies. Milley, who retired as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last year, has long been a target of Republican attacks over the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. He also stoked Trump's ire over a report that Milley secretly called his Chinese counterpart before and after the 2020 election to dispel China's fears Trump was not planning an attack. Trump accused Milley of "treason" after the report. Cheney and Schiff have also long been criticized by Trump over their investigation into the attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob on Jan. 6, 2021. The two were part of the House Jan. 6 committee's yearlong probe, which concluded with the recommendation of criminal charges against Trump. Schiff also was the lead House prosecutor in Trump's first Senate impeachment trial. Cheney lost her reelection bid in 2022 to a Trump-backed Republican challenger. Cheney endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump, and appeared with Harris several times on the campaign trail. Schiff is now the senator-elect from California after winning the seat held by late Sen. Dianne Feinstein in November. Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, faced intense scrutiny over the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He's been called to Capitol Hill to testify on school shutdowns, the virus' origins and more by House Republicans since retiring in 2022.
Color Star Technology Regains Compliance with Nasdaq Minimum Closing Bid Price RuleNone
Bengals trying to end another 3-game skid in visit to suddenly surging CowboysThe NFL has closed an investigation into sexual assault allegations against Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is ending the season on injured reserve for the second year in a row.