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Spotlight on Seminars: Hong Kong Journalism Fellows Explore Post-Olympics China

Spotlight on Seminars: Hong Kong Journalism Fellows Explore Post-Olympics China

Hong Kong Journalism Fellows interview Tibetan monks at the Gedan Songzanlin Lamasery in Shangri-La, Yunnan, China.




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Spotlight on Publications: Senior Policy Seminar 2008 Report

Spotlight on Publications: Senior Policy Seminar 2008 Report--Shifting Currents of U.S. and Asia Pacific Economics, Resources, and Security

Wendy Dobson (right), professor and director of the Institute for International Business at the University of Toronto, and EWC Senior Fellow Shabbir Cheema (far left) at the EWC Senior Policy Seminar 2008.




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Spotlight on Seminars: U.S. and Asian Muslim Journalists Explore Each Other’s Worlds

Spotlight on Seminars: U.S. and Asian Muslim Journalists Explore Each Other’s Worlds

 




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Spotlight on Seminars: Bangkok Media Conference 2008

Spotlight on Seminars: Bangkok Media Conference 2008

Fall 2007 Jefferson Fellows Johnny Brannon (Honolulu Advertiser), Dante Ramos (Boston Globe), and Christina Larson (Washington Monthly) interview Cambodians at a temple near Phnom Penh.

 

New Generation Seminar participant Kalolaine Moeaki of Tonga’s Ministry of Education (center) presents a gift to the principal (right) of Shanghai’s innovative South Dong Chang Middle School.

 




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Applications Being Accepted for 42nd Summer Seminar on Population

Applications Being Accepted for 42nd Summer Seminar on Population
Trio of independent workshops will focus on designing fertility analysis,
effective responses to HIV and communicating with policymakers

HONOLULU (Nov. 4, 2010) – Applications are being accepted through December 31 for the East-West Center’s 2011 Summer Seminar on Population. Held annually since 1970, the Summer Seminar provides a forum for learning and discussion on a wide range of population and health issues. Former participants work in government, nongovernmental (NGO), and academic institutions throughout the Asia-Pacific region and around the world.

Click here for full information on the Summer Seminar workshops, instructions for applicants, and application forms from the Summer Seminar website.




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Applications Being Accepted for Summer Population Seminar

Applications Being Accepted for Summer Population Seminar

Trio of independent workshops will focus on population aging, health-care financing and communicating with policymakers

HONOLULU (Dec. 1) – Applications are being accepted through December 31 for the East-West Center’s 2010 Summer Seminar on Population. Held annually since 1970, the Summer Seminar provides a forum for learning and discussion on a wide range of population and health issues. Former participants work in government, nongovernmental (NGO), and academic institutions throughout the Asia-Pacific region and around the world.

Full information on the Summer Seminar workshops, instructions for applicants, and application forms can be obtained from the Summer Seminar website at http://www.eastwestcenter.org/summerseminar .




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Pacific Island Graduates Return to Hawai‘i for Seminar on Addressing Regional Issues

Pacific Island Graduates Return to Hawai‘i for Seminar on Addressing Regional Issues
HONOLULU (June 23) - More than 20 graduates of an East-West Center-administered scholarship program for accomplished young scholars from Pacific island nations are back in Hawai‘i this week to attend a special seminar on addressing issues and envisioning futures in the region.

The former students are all graduates of the United States-South Pacific Scholarship Program (USSP), which is funded by Department of State and administered by the East-West Center. Among the attendees are graduates who are now working in public health, communications, finance, planning, education, government, scientific research and more. Participants have travelled from as far away as the UK, Norway and across the Pacific to attend the seminar.




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Center for Global Partnership Helps Fund New EWC Journalism Seminar on Disaster Management & Resiliency

Journalists from Pacific Plate countries invited to apply by March 12

HONOLULU (March 5, 2012) – The Japan Foundation’s Center for Global Partnership has awarded the East-West Center close to $100,000 to conduct a journalism seminar focusing on disaster management and resiliency. Journalists from Japan, the U.S., China and other countries bordering the seismically active Pacific tectonic plate are invited to apply by the March 12 deadline. Click here for more information.





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Semiconductor and Display Industries Set to Invest 52 Tril. Won by 2024

Chief executives of the nation's leading companies like Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and LG Display have made a request to the government to relieve the problem of labor shortage in the area of semiconductor and display. Kwon Oh-hyun, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, said on September 18 in a discussion session held in Kensington Hotel in Seoul's Yoido presided over by Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy Baek Woon-gyu, "Skilled workers are in short supply in fast-growing industries...




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Enjoy every second of the play-off semi-final win over Brighton today

Crystal Palace went into the second leg of the play-off semi-final against Brighton & Hove Albion without the Championship's top scorer, Glenn Murray. Murray had found the back of the net 30 times...




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Covid-19: Tanzania's semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar records 29 new cases

Sixteen are from Unguja while 13 are from Pemba, all Tanzanians.




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Micro but mighty: Semiconductors remain the key to technology leadership

The U.S. needs a more expansive strategy to maintain its lead in this field, and that means working closely with its allies, especially Japan.




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Guterres: Antisemitic conspiracies increased due to COVID-19


'The pandemic continues to unleash a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering'




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German monitor: antisemitic incidents have increased since Halle shooting


In the Halle attack, two people were killed near the synagogue when the alleged gunman could not enter the building.




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SST Announces Qualification of Smartbit™ OTP NVM Technology for ON Semiconductor’s 110 nm CMOS Process

SST Announces Qualification of Smartbit™ OTP NVM Technology for ON Semiconductor’s 110 nm CMOS Process




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Rep. McSally Visits Microchip Executives to Discuss Semiconductor Supply Chain Resilience in the U.S. Amid Defense Industrial Base Report Findings

Rep. McSally Visits Microchip Executives to Discuss Semiconductor Supply Chain Resilience in the U.S. Amid Defense Industrial Base Report Findings




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Seminal fluid, not just sperm, can influence offspring's survival

It’s not just about the sperm: the semen of male fish carries unidentified substances that influence how quickly the offspring develop and even how well they can swim




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Global Transcriptome Analysis Identifies a Diagnostic Signature for Early Disseminated Lyme Disease and Its Resolution

ABSTRACT

A bioinformatics approach was employed to identify transcriptome alterations in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of well-characterized human subjects who were diagnosed with early disseminated Lyme disease (LD) based on stringent microbiological and clinical criteria. Transcriptomes were assessed at the time of presentation and also at approximately 1 month (early convalescence) and 6 months (late convalescence) after initiation of an appropriate antibiotic regimen. Comparative transcriptomics identified 335 transcripts, representing 233 unique genes, with significant alterations of at least 2-fold expression in acute- or convalescent-phase blood samples from LD subjects relative to healthy donors. Acute-phase blood samples from LD subjects had the largest number of differentially expressed transcripts (187 induced, 54 repressed). This transcriptional profile, which was dominated by interferon-regulated genes, was sustained during early convalescence. 6 months after antibiotic treatment the transcriptome of LD subjects was indistinguishable from that of healthy controls based on two separate methods of analysis. Return of the LD expression profile to levels found in control subjects was concordant with disease outcome; 82% of subjects with LD experienced at least one symptom at the baseline visit compared to 43% at the early convalescence time point and only a single patient (9%) at the 6-month convalescence time point. Using the random forest machine learning algorithm, we developed an efficient computational framework to identify sets of 20 classifier genes that discriminated LD from other bacterial and viral infections. These novel LD biomarkers not only differentiated subjects with acute disseminated LD from healthy controls with 96% accuracy but also distinguished between subjects with acute and resolved (late convalescent) disease with 97% accuracy.

IMPORTANCE Lyme disease (LD), caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common tick-borne infectious disease in the United States. We examined gene expression patterns in the blood of individuals with early disseminated LD at the time of diagnosis (acute) and also at approximately 1 month and 6 months following antibiotic treatment. A distinct acute LD profile was observed that was sustained during early convalescence (1 month) but returned to control levels 6 months after treatment. Using a computer learning algorithm, we identified sets of 20 classifier genes that discriminate LD from other bacterial and viral infections. In addition, these novel LD biomarkers are highly accurate in distinguishing patients with acute LD from healthy subjects and in discriminating between individuals with active and resolved infection. This computational approach offers the potential for more accurate diagnosis of early disseminated Lyme disease. It may also allow improved monitoring of treatment efficacy and disease resolution.




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Distinct Mechanisms of Dissemination of NDM-1 Metallo-{beta}-Lactamase in Acinetobacter Species in Argentina [Epidemiology and Surveillance]

A 4-year surveillance of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp. isolates in Argentina identified 40 strains carrying blaNDM-1. Genome sequencing revealed that most were Acinetobacter baumannii, whereas seven represented other Acinetobacter spp. The A. baumannii genomes were closely related, suggesting recent spread. blaNDM-1 was located in the chromosome of A. baumannii strains and on a plasmid in non-A. baumannii strains. A resistance gene island carrying blaPER-7 and other resistance determinants was found on a plasmid in some A. baumannii strains.




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World Thalassemia Day: बच्चों के लिए खतरनाक बीमारी है थैलेसीमिया, जानें इसके लक्षण, कारण और उपाय

थैलेसीमिया मुख्यत: एक जेनेटिक यानी अनुवांशिक बीमारी है जो माता-पिता से उनके बच्चों में होती है। इस बीमारी में बच्चों में खून की कमी होने लगती है, जो कि सेहत के लिए बहुत हानिकारक होता है।




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Deep, Perennial or Semi-Perennial Rivers Flowed on Early Mars

While the present-day Martian surface is generally dry and cold, its sedimentary rocks contain compelling evidence for the former presence of liquid water. According to a new analysis of orbital images of 3.7-billion-year-old sedimentary layers at Izola mensa, an outcrop in the northwestern rim of the Hellas impact crater on Mars, deep rivers were active [...]




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Australia beat Pakistan to qualify for World Cup semis

Tournament favourites Australia advanced into the semi-finals of the men's hockey World Cup on Monday after they beat Pakistan 2-1 in a pulsating match to finish top of Pool B.




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Man used a semi-automatic, tactical-style shotgun in confrontation with RCMP, ASIRT says

Alberta's police watchdog have released new details about an armed confrontation that left one person dead and a police officer seriously injured.



  • News/Canada/Edmonton

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Anti-Semitism campaigners accuse Jeremy Corbyn allies of 'smearing' whistleblowers as internal probe finds 'no evidence'

Jeremy Corbyn's allies have been accused of using a report to "smear whistleblowers" and "discredit allegations" of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party during his tenure.




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Labour leader Keir Starmer launches probe into leak of anti-Semitism report

The move comes after revelations that a party investigation claimed to have found "no evidence" of anti-Semitism complaints being handled differently to other forms of complaint.




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Keir Starmer calls for probe into leaked anti-Semitism report to be concluded in 'matter of months'

Sir Keir Starmer has called for Labour's inquiry into a leaked anti-Semitism dossier to be concluded in a "matter of months", ahead of a meeting of the party's ruling National Executive Committee.




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The Witcher: Two Hollywood stars 'turned down role of Vesemir' in season 2

Hit Netflix show expected to return in 2021




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Champions League changes to restrict qualification to ' title winner and Europa League semi-finalists'

Proposed changes to the Champions League could 'end the Premier League top-four race' with qualification restricted, according to reports.




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Little Richard Dies: Rock ‘N Roll Pioneer And Seminal Hitmaker Was 87

Little Richard, the wild singer/pianist/songwriter who was one of rock ‘n roll’s pioneers, has died at age 87. His death was confirmed by his son, but the cause was not given. Little Richard’s catalog of hits is still performed by many bar bands to this day, and the songs were recorded by such acts as […]




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Semiautomatic Rifles May Make Mass Shootings Deadlier, Study Says

Mass shooters appear to injure and kill more people when the use semiautomatic rifles instead of handguns, other types of rifles, or shotguns, according to a new analysis in the Journal of The American Medical Association. But the research has significant limitations.




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Attorney General Eric Holder at the Semi-Annual Conference of the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training (OPDAT) Resident Legal Advisors and Foreign Service Nationals

"Helping foreign countries improve their criminal justice systems so they can cooperate more effectively with us and with their neighbors in real time is an important aspect of this department’s mission."




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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Microsemi Corp.

The Department has reached a proposed settlement with Microsemi Corporation that requires the company to divest all of the assets that it acquired from Semicoa Inc. on July 14, 2008. The Department said that without this divestiture, there would be little or no competition in the development, manufacture and sale of certain semiconductor devices used in military and space programs essential to the security of the United States.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division Speaks at the National Seminar for Federal Defenders

"I know that you are dedicated to your clients, and to defending them as vigorously as you can, while at the same time recognizing the importance of criminal prosecution to society. And in representing clients who would not have the means to defend themselves without you, you are essential to our adversary system."




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Statement of Deputy Attorney General James Cole Regarding Information Requests for Multiple Sales of Semi-Automatic Rifles with Detachable Magazines

“The international expansion and increased violence of transnational criminal networks pose a significant threat to the United States."



  • OPA Press Releases

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Massachusetts Man Charged with Selling Counterfeit Semiconductors Intended for Use on Nuclear Submarines

Peter Picone, 40, of Methuen, Mass., has been charged with importing counterfeit semiconductors from China for sale in the United States.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Albuquerque Man Charged with Federal Hate Crime Related to Anti-Semitic Threats Against Businesswoman

The Department of Justice announced that this morning John W. Ng, 58, of Albuquerque, N.M., made his initial appearance in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with a hate crime offense.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Yosemite employees evicted amid coronavirus pandemic

The group of Yosemite Hospitality workers were told this week layoffs require them to leave Yosemite by May 21.




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Advances in genome editing: the technology of choice for precise and efficient β-thalassemia treatment




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Colons or semi-colons: punctuating the regional variation of intestinal microbial–immune interactions




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Development Seminar | Unemployment and domestic violence — New evidence from administrative data

We hosted a Development Seminar on “Unemployment and domestic violence — new evidence from administrative data” with Dr. Sonia Bhalotra, Professor of Economics at University of Essex. Abstract: This paper provides possibly the first causal estimates of how individual job loss among men influences the risk of intimate partner violence (IPV), distinguishing threats from assaults. The authors find…

       




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Financing for a Fairer, More Prosperous Kenya: A Review of the Public Spending Challenges and Options for Selected Arid and Semi-Arid Counties


INTRODUCTION

In August, 2010 the government of Kenya adopted a new constitution. This followed a referendum in which an overwhelming majority of Kenyans voted for change. The decisive impetus for reform came from the widespread violence and political crisis that followed the 2007 election. While claims of electoral fraud provided the immediate catalyst for violence, the deeper causes were to be found in the interaction of a highly centralized ‘winner-take-all’ political system with deep social disparities based in part on group identity (Hanson 2008).

Provisions for equity figure prominently in the new constitution. Backed by a bill of rights that opens the door to legal enforcement, citizenship rights have been strengthened in many areas,including access to basic services. ‘Equitable sharing’ has been introduced as a guiding principle for public spending. National and devolved governments are now constitutionally required to redress social disparities, target disadvantaged areas and provide affirmative action for marginalized groups.

Translating these provisions into tangible outcomes will not be straightforward. Equity is a principle that would be readily endorsed by most policymakers in Kenya and Kenya’s citizens have provided their own endorsement through the referendum. However, there is an ongoing debate over what the commitment to equity means in practice, as well as over the pace and direction of reform. Much of that debate has centered on the constitutional injunction requiring ‘equitable sharing’ in public spending.

On most measures of human development, Kenya registers average outcomes considerably above those for sub-Saharan Africa as a region. Yet the national average masks extreme disparities—and the benefits of increased prosperity have been unequally shared.

There are compelling grounds for a strengthened focus on equity in Kenya. In recent years, the country has maintained a respectable, if less than spectacular, record on economic growth. Social indicators are also on an upward trend. On most measures of human development, Kenya registers average outcomes considerably above those for sub-Saharan Africa as a region. Yet the national average masks extreme disparities—and the benefits of increased prosperity have been unequally shared. Some regions and social groups face levels of deprivation that rank alongside the worst in Africa. Moreover, the deep fault lines running through society are widely perceived as a source of injustice and potential political instability.

High levels of inequality in Kenya raise wider concerns. There has been a tendency in domestic debates to see ‘equitable sharing’ as a guiding principle for social justice, rather than as a condition for accelerated growth and enhanced economic efficiency. Yet international evidence strongly suggests that extreme inequality—especially in opportunities for education— is profoundly damaging for economic growth. It follows that redistributive public spending has the potential to support growth.

The current paper focuses on a group of 12 counties located in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs). They are among the most disadvantaged in the country. Most are characterized by high levels of income poverty, chronic food insecurity and acute deprivation across a wide range of social indicators.

Nowhere is the deprivation starker than in education. The ASAL counties account for a disproportionately large share of Kenya’s out-of-school children, pointing to problems in access and school retention. Gender disparities in education are among the widest in the country. Learning outcomes for the small number of children who get through primary school are for the most part abysmal, even by the generally low national average standards.

Unequal public spending patterns have played no small part in creating the disparities that separate the ASAL counties from the rest of Kenya—and ‘equitable sharing’ could play a role in closing the gap. But what would a more equitable approach to public spending look like in practice?

This paper addresses that question. It looks in some detail at education for two reasons. First, good quality education is itself a powerful motor of enhanced equity. It has the potential to equip children and youth with the skills and competencies that they need to break out of cycles of poverty and to participate more fully in national prosperity. If Kenya is to embark on a more equitable pattern of development, there are strong grounds for prioritizing the creation of more equal opportunities in education. Second, the education sector illustrates many of the wider challenges and debates that Kenya’s policymakers will have to address as they seek to translate constitutional provisions into public spending strategies. In particular, it highlights the importance of weighting for indicators that reflect need in designing formulae for budget allocations.

Our broad conclusion is that, while Kenya clearly needs to avoid public spending reforms that jeopardize service delivery in wealthier counties, redistributive measures are justified on the grounds of efficiency and equity.

The paper is organized as follows. Part 1 provides an overview of the approach to equity enshrined in the constitution. While the spirit of the constitution is unequivocal, the letter is open to a vast array of interpretations. We briefly explore the implications of a range of approaches. Our broad conclusion is that, while Kenya clearly needs to avoid public spending reforms that jeopardize service delivery in wealthier counties, redistributive measures are justified on the grounds of efficiency and equity. Although this paper focuses principally on basic services, we caution against approaches that treat equity as a matter of social sector financing to the exclusion of growth-oriented productive investment.

Part 2 provides an analysis of some key indicators on poverty, health and nutrition. Drawing on household expenditure data, the report locates the 12 ASAL counties in the national league table for the incidence and depth of poverty. Data on health outcomes and access to basic services provide another indicator of the state of human development. While there are some marked variations across counties and indicators, most of the 12 counties register levels of deprivation in poverty and basic health far in excess of those found in other areas.

Part 3 shifts the focus to education. Over the past decade, Kenya has made considerable progress in improving access to basic education. Enrollment rates in primary education have increased sharply since the elimination of school fees in 2003. Transition rates to secondary school are also rising. The record on learning achievement is less impressive. While Kenya lacks a comprehensive national learning assessment, survey evidence points to systemic problems in education quality. In both access and learning, children in the ASAL counties—especially female children—are at a considerable disadvantage. After setting out the national picture, the paper explores the distinctive problems facing these counties.

In Part 4 we look beyond Kenya to wider international experience. Many countries have grappled with the challenge of reducing disparities between less-favored and more-favored regions. There are no blueprints on offer. However, there are some useful lessons and guidelines that may be of some relevance to the policy debate in Kenya. The experience of South Africa may be particularly instructive given the weight attached to equity in the post-apartheid constitution.

Part 5 of the paper explores a range of approaches to financial allocations. Converting constitutional principle into operational practice will require the development of formulae-based approaches. From an equitable financing perspective there is no perfect model. Any formula that is adopted will involve trade-offs between different goals. Policymakers have to determine what weight to attach to different dimensions of equity (for example, gender, income, education and health), the time frame for achieving stated policy goals, and whether to frame targets in terms of outcomes or inputs. These questions go beyond devolved financing. The Kenyan constitution is unequivocal in stipulating that the ‘equitable sharing’ provision applies to all public spending. We therefore undertake a series of formula-based exercises illustrating the allocation patterns that would emerge under different formulae, with specific reference to the 12 ASAL focus counties and to education.

Downloads

Authors

Image Source: © Thomas Mukoya / Reuters
      
 
 




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Development Seminar | Unemployment and domestic violence — New evidence from administrative data

We hosted a Development Seminar on “Unemployment and domestic violence — new evidence from administrative data” with Dr. Sonia Bhalotra, Professor of Economics at University of Essex. Abstract: This paper provides possibly the first causal estimates of how individual job loss among men influences the risk of intimate partner violence (IPV), distinguishing threats from assaults. The authors find…

       




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Union Theological Seminary and Catholic university both divest from fossil fuels

Fossil fuel divestment is a moral issue. Religious institutions appear to be taking a stand.




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Photo: Yosemite Valley draped in perfect light

Take one of the world's most beautiful places, add dappled sunlight, and voila.




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Biodegradable semiconductors could help us curb our e-waste problem

The thin, skin-like electronics may usher in a future of earth-friendly gadgets.




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Now this is how to market the ultimate shared semi-autonomous vehicle

It already exists, is on the roads, and has its own flashy commerical




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Photo: The Yosemite sky spangled with stars

Our photo of the day is brought to you by the dark night sky.




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L&T Triple Ace Bond Fund -Regular Plan - Semi Annual Dividend

Category Debt Scheme - Corporate Bond Fund
NAV 16.8749
Repurchase Price
Sale Price
Date 08-May-2020




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L&T Triple Ace Bond Fund - Direct Plan -Semi Annual Dividend

Category Debt Scheme - Corporate Bond Fund
NAV 19.6355
Repurchase Price
Sale Price
Date 08-May-2020