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'Shocked but also very grateful': Fundraiser for La Loche aims to double donations

A Saskatoon family physician wanted to find a way to help send supplies to the northern community of La Loche and set an initial goal for $15,000 - but within days the donations total over $26,000.




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Photos: Maryland defeats Purdue women in Big Ten tournament

Photos: Maryland defeats Purdue women in Big Ten tournament

      




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Newcomers hold the key for Purdue defense

Last year's success will be hard to duplicate for Purdue's defense, but the standard has been set.

      




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Toughness, maturity define incoming Purdue quarterback Austin Burton

Austin Burton announced last week he's transferring from UCLA to Purdue. He'll be a graduate transfer with two years of eligibility.

       




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Bundesliga: Dynamo Dresden's entire squad in isolation just a week before restart

Dynamo Dresden, who play in the second tier of German Football, have put their entire squad and coaching staff into two-week isolation after recording two new coronavirus cases.





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Dresden put entire squad in isolation - a week before German football restarts

Dynamo Dresden, who play in the second tier of German Football, have put their entire squad and coaching staff into two-week isolation after recording two new coronavirus cases.




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Sport24.co.za | Brighton chief urges caution over Premier League restart plan

Brighton chief executive Paul Barber has warned a premature return to football action from the coronavirus pandemic could "cost lives".




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Sport24.co.za | Manyama is vital to Chiefs' title ambitions

Lebogang Manyama is the most important player for Kaizer Chiefs in their quest to win the Absa Premiership title, according to Stellenbosch midfielder Mpho Matsi.




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Every country in the United Nations agreed to a global ceasefire during the pandemic — except the United States

After six weeks of negotiating, the UN Security Council was close to agreeing on a resolution for a global ceasefire during the Covid-19 pandemic. Seems fair, right? Let's agree to stop killing each other for a while, so we can focus on the virus that's killing us instead?

China proposed that the text explicitly mention a commitment by member nations to support the efforts of the World Health Organization — who Donald Trump has blamed (without evidence) for withholding information on the coronavirus outbreak.

So the US looked at the resolution and said "LOL no," despite last minute efforts to reach a compromise. As The Guardian reports:

On Thursday night, French diplomats thought they had engineered a compromise in which the resolution would mention UN “specialized health agencies” (an indirect, if clear, reference to the WHO).

The Russian mission signaled that it wanted a clause calling for the lifting of sanctions that affected the delivery of medical supplies, a reference to US punitive measures imposed on Iran and Venezuela. However, most security council diplomats believed Moscow would withdraw the objection or abstain in a vote rather than risk isolation as the sole veto on the ceasefire resolution.

While everyone else seemed game to go along with these compromises, the US insisted it was one big Chinese trick. As one diplomat told CNN:  "This discussion has been taken hostage by issues that do not have to do with the real issues at stake. Instead it has been transformed into a fight between the US and China. Read the rest




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California Sheriff Refuses to Arrest People Defying Stay-at-Home Order: “There cannot be a new normal”

The following article, California Sheriff Refuses to Arrest People Defying Stay-at-Home Order: “There cannot be a new normal”, was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com.

Riverside, California Sheriff Chad Bianco spoke to the Riverside Board of Supervisors on May 5th to say that he will not enforce the stay-at-home order in California. He tells people who are afraid of contracting the coronavirus that they should stay home if they want to. Bianco continues with the suggestion that any business owner […]

Continue reading: California Sheriff Refuses to Arrest People Defying Stay-at-Home Order: “There cannot be a new normal” ...




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China Looks Serious About 'Decisive' Market Reforms

20 November 2013

Dr Tim Summers

Senior Consulting Fellow, Asia-Pacific Programme (based in Hong Kong)

2131120Third Plenum.jpg

Farmers harvest in the village of Gangzhong in China's eastern Zhejiang province, 19 November 2013, days after China's ruling party unveiled a list of sweeping changes including reforms to the land ownership system, loosening controls over state-owned enterprises, relaxing the controversial one-child policy, and eventually shuttering forced labour camps. Photo by Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images.

China’s leaders set out their intention to push forward with policy reform following the Third Plenum. The full decision released on 15 November makes clear the aim to loosen constraints on the market, and suggests a dilution of state-owned enterprise influence. A new national security committee could also lead to greater policy integration between domestic security and international affairs.

The Third Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party’s 18th Central Committee took place in Beijing from 9−12 November. Initial reactions based on the communiqué released on the last day of the meeting were mixed. However, on 15 November the authorities published the detailed decision approved by the plenum, and an explanation given to the plenum by Party General Secretary Xi Jinping – in which he acknowledged major problems facing China.

These documents make the implications of the plenum much clearer. In sum, it offers a clear political signal that as China’s fifth-generation Party leadership enters its second year, it is intent on taking forward a ‘comprehensive deepening of reform’ across a wide range of issues. As an indication of the importance of this, a new high-level ‘leading small group’ will be established to coordinate and oversee this process. The decision spells out various new measures, and reiterates many which are already part of the government’s agenda.

More market in the economy

The most important material is on the economy, where the decision makes clear that the leadership envisages a ‘decisive’ role for market forces, and the establishment of ‘fair and equal’ competition in the economy. This will provide a guiding principle for policy-making over the coming years.

One of the ways of achieving this is to reorganize the functions of government. Here the decision reiterates the themes which the government has been working on since Premier Li Keqiang took over in March this year, namely reducing or removing the need for government approvals to businesses, freeing up the investment environment, and allowing businesses and the market to take the lead unless there is a strong reason for government intervention. Better governance is a wider theme of the decision, covering the judicial system and reforms to the party’s disciplinary organs which would clarify leadership and accountability in anti-corruption investigations.

SOE reform

A possible impediment to market reforms is the power of China’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and the original communiqué gave the impression that nothing much would be done about SOEs. However, the ability of these so-called ‘vested interests’ to stymie market reforms has been weakened by the targeting of a number of senior SOE-related cadres in the party’s latest anti-corruption campaign, which began at the end of 2012.

Further, the detailed decision suggests further reforms are in the offing. Although the relevant section of the document begins by restating the leading role for state ownership, a series of subsequent policy aims could serve to dilute it, such as ensuring equality in property rights protection and competition; developing mixed (state and non-state) ownership through cross-shareholding and bringing private capital into state-led projects; shifting from managing SOEs to managing state investments in enterprises; better supervision of SOEs which operate in natural monopolies; and removing administrative monopolies.

International affairs

The decision talks about further opening of China’s economy, but the vast majority of the issues covered in the decision are domestic in nature, and announcements such as a further relaxation of birth control policies have attracted most attention. Even the points on military and defense issues relate more to internal management than external capacity.

There was, however, one announcement which could have important implications for China’s foreign policy, which will be watched carefully outside China, the establishment of a ‘national security committee’. Xi said that this was being set up in response to external pressures to protect national sovereignty, security and development. He also cited internal pressures to maintain political security and social stability. It is too early to judge what the exact remit of this body will be, but it could lead to greater policy coordination and integration between domestic security issues and international affairs, at a time when China is playing a more important role across the international spectrum.

To comment on this article, please contact Chatham House Feedback




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UK-Africa Relations: Reflections on the Role of African Diplomacy in London

Invitation Only Research Event

13 January 2014 - 11:00am to 12:00pm

Chatham House, London

Event participants

HE Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo, High Commissioner for Ghana to the United Kingdom
Chair: Alex Vines OBE, Research Director, Area Studies and International Law; Head, Africa Programme, Chatham House

Rapid economic growth and more widespread political stability have catalyzed increased international engagement with Africa in the past decade, as African states develop more significant roles in the global economy and political cooperation in geopolitics. Accompanying this is a shift in British engagement with African states from one with a development aid emphasis to one focused on trade and political cooperation.

HE Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo will reflect on his time in London, developments in UK-Africa relations, the role of diplomatic engagements in informing and strengthening bilateral relations and the prospects for intergovernmental cooperation on African and global issues.

Attendance at this event is by invitation only.

Department/project




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How to use Medium effectively?




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Are Article Directories still effective?




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A former editor at the Observer says Kushner's claim of coronavirus 'success' stems from his inability to empathize with other people's grief

Elizabeth Spiers wrote about an incident where Jared Kushner used the memorial of an employee to congratulate himself for success.





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Structures of the MHC-I molecule BF2*1501 disclose the preferred presentation of an H5N1 virus-derived epitope [Protein Structure and Folding]

Lethal infections by strains of the highly-pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 pose serious threats to both the poultry industry and public health worldwide. A lack of confirmed HPAIV epitopes recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) has hindered the utilization of CD8+ T-cell–mediated immunity and has precluded the development of effectively diversified epitope-based vaccination approaches. In particular, an HPAIV H5N1 CTL-recognized epitope based on the peptide MHC-I–β2m (pMHC-I) complex has not yet been designed. Here, screening a collection of selected peptides of several HPAIV strains against a specific pathogen-free pMHC-I (pBF2*1501), we identified a highly-conserved HPAIV H5N1 CTL epitope, named HPAIV–PA123–130. We determined the structure of the BF2*1501–PA123–130 complex at 2.1 Å resolution to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of a preferential presentation of the highly-conserved PA123–130 epitope in the chicken B15 lineage. Conformational characteristics of the PA123–130 epitope with a protruding Tyr-7 residue indicated that this epitope has great potential to be recognized by specific TCRs. Moreover, significantly increased numbers of CD8+ T cells specific for the HPAIV–PA123–130 epitope in peptide-immunized chickens indicated that a repertoire of CD8+ T cells can specifically respond to this epitope. We anticipate that the identification and structural characterization of the PA123–130 epitope reported here could enable further studies of CTL immunity against HPAIV H5N1. Such studies may aid in the development of vaccine development strategies using well-conserved internal viral antigens in chickens.




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Classifying deaths from COVID-19: Why the official statistics will never reflect the true mortality from coronavirus, and how future studies could try to address this




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In brief




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Cancer Drugs Fund requires further reform




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The Faltering U.S. Refugee Protection System: Legal and Policy Responses to Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Others in Need of Protection

The U.S. refugee protection system, while generous in many respects, has become less robust over the last two decades. The unique and often diverse needs of emerging refugee populations have exposed severe limitations in the standard resettlement approach.This report examines U.S. legal and policy responses to those seeking protection and addresses the barriers, gaps, and opportunities that exist.




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Black and Immigrant: Exploring the Effects of Ethnicity and Foreign-Born Status on Infant Health

This report analyzes prenatal behaviors and birth outcomes of Black immigrant mothers, and finds that Black immigrant mothers are less likely to give birth to preterm or low-birth-weight infants than U.S.-born Black women, but more likely to experience these birth outcomes than other immigrant and U.S.-born women.




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Bishop Cleveland Mattis – The all-rounder on the battlefield for God

There is nothing average about Bishop Cleveland Mattis who uses the skills and knowledge he has acquired over the years, from varying areas, to be more relatable to the people he serves and transform lives through the teachings of the Holy Spirit...




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Immigrants and Welfare: The Impact of Welfare Reform on America's Newcomers

This edited volume rigorously assesses the 1996 U.S. welfare reform law, questions whether its immigrant provisions were ever really necessary, and examines its impact on legal immigrants’ ability to integrate into American society.




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Overcoming WIOA’s Barriers to Immigrant and Refugee Adult Learners

A webinar examining aspects of the implementation at state and local levels of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) that may limit immigrant integration, along with a discussion on strategies that may help ensure more equitable access for immigrants and refugees to services provided under the law.  




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Immigrant Legalization: Assessing Labor Market Effects

Public Policy Institute of California researchers Magnus Lofstrom and Laura Hill discuss their research examining the potential labor market outcomes and other possible economic effects of a legalization program.




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Immigrant Legalization: Assessing Labor Market Effects

Public Policy Institute of California researchers Magnus Lofstrom and Laura Hill discuss their research examining the potential labor market outcomes and other possible economic effects of a legalization program. The discussion was moderated by Doris Meissner, MPI Senior Fellow and Director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program, with comments from MPI Senior Policy Analyst Randy Capps and Sherrie A. Kossoudji, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, and Adjunct Professor, Department of Economics, University of Michigan.




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Immigration Policy and Less-Skilled Workers in the United States: Reflections on Future Directions for Reform

Notwithstanding the broad consensus on the benefits of highly skilled immigration, the economic role of less-skilled immigrants is one of the more controversial questions in the immigration debate. While less-skilled immigrants bring economic benefits for U.S. consumers, employers, and skilled workers, they impose some costs on U.S. workers competing for similar jobs.




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Labor Standards Enforcement and Low-Wage Immigrants: Creating an Effective Enforcement System

This report highlights gaps and anomalies in labor protection, while recognizing that U.S. law sets significant standards for minimum wage, overtime pay, child labor, safe and healthy workplaces, antidiscrimination, labor organizing, and collective bargaining.




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Labor Standards Enforcement and Low-Wage Immigrants: Creating an Effective Enforcement System

This Migration Policy Institute webinar discusses labor enforcement laws during the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations and chronicles gaps in labor protection.




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Labor Standards Enforcement and Low-Wage Immigrants: Creating an Effective Enforcement System

This webinar discusses labor enforcement laws during the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations and chronicles gaps in labor protection, while also discussing the elements necessary for an effective labor standards enforcement system and why labor standards enforcement should become a pillar of immigration policymaking.




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How the Zika virus causes birth defects

New research provides the first direct evidence that Zika virus causes severe birth defects, and explains exactly how it does so

“I lifted up my T-shirt to check on what I thought had just been a small heat rash,” writes BuzzFeed correspondent Ali Watkins. “It had shown up along the right of my back, extending out from a handful of mosquito bites I had picked up… it had seemed relatively tame [but] now, it was inching across the front of my stomach and down my legs... Meanwhile, my right eye was inflamed and bright red, almost akin to a busted blood vessel.”

Watkins is describing the symptoms of a Zika virus infection that she contracted on a recent trip to Mexico. For many people, infection with this mosquito-borne virus causes an illness with symptoms just like those experienced by Watkins: fever, skin rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. For others, these symptoms are so mild that they go completely unnoticed.

Related: Zika virus spreads across Americas - in pictures

Related: Zika forest: birthplace of virus that has spread fear across the world

Continue reading...




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[ Cooking & Recipes ] Open Question : My mom keeps putting me down and making fun of the meals I was making before using hello fresh and it hurts my feelings ?




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[ Polls & Surveys ] Open Question : T or F: We were in our fathers before we're in our mothers?




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[ Polls & Surveys ] Open Question : How would fragrance companies benefit by the invention of smell-o-vision?




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[ Singles & Dating ] Open Question : How to you put an end to friends with benefits?

I have a fwb trade with this guy who doesnt respect me at all and hurts my feelings because I'm not as attractive as he is and gets annoyed if I dont meet his demands,how do I stop this fwb? I'm scared if he does he'll tell people or get mad at me.




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Integration Challenges and Opportunities in the Economic Development and Refugee Resettlement Arenas

Part of a series exploring recommendations likely to be addressed by the new National Integration Plan, this webinar, with perspectives from MPI, the WE Global Network, and Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee Services, examines the role of economic development initiatives and refugee resettlement programs/infrastructure in immigrant integration. 




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Integration Challenges and Opportunities in the Economic Development and Refugee Resettlement Arenas

This webinar, with perspectives from MPI, the WE Global Network, and Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee Service, examines the role of economic development initiatives and refugee resettlement programs/infrastructure in immigrant integration.




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Moving Toward More Effective Immigration Detention Management

Testimony of Donald Kerwin, former MPI Vice President for Programs, before the House Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism at its hearing: "Moving Toward More Effective Immigration Detention Management." 




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Prospects for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Testimony of Doris Meissner, Director of MPI's U.S. Immigration Policy Program, before the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Citizenship, at its hearing: "Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009, Can We Do It and How?" 




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An Examination of the Administration's Central American Minors Refugee/Parole Program

Testimony of Doris Meissner, Director of MPI's U.S. Immigration Policy Program, before the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest regarding the Central American Minors Refugee/Parole Program that began in December 2014.




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Transnational Organized Crime Groups, Immigration, and Border Security: Connections, Distinctions, and Proposals for Effective Policy

Testimony of Andrew Selee, President of MPI, before the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration on December 12, 2018 regarding the intersections of transnational crime, immigration, and border security.




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The grange holds potential to increase the reach of public health efforts

In the ongoing struggle to address health care disparities in rural communities across the U.S., a recent Oregon State University study found that the perfect partner may be hiding in plain sight.




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Father heartbroken after son refused entry to province

Hossein Arefi had moved to New Brunswick in January and by the end of April had convinced his son to join the family in Moncton. But telling peace officers at the airport the wrong thing when he arrived upended those plans.



  • News/Canada/New Brunswick

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Post-pandemic effect: The show must go home – Hindustan Times

Post-pandemic effect: The show must go home  Hindustan Times



  • IMC News Feed

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A Brief Conversation Blossoms Into Much More (Italy)

Rose (Scotland) as been developing a growing ministry among residents at a local retirement community. What started with a single conversation has grown into a ministry that impacts many lives through friendship and community outreach.




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Update on Refugee Emergency in Italy

(Source: Italian Evangelical Alliance) North African refugees flooding into Lampedusa are now being moved to various centres throughout Italy. The Italian Evangelical Alliance and their partner organisations are working to reach out to these displaced peoples.




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OM Italy hosts ‘Nefarious’ screening

Tesori Raggianti, OM Italy's anti-trafficking ministry, hosts a 'Nefarious' screening in a local theatre.




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Transform 2016: A refugee’s prayer - An insight into short-term refugee ministry

Meeting Christian refugees praying for European governments made a deep impression on a Transform participant. For another, the term ‘refugee’ got a whole new meaning.




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Reaching out to refugees

OM team in Turkey responds to refugee crisis by joining a church-led relief programme.