ea University of Washington wins NASA grant to create spacey contest for Artemis Student Challenges By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 22:39:49 -0400 NASA has awarded the University of Washington a $499,864 grant to develop a competition that calls on students to turn a simulated lava tube into a habitat suitable for harboring humans on the moon or Mars. The exploration and habitation skills competition will be funded as part of NASA's Artemis Student Challenges program, which plays off the themes of the Artemis moon program to inspire the next generation of explorers and engineers. The competition will involve navigating a rover through a facsimile lava tube and surface structures, generating maps, identifying valuable resources and deploying an airtight barrier to seal the… Read More Full Article
ea Abbott coronavirus test is accurate; infected mother's breast milk may protect infants By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 13:36:57 -0400 The following is a brief roundup of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. A new antibody test is highly accurate at determining whether people have been infected with the novel coronavirus, according to a study published on Friday in The Journal of Clinical Microbiology. Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine found the test, manufactured by Abbott Laboratories, had a specificity rate of 99.9% and a sensitivity rate of 100%, suggesting little chance of incorrectly diagnosing a healthy person as having been infected and virtually no chance of a false negative readout. Full Article
ea Astronomers found the closest black hole to Earth — and there could be millions more like it By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 19:30:00 -0400 Scientists usually find black holes by detecting X-rays they emit as they devour nearby stars. But this one was quietly hidden 1,000 light-years away. Full Article
ea April pink full moon: readers' photos of the supermoon By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-04-09T04:14:27Z A supermoon happens when the moon reaches the closest point to Earth in its 27-day orbit and it happens to be full, which usually occurs once a year. We asked you to share your shots of April’s lunar spectacular. Here’s a selection of our favourites Continue reading... Full Article The moon Space Science Astronomy Art Photography
ea Can you solve it? Are you smarter than an 8-year-old? By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-04T06:10:13Z Puzzles for kids in quarantineUpdate: Solutions can now be read here.Today’s teasers are from my new puzzle book, Football School: the Ultimate Puzzle Book, which is aimed at 8 to 13-year-olds. No pressure. I have extracted some of the problems that I thought might also provide entertainment for grown-ups.We kick off with a problem for everyone tending their lawns, plant pots, and window boxes during lockdown. Continue reading... Full Article Mathematics Mathematics Education Science Children and teenagers Books
ea Did you solve it? Are you smarter than an 8-year-old? By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-04T16:00:22Z The solutions to today’s puzzlesEarlier today I set you the following four puzzles from my new book, Football School: the Ultimate Puzzle Book:1. Which of these two watering cans can carry the most water? Continue reading... Full Article Mathematics Mathematics Education Science
ea UK health watchdog may investigate coronavirus deaths By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-08T15:45:15Z Lawyers say failure to provide adequate PPE may amount to corporate manslaughterCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe deaths of more than 50 hospital and care home workers have been reported to Britain’s health and safety regulator, which is considering launching criminal investigations, the Guardian has learned.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which investigates the breaking of safety at work laws, has received 54 formal reports of deaths in health and care settings “where the source of infection is recorded as Covid-19”. These are via the official reporting process, called Riddor: Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences. Continue reading... Full Article Coronavirus outbreak Infectious diseases Science UK news Law
ea Genetics in focus after coronavirus deaths of siblings and twins By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-05T11:17:34Z Recent deaths have stood out, but scientists say they must be interpreted with cautionAmid the steady stream of stories on the lives lost to coronavirus are cases that stand out as remarkable. In the past month, at least two pairs of twins have died in Britain and two pairs of brothers, all within hours or days of each other. But do the deaths point to genetic factors that make some more likely than others to succumb to the disease?Most scientists believe that genes play a role in how people respond to infections. A person’s genetic makeup may influence the receptors that the coronavirus uses to invade human cells. How resilient the person is to the infection, their general health, and how the immune system reacts will also have some genetic component. Continue reading... Full Article Coronavirus outbreak Health Genetics Biology Infectious diseases Medical research Microbiology Science Society UK news Siblings
ea Rashes, headaches, tingling: the less common coronavirus symptoms that patients have By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-06T14:39:48Z Studies have examined some of the more unusual signs of Covid-19Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe World Health Organization lists the most common symptoms of Covid-19 as fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Others include a runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion, pain, diarrhoea and the loss of sense of taste and/or smell. But there are also other more unusual symptoms that patients have presented. Continue reading... Full Article Coronavirus outbreak World Health Organization Health Science Infectious diseases
ea Heathrow to carry out temperature checks on passengers By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-06T16:16:47Z Airport’s boss says global standard for screening is crucial to restoring confidenceCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageHeathrow will start using thermal cameras to carry out temperature checks on passengers within the next fortnight, as it called for common health screening standards around the world for air travellers.The UK’s busiest airport said it would trial thermal cameras capable of monitoring the temperature of people in the immigration halls, initially in Terminal 2. Continue reading... Full Article Airline industry Heathrow airport Air transport Transport UK news Coronavirus outbreak Business Environment World news
ea Uncovering the mysteries of the 'crazy beast' – Science Weekly podcast By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-07T09:56:53Z As the coronavirus outbreak continues to be our focus on Science Weekly, we also want to try look at other science stories. In this episode, Nicola Davis speaks to Dave Krause about the 66-million-year-old fossil of a cat-sized mammal dubbed ‘crazy beast’. A giant in its day, we hear how this now extinct branch of mammals – known as Gondwanatherians – offers new insights into what could have been Continue reading... Full Article Science Evolution Mammals Palaeontology Biology
ea Black hole found 1,000 light years from Earth By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-06T12:00:53Z Object found in HR 6819 system is the closest to Earth yet known – and is unusually darkAstronomers say they have discovered a black hole on our doorstep, just 1,000 light years from Earth.It was found in a system called HR 6819, in the constellation Telescopium. Continue reading... Full Article Black holes Astronomy Space Science
ea Warty comb jelly, scourge of fisheries, also eats its young By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-07T15:00:14Z Researchers say cannibalistic tendency may help explain why the invasive creatures thriveWhen the going gets tough, most parents try to protect their offspring. But the warty comb jelly takes a different tack: it eats them.Despite initial appearances, comb jellies are not jellyfish but belong to a different group of animals, ctenophora, which swim using tiny hair-like projections called cilia. Continue reading... Full Article Animal behaviour Biology Science
ea Families separated by the pandemic yearn for personal contact on Mother's Day By www.cbc.ca Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 04:00:00 EDT The mother of a newborn wants to see her own mother cuddle the baby, while adult children must rely on virtual connections with their elderly mother. COVID-19 proves challenging physically and emotionally for many this Mother's Day. Full Article News/Canada/Saskatchewan
ea COVID-19 outbreak linked to Canada Post main plant in Calgary, health officials say By www.cbc.ca Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 18:14:31 EDT There is now an outbreak of COVID-19 linked to Canada Post's main plant in Calgary, according to Alberta Health Services. Full Article News/Canada/Calgary
ea He cleans 'COVID rooms' in the ICU — and keeps dying patients company By www.cbc.ca Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 09:56:58 EDT Most are doing their best to avoid other people's germs right now. But for cleaners and those who get rid of that trash, they're coming into contact with COVID-19 every shift. Full Article News/Canada/Hamilton
ea Victory Day: Belarus swaggers on parade as Russians leave Red Square deserted By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-09T15:05:03Z In a tale of two cities, Moscow keeps its distance while in Minsk, thousands turn out for the traditional military spectacularCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIn any other year, hundreds of thousands of Russians would have marched with portraits of relatives who fought in the second world war in a memorial called the Immortal Regiment.But on Saturday, the images of Soviet veterans and their families floated past on Russian television, a public vigil adapted for the era of social isolation. Continue reading... Full Article Coronavirus outbreak Infectious diseases Russia Belarus Vladimir Putin Alexander Lukashenko Second world war
ea Smart Education And Learning Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Age, By Component, By Learning Mode, By End User, By Region And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027 By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 11:30:00 -0400 Smart Education And Learning Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Age, By Component (Hardware, Software, Service), By Learning Mode, By End User, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05891723/?utm_source=PRN The global smart education and learning market size is expected to reach USD 680.1 billion by 2027. The market is anticipated to witness a CAGR of 17.9% from 2020 to 2027. Demand for smart education and learning solutions is increasing among the growing population in corporate and academic sectors, owing to benefits such as improved education quality and easy access to educational content. Increasing adoption of consumer electronics, such as smartphones, e-readers, laptops, and e-learning applications, has altered conventional education methodology and has enhanced the efficiency of an individual to learn. Additionally, there are enormous opportunities for advancements in the market, owing to improved internet accessibility.Also, the COVID - 19 outbreak has emerged an opportunity for the market with an increasing number of states and countries closing educational institutes. For instance, over 90.0% of the world's students are not attending their schools due to this pandemic, as mentioned by UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). Commonwealth of Learning (COL), an intergovernmental organization of The Commonwealth (Canada), has supported educational institutions and governments in building robust distance education solutions for quality e-learning practices. However, lack of awareness among end-users about the latest technologies and inadequate amount of resources for delivering quality education in developing regions is anticipated to hinder market growth.The simulation-based learning segment is anticipated to exhibit the highest CAGR because this mode enables corporate professional and educational institutions to create a realistic experience in a controlled environment.It also allows professionals and learners to practice, navigate, explore, and obtain more information through a virtual medium before they start working on real-life tasks.Growing awareness among people and the rising popularity of smart education are encouraging solution providers to invest in research and development for creating more reliable, better, and cost-effective solutions. Manufacturers are making substantial investments in developing new products for enhancing the user experience.Smart education and learning market report highlights:• Growing demand for smart educational practices can be accredited to factors, such as reducing expenses of online training, curbing geographic challenges in physically attending classes, and time constraints faced by aspirants• Increasing penetration of the Internet of Things (IoT), enhanced internet accessibility, and rapid adoption of mobile technology have encouraged users to adopt smart education and learning solutions• Innovative techniques, such as gamification, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), microlearning, and adaptive learning, which improve the overall educational process, are expected to drive the market over the projected period• North America accounted for the largest market share in 2019 owing to its large consumer base for e-learning methodsRead the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05891723/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 Full Article
ea COVID-19 expected to peak in world's poorest countries soon, UN says By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 12:28:04 -0400 The United Nations said a "smart strategy" is to contain coronavirus in the world's most vulnerable countries to stem a "further phase of the pandemic." Full Article
ea Pakistan army: Roadside bomb in remote area kills 6 troops By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 13:04:26 -0400 Full Article
ea Coronavirus in Kenya: Fearing 'money heists' amid pandemic By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 13:11:57 -0400 Kenyans are afraid that money set aside to tackle the virus is being misspent, writes Waihiga Mwaura. Full Article
ea Exclusive: Iran-linked hackers recently targeted coronavirus drugmaker Gilead - sources By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 13:19:55 -0400 Hackers linked to Iran have targeted staff at U.S. drugmaker Gilead Sciences Inc in recent weeks, according to publicly-available web archives reviewed by Reuters and three cybersecurity researchers, as the company races to deploy a treatment for the COVID-19 virus. In one case, a fake email login page designed to steal passwords was sent in April to a top Gilead executive involved in legal and corporate affairs, according to an archived version on a website used to scan for malicious web addresses. Ohad Zaidenberg, lead intelligence researcher at Israeli cybersecurity firm ClearSky, who closely tracks Iranian hacking activity and has investigated the attacks, said the attempt was part of an effort by an Iranian group to compromise email accounts of staff at the company using messages that impersonated journalists. Full Article
ea Police drop investigation into Brexit campaigners accused of breaching spending rules By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 13:49:30 -0400 Police have dropped an investigation into two prominent Brexit campaigners accused of breaching spending rules during the referendum campaign. In 2018 the Electoral commission said that Alan Halsall, of Vote Leave, and Darren Grimes, founder of pro-Brexit youth group BeLeave, failed to declare a payment related to the campaign. The watchdog said that BeLeave "spent more than £675,000 with (Canadian data firm) Aggregate IQ under a common plan with Vote Leave". This spending took Vote Leave over its £7 million legal spending limit by almost £500,000. Vote Leave paid a £61,000 fine, but denied wrongdoing, while Mr Grimes won an appeal against his £20,000 fine in July. The Commission also referred the pair to the Metropolitan Police but on Friday it was revealed that the investigations had now been dropped. A spokesman for the Leave campaigners said: "The Metropolitan Police has written to Vote Leave board member Alan Halsall and BeLeave founder Darren Grimes to confirm that it will not be acting on allegations made against them by the Electoral Commission and various Remain campaigners. "This marks the end of a two-year ordeal for both individuals." Mr Grimes, 26, said the development called into question whether the Electoral Commission was "fit for purpose". He had insisted since the allegations were first made that he was "completely innocent" of making false declarations in relation to the £680,000 donation. In a statement, Mr Grimes, a former fashion student originally from County Durham, said: "The Metropolitan Police has found, after investigation and consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, that there is no case to be answered. "Once again the Electoral Commission has been found to be part of the mob, a quango out of control that isn't policing elections so much as punishing Leavers who have the temerity to win them. "My ordeal at the hands of the kangaroo court that is the Electoral Commission is now over, but questions must now be asked of whether that body is fit for purpose." Mr Halsall, the responsible person for Vote Leave, said he was "delighted to have been exonerated" and thanked the police for their "professional" investigation. "I was very disappointed that my colleagues at Vote Leave and myself were never given the opportunity of making our case in person to the Electoral Commission before being fined and reported to the police," he added. "It seems a rather unusual way of conducting an inquiry into such matters that only the so-called whistleblowers who made these allegations are interviewed by the regulator." A spokesman for the Met said an investigation into the Electoral Commission's allegations against Vote Leave and BeLeave, submitted on July 17 2018, was handed over in October to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). "On Tuesday, March 3 preliminary advice was received from the CPS," said the force spokesman. "This advice has now been duly considered and no further action will be taken." Full Article
ea Libya gov't warns of escalation after attacks near embassies By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 15:36:12 -0400 Full Article
ea US blocks vote on UN's bid for global ceasefire over reference to WHO By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:07:56 -0400 Security council had spent weeks seeking resolution but Trump administration opposed mention of organizationThe US has blocked a vote on a UN security council resolution calling for a global ceasefire during the Covid-19 pandemic, because the Trump administration objected to an indirect reference to the World Health Organization.The security council has been wrangling for more than six weeks over the resolution, which was intended to demonstrate global support for the call for a ceasefire by the UN secretary general, António Guterres. The main source for the delay was the US refusal to endorse a resolution that urged support for the WHO’s operations during the coronavirus pandemic.Donald Trump has blamed the WHO for the pandemic, claiming (without any supporting evidence) that it withheld information in the early days of the outbreak.China insisted that the resolution should include mention and endorsement of the WHO.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.On Thursday night, it appeared that the compromise resolution had the support of the US mission, but on Friday morning, that position switched and the US “broke silence” on the resolution, raising objection to the phrase “specialist health agencies”, and blocking movement towards a vote.“We understood that there was an agreement on this thing but it seems that they changed their mind,” a western security council diplomat said.“Obviously they have changed their mind within the American system so that wording is still not good enough for them,” another diplomat close to the discussions said. “It might be that they just need a bit more time to settle it amongst themselves, or it might be that someone very high up has made a decision they don’t want it, and therefore it won’t happen. It is unclear at this moment, which one it is.”A spokesperson for the US mission at the UN suggested that if the resolution was to mention the work of the WHO, it would have to include critical language about how China and the WHO have handled the pandemic.“In our view, the council should either proceed with a resolution limited to support for a ceasefire, or a broadened resolution that fully addresses the need for renewed member state commitment to transparency and accountability in the context of Covid-19. Transparency and reliable data are essential to helping the world combat this ongoing pandemic, and the next one,” the spokesperson said.While the force of the resolution would be primarily symbolic, it would have been symbolism at a crucial moment. Since Guterres made his call for a global ceasefire, armed factions in more than a dozen countries had observed a temporary truce. The absence of a resolution from the world’s most powerful nations, however, undermines the secretary general’s clout in his efforts to maintain those fragile ceasefires.Talks will continue next week at the security council to explore whether some other way around the impasse can be found. Full Article
ea Colombian company creates bed that can double as coffin By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:18:40 -0400 A Colombian advertising company is pitching a novel if morbid solution to shortages of hospital beds and coffins during the coronavirus pandemic: combine them. ABC Displays has created a cardboard bed with metal railings that designers say can double as a casket if a patient dies. Company manager Rodolfo Gómez said he was inspired to find a way to help after watching events unfold recently in nearby Ecuador. Full Article
ea Iran quake kills at least one, sparks panic in capital By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 18:17:24 -0400 An earthquake struck early Friday near Iran's highest peak and jolted Tehran, killing at least one person and injuring more than 20 as people ran for their lives. The shallow 4.6 magnitude quake hit at 00:48 am (2018 GMT) near the city of Damavand, about 55 kilometres (34 miles) east of Tehran, the US Geological Survey said. It saw scores of residents of Tehran flee buildings for the safety of the capital's streets and parks, AFP journalists reported. Full Article
ea Germany sees increased risk of hard Brexit if Britain refuses to extend deadline By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 22:00:00 -0400 Full Article
ea Feeling your pain? Virus reaches into the lives of Congress By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 00:50:03 -0400 The beat against Congress has always been that its members are out of touch with average Americans. The result is a wide and deep imprint on the same Congress charged with helping a traumatized nation. “Everyone by now knows someone that had it," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., whose husband, John Bessler, recovered from a frightening coronavirus infection that sent him to the hospital. Full Article
ea Egypt’s president expands powers, citing virus outbreak By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 01:53:15 -0400 Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has approved amendments to the country's state of emergency that grant him and security agencies additional powers, which the government says are needed to combat the coronavirus outbreak. An international rights group condemned the amendments, saying the government has used the global pandemic to “expand, not reform, Egypt’s abusive Emergency Law.” The new amendments allow the president to to take measures to contain the virus, such as suspending classes at schools and universities and quarantining those returning from abroad. Full Article
ea 'Fear kills:' WWII vets recall war, reject panic over virus By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 02:39:46 -0400 On the 75th anniversary of the allied victory in the World War II, The Associated Press spoke to veterans in ex-Soviet countries and discovered that lessons they learned during the war are helping them cope with a new major challenge — the coronavirus pandemic. As they recalled the horrors of the war, they also talked about how strength and tenacity were key to survival both then and now. For Russian World War II veteran Valentina Efremova, the coronavirus pandemic is like going through the war all over again. Full Article
ea Being ostracized: Virus leaves its mark for UK's elderly By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 03:00:51 -0400 Arriving at his retirement home, he immediately went into self-isolation with his wife of 55 years, Jean, who has shown no symptoms of the virus. Embleton, who received an MBE honor from Queen Elizabeth II in 1993 for outstanding service to the Royal Navy, thinks the lockdown rules are too strict for some elderly people. Full Article
ea Georgia man's death raises echoes of US racial terror legacy By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 08:29:17 -0400 Many people saw more than the last moments of Ahmaud Arbery's life when a video emerged this week of white men armed with guns confronting the black man, a struggle with punches thrown, three shots fired and Arbery collapsing dead. The Feb. 23 shooting in coastal Georgia is drawing comparisons to a much darker period of U.S. history — when extrajudicial killings of black people, almost exclusively at the hands of white male vigilantes, inflicted racial terror on African Americans. It frequently happened with law enforcement complicity or feigned ignorance. Full Article
ea AP FACT CHECK: Trump is not credible on virus death tolls By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 08:51:50 -0400 Truth can be a casualty when President Donald Trump talks about deaths from the coronavirus in the United States. Pushing to get the country back to normal, Trump also suggested that children are safe from the coronavirus. Germany has done very good. Full Article
ea Putin pays a somber tribute to WWII dead as Russian coronavirus cases skyrocket By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 10:14:00 -0400 Cancellation of the ceremony was the second blow to Putin, who was forced to call off a referendum extending his time in power. Full Article
ea Putin pays a somber tribute to WWII dead as Russian coronavirus cases skyrocket By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 10:14:00 -0400 Cancellation of the ceremony was the second blow to Putin, who was forced to call off a referendum extending his time in power. Full Article
ea Union Garment Workers Fear 'an Opportunity to Get Rid of Us' By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 10:46:45 -0400 Myan Mode, a garment factory on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar, produces men's jackets, women's blazers and coats for Western fashion companies like Mango and Zara. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, it has seen a decrease in orders from international retailers.That was why it let go almost half of its 1,274 workers in late March, the factory's managing director said in response to protesters who arrived at the factory's doors to denounce the dismissals.Three fired sewing operators, however, said the factory was taking an opportunity to punish workers engaged in union activity. In an interview, the operators -- Maung Moe, Ye Yint and Ohnmar Myint -- said that of the 571 who had been dismissed, 520 had belonged to the factory's union, one of 20 that make up the Federation of Garment Workers Myanmar. About 700 workers who did not belong to the union kept their jobs, they said.Myan Mode's South Korean-based owner did not respond to requests for comment, and did not provide details about the firings.Moe, 27, was the factory union's president and had organized several strikes. Yint, 30, was the union's secretary, while Myint, 34, had been a union member since its founding in June 2018."The bosses used COVID as an opportunity to get rid of us because they hated our union," Moe said. He said he and other union members had been in discussions with the factory managers before the firings, demanding personal protective equipment and that workers be farther apart on the factory floor. "They thought we caused them constant headaches by fighting for our rights and those of our fellow workers."Union-busting -- practices undertaken to prevent or disrupt the formation of trade unions or attempts to expand membership -- has been a serious problem across the fashion supply chain for decades. But with the global spread of COVID-19 placing fresh pressures on the industry, it is a particular issue in South Asia, where about 40 million garment workers have long grappled with poor working conditions and wages."Union-busting is not a COVID-specific issue for the garment industry -- it happens all the time," said Luke Smitham of the sustainability consultancy Kumi Consulting.Zara's parent company, Inditex, which is supplied by Myan Mode, said its code of conduct for manufacturers expressly prohibited any discrimination against worker representatives. The company said in an email that it was "actively following the situation" at Myan Mode, and would "try to achieve the best possible solution for workers."Mango, which has started to reopen its stores in Europe, said in an emailed statement that it "understood the need to ensure that the human rights of factory workers are respected." The company added that it was maintaining "a continuous" dialogue with suppliers.Roughly 2% of garment workers in Myanmar, where the minimum wage is roughly $3.50 a day, and 0.5% of garment workers in Bangladesh belong to a union, according to affiliate data estimates collected by the global trade union IndustriALL. While Cambodia's workforce is more unionized than others in the region -- around 80% -- the unions there are fragmented, meaning successful collective bargaining negotiations can be difficult.Tear gas, water cannons, police brutality and imprisonment were some of the tools used by the governments of Bangladesh, Cambodia, India and Myanmar to punish striking garment workers and union members last year, according to the International Trade Union Confederation, an umbrella group for unions around the world. It noted that many workers in those countries who tried to form a union were dismissed from jobs or blacklisted by factories. And the number of countries that exclude workers from the right to establish or join a trade union increased to 107 in 2019 from 92 in 2018.Andrew Tillett-Saks, a labor organizer in Yangon, said he had seen a surge in unionizing by garment workers in Myanmar over the last 18 months -- and a reaction from factory owners. Before the pandemic, he said, some garment factories with fledgling unions were abruptly closing and firing union members, then reopening weeks later to supply the same brands under a slightly different name with a new group of nonunionized workers.Tillett-Saks said that much of the focus had been on whether brands would pay wages for workers during the pandemic, or for orders that had already been produced. But factory owners "taking this as an opportunity to break down labor movements in the supply chain could be an even bigger issue."Some brands, like H&M, have tried to facilitate union activity in supplier factories by signing ACT, an agreement brokered by IndustriALL and designed to secure fair wages for workers through collective bargaining and building guarantees of labor rights into purchasing agreements. But there are still hurdles. Before the International Labor Organization, a U.N. agency, can take action, allegations of mistreatment must be sent in writing from a national or international trade union organization and then reviewed internally by the agency -- a complicated process even before the pandemic."We have heard allegations of anti-union discrimination in recent weeks," said John Ritchotte, a specialist in social dialogue and labor administration in Asia for the International Labor Organization. "However, it is currently more difficult than usual for us to verify those allegations through our usual procedures because of travel restrictions and local lockdowns."In the weeks since the Myan Mode layoffs, around 15,000 jobs in the textile industry have been lost and about 40 factories closed across Asia, said Khaing Zar Aung, president of Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar.Moe said the fired Myan Mode workers had protested outside the factory for weeks, watching as daily wage workers entered and scores of exhausted former colleagues left at midnight after overtime shifts. Eventually, management offered severance but not re-employment to the 571 fired workers, plus 49 employees who had walked out in solidarity. All but 79 eventually took the severance pay.The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia said about 60% of its factories -- where union members have also been targeted -- had been severely affected by canceled orders of ready-made garment exports because of the pandemic.On March 31, several dozen union workers at the Superl leatherwear factory on the outskirts of Phnom Penh -- which produces handbags for brands like Michael Kors, Tory Burch and Kate Spade -- were told they were being let go. One was a woman who was six months pregnant.Soy Sros, a factory shop steward and the local president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers, wrote about the company's actions on Facebook, stating it violated a March 6 appeal from the Cambodian government saying COVID should not be used as a chance to discriminate against union members.Twenty-four hours later, Sros was forced by factory management to take down her post and make a thumbprint on a warning letter accusing her of defamation. On April 2, she was removed from the factory floor by the police and charged with posting fake information on social media. She is now in jail.Superl, which is headquartered in Hong Kong, did not respond to requests for comment, nor did Michael Kors and Tory Burch, who regularly place orders at the factory. Another customer, Tapestry, the owner of Kate Spade, declined to comment.In Myanmar, Moe, Yint and Myint all said they did not regret joining the union despite the difficulties they had faced. They said the loss of jobs was proof that worker representation was needed."I worry for the future of garment workers here without representatives," Myint said, referring to both the firings at Myan Mode and other factories across Asia. "But for now, I worry about providing for my family and getting food on the table."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company Full Article
ea NY's Cuomo criticized over highest nursing home death toll By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 10:58:09 -0400 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has won bipartisan praise for rallying supplies for his ravaged hospitals and helping slow the coronavirus, is coming under increasing criticism for not bringing that same level of commitment to a problem that has so far stymied him: nursing homes. In part-lecture, part-cheerleading briefings that have made him a Democratic counter to President Donald Trump, Cuomo has often seemed dismissive and resigned to defeat when asked about his state leading the nation in nursing home deaths. “We’ve tried everything to keep it out of a nursing home, but it’s virtually impossible,” Cuomo told reporters. Full Article
ea Comcast waives data cap until at least June 30 in response to pandemic By arstechnica.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 21:54:33 +0000 Comcast hasn't enforced data cap since March 13 because of pandemic. Full Article Biz & IT Comcast data cap pandemic
ea Google Play has been spreading advanced Android malware for years By arstechnica.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 22:15:56 +0000 Advanced hacker group seeded market with at least 8 apps likely since 2016. Full Article Biz & IT
ea CenturyLink still hasn’t met 2019 FCC deadline, now faces pandemic roadblocks By arstechnica.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 18:15:03 +0000 Pandemic disrupts broadband progress as cities halt construction. Full Article Biz & IT Policy centurylink FCC
ea ‘It was so thick’: B.C. woman’s giant spider photo horrifies, but experts say not to fear By globalnews.ca Published On :: Sun, 03 May 2020 22:10:20 +0000 "I just always want to reiterate the spiders are our friends, and this isn't a dangerous spider," said Royal B.C. Museum entomologist Claudia Copley. Full Article Environment News Science b.c. spider Giant Spider large spider pacific folding door spider spider spider photo victoria spider
ea ‘Murder hornet’: Asian invader is death on wings for bees in Canada, U.S. By globalnews.ca Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 17:40:45 +0000 The Asian giant hornet stings through clothing like a red-hot needle and slaughters honeybees by the thousands. Full Article Canada News Science Trending asian giant hornet giant asian hornet giant hornet Honey Bees hornet vs bees japanese giant hornet Japanese Hornet murder hornet vespa mandarinia
ea Canada focuses on mitigating COVID-19, placing virus origin search on backburner By globalnews.ca Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 22:11:39 +0000 It will be important to one day learn the true origin story of the global pandemic to defend against similar outbreaks in the future, Health Minister Patty Hajdu acknowledged Monday. Full Article Canada Health Politics Science World Coronavirus coronavirus origin story Coronavirus Origins COVID-19 Donald Trump Fox News how did the coronavirus start Justin Trudeau mystery coronavirus origin Patty Hajdu theresa tam
ea Focus on COVID-19 has disrupted funding for regular health research, scientists fear By globalnews.ca Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 02:47:36 +0000 The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) put off its regular $275-million competition this spring to focus on delivering federal grants related to the novel coronavirus. Full Article Canada Health Science Canada Coronavirus Canadian Institutes of Health Research CIHR Coronavirus Coronavirus Cases Coronavirus In Canada coronavirus news coronavirus update COVID-19 covid-19 canada covid-19 news health care funding Health Funding
ea South Korea experts say ‘reinfected’ coronavirus cases appear to be false positives By globalnews.ca Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 05:44:04 +0000 In some cases, the tests may detect old particles of the virus, which may no longer pose a significant threat to the patient or others, scientists say. Full Article Health Science World Coronavirus Coronavirus Cases coronavirus false positives coronavirus news coronavirus reinfected Coronavirus reinfection coronavirus South Korea coronavirus update COVID-19 covid-19 news South Korea south korea coronavirus
ea Was Your IT Infrastructure Ready for COVID-19? By gigaom.com Published On :: Mon, 06 Apr 2020 15:28:55 +0000 Enrico Signoretti, GigaOm’s lead analyst on data storage and infrastructure, is based in Northern Italy. Lockdowns, quarantines, travel bans, restrictions on social… Full Article Blog Covid-19 Crisis Managment Data Virtualization digital transformation Digital Transformation Infrastructure IT infrastructure
ea Why Should You Bother with Value Stream Management? By gigaom.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 13:22:47 +0000 What is Value Stream Management? Value Stream Management (VSM) is the TLA du jour among software development tools, so is it relevant… Full Article Blog devops DevOps vsm
ea Global Boom, Pandemic, Crash: Is History Just Repeating Itself? (in Analysis) By feeds.feedblitz.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 19:39:00Z If Peter Turchin is right, we face the end of a 300-year cycle, as did previous far-flung empires. Related StoriesLet’s Debunk the Myth Living More Densely Breeds Disease (in Analysis)Now Would Be a Good Time to Get to Know the Ancient Stoics (in Analysis)The Other Virus Test: Who’s a True Leader? (in Analysis) Full Article
ea Here’s How BC Plans to Clear Surgical Backlog Caused by COVID-19 (in News) By feeds.feedblitz.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 20:55:00Z Some 30,000 patients added to waitlist as hospital beds held open for possible pandemic surge. Related StoriesBC Lifts the Veil on Easing Restrictions (in News)BC Is Winning the Battle, but Tough Prevention Measures Will Remain (in News)Disabled People Fear Being Denied Care in Worst Case Pandemic Scenarios (in News) Full Article