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Formula 1: Hungarian Grand Prix to be held without fans

Hungarian Grand Prix organisers announce the race be held without spectators this year as a result of the coronavirus crisis.




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Timeline: Tonga

A chronology of key events




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Timeline: Singapore

A chronology of key events




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Country profile: Tonga

Key facts, figures and dates




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Country profile: Singapore

Key facts, figures and dates




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Hungary timeline

A chronology of key events




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Hungary country profile

Kay facts, figures and dates





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‘Doom Eternal’ is crushingly hard and blisteringly engaging

“Doom Eternal” is a challenging, engaging shooter that caters to one’s predatorial impulses. It will keep you on your toes.




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Vice President Pence’s daughter Charlotte Pence announces her engagement

The Pences' middle child shared the happy news on Instagram: "I said 'yes.' "




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8 Virtual Summer Camps That Will Keep Your Little Ones Engaged

Obviously, due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, summer plans are on hold until further notice. And for families who rely on camp during the warmer months, this can be problematic. Although traditional summer camps might be out of the question this year, there are plenty of virtual options that will keep kids of all ages entertained. Whether they're looking to keep their academics sharp (hey, no one likes that pesky summer slide, right?) or just want some good, old-fashioned fun, these online summer camps will deliver.




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“Spring Is Coming” to the Avangate Affiliate Network

It’s time to hang your winter jacket in the closet and change your wardrobe to warmer clothes, because “Spring Is Coming” to the Avangate Affiliate Network. Our spring contest will make your sales bloom and may even fulfill your Amazon wishlist. (Feel free to think “beyond the wall” with creative promotions!)




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AT#38 - Swimming with Whales off Tonga

Swimming with Whales off Tonga




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AT#144 - Travel to Singapore

Singapore




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AT#607 - Travel to Budapest, Hungary

Hear about travel to Budapest, Hungary as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jennifer Dombrowski from luxeadventuretraveler.com about her trips to the city.




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AT#628 - Travel to Singapore

Hear about travel to the island, city and country of Singapore as the Amateur Traveler talks to Ashley Hall who lives there.




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AT#682 - Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Hear about travel to Virunga National Park as the Amateur Traveler talks to Niall from Ireland about his visit to this stunning national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.




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Boston Dynamics' robot dog warns Singapore parkgoers not to get too close

In a startling turn for a robot that has long haunted your dreams, Boston Dynamics' Spot has been tasked to encourage healthy behavior. 

According to the Straits Times, the robot "dog" has been assigned to patrol the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park in Singapore with the express purpose of encouraging social distancing. 

"Let's keep Singapore healthy," sounds a recording from the robot as it trots by two terrified people relaxing on a park bench in the above video. "For your own safety, and those around you, please stand at least one meter apart. Thank you."

Notably, Spot's jaunt is part of a two-week trial that began Friday. The robot will supposedly not collect any personal information on the people it admonishes.  Read more...

More about Boston Dynamics, Coronavirus, Tech, and Other




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Brain manganese and the balance between essential roles and neurotoxicity [Molecular Bases of Disease]

Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient required for the normal development of many organs, including the brain. Although its roles as a cofactor in several enzymes and in maintaining optimal physiology are well-known, the overall biological functions of Mn are rather poorly understood. Alterations in body Mn status are associated with altered neuronal physiology and cognition in humans, and either overexposure or (more rarely) insufficiency can cause neurological dysfunction. The resultant balancing act can be viewed as a hormetic U-shaped relationship for biological Mn status and optimal brain health, with changes in the brain leading to physiological effects throughout the body and vice versa. This review discusses Mn homeostasis, biomarkers, molecular mechanisms of cellular transport, and neuropathological changes associated with disruptions of Mn homeostasis, especially in its excess, and identifies gaps in our understanding of the molecular and biochemical mechanisms underlying Mn homeostasis and neurotoxicity.




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The hibernating 100S complex is a target of ribosome-recycling factor and elongation factor G in Staphylococcus aureus [Protein Synthesis and Degradation]

The formation of translationally inactive 70S dimers (called 100S ribosomes) by hibernation-promoting factor is a widespread survival strategy among bacteria. Ribosome dimerization is thought to be reversible, with the dissociation of the 100S complexes enabling ribosome recycling for participation in new rounds of translation. The precise pathway of 100S ribosome recycling has been unclear. We previously found that the heat-shock GTPase HflX in the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is a minor disassembly factor. Cells lacking hflX do not accumulate 100S ribosomes unless they are subjected to heat exposure, suggesting the existence of an alternative pathway during nonstressed conditions. Here, we provide biochemical and genetic evidence that two essential translation factors, ribosome-recycling factor (RRF) and GTPase elongation factor G (EF-G), synergistically split 100S ribosomes in a GTP-dependent but tRNA translocation-independent manner. We found that although HflX and the RRF/EF-G pair are functionally interchangeable, HflX is expressed at low levels and is dispensable under normal growth conditions. The bacterial RRF/EF-G pair was previously known to target only the post-termination 70S complexes; our results reveal a new role in the reversal of ribosome hibernation that is intimately linked to bacterial pathogenesis, persister formation, stress responses, and ribosome integrity.




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The streptococcal multidomain fibrillar adhesin CshA has an elongated polymeric architecture [Microbiology]

The cell surfaces of many bacteria carry filamentous polypeptides termed adhesins that enable binding to both biotic and abiotic surfaces. Surface adherence is facilitated by the exquisite selectivity of the adhesins for their cognate ligands or receptors and is a key step in niche or host colonization and pathogenicity. Streptococcus gordonii is a primary colonizer of the human oral cavity and an opportunistic pathogen, as well as a leading cause of infective endocarditis in humans. The fibrillar adhesin CshA is an important determinant of S. gordonii adherence, forming peritrichous fibrils on its surface that bind host cells and other microorganisms. CshA possesses a distinctive multidomain architecture comprising an N-terminal target-binding region fused to 17 repeat domains (RDs) that are each ∼100 amino acids long. Here, using structural and biophysical methods, we demonstrate that the intact CshA repeat region (CshA_RD1–17, domains 1–17) forms an extended polymeric monomer in solution. We recombinantly produced a subset of CshA RDs and found that they differ in stability and unfolding behavior. The NMR structure of CshA_RD13 revealed a hitherto unreported all β-fold, flanked by disordered interdomain linkers. These findings, in tandem with complementary hydrodynamic studies of CshA_RD1–17, indicate that this polypeptide possesses a highly unusual dynamic transitory structure characterized by alternating regions of order and disorder. This architecture provides flexibility for the adhesive tip of the CshA fibril to maintain bacterial attachment that withstands shear forces within the human host. It may also help mitigate deleterious folding events between neighboring RDs that share significant structural identity without compromising mechanical stability.




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The hibernating 100S complex is a target of ribosome-recycling factor and elongation factor G in Staphylococcus aureus [Protein Synthesis and Degradation]

The formation of translationally inactive 70S dimers (called 100S ribosomes) by hibernation-promoting factor is a widespread survival strategy among bacteria. Ribosome dimerization is thought to be reversible, with the dissociation of the 100S complexes enabling ribosome recycling for participation in new rounds of translation. The precise pathway of 100S ribosome recycling has been unclear. We previously found that the heat-shock GTPase HflX in the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is a minor disassembly factor. Cells lacking hflX do not accumulate 100S ribosomes unless they are subjected to heat exposure, suggesting the existence of an alternative pathway during nonstressed conditions. Here, we provide biochemical and genetic evidence that two essential translation factors, ribosome-recycling factor (RRF) and GTPase elongation factor G (EF-G), synergistically split 100S ribosomes in a GTP-dependent but tRNA translocation-independent manner. We found that although HflX and the RRF/EF-G pair are functionally interchangeable, HflX is expressed at low levels and is dispensable under normal growth conditions. The bacterial RRF/EF-G pair was previously known to target only the post-termination 70S complexes; our results reveal a new role in the reversal of ribosome hibernation that is intimately linked to bacterial pathogenesis, persister formation, stress responses, and ribosome integrity.




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Virtual Breakfast: Engaging with the EU From the Outside: A Perspective From Norway

Invitation Only Research Event

24 April 2020 - 8:30am to 9:30am

Event participants

Niels Engelschiøn, Director-General, Department for European Affairs, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Chair: Dr Robin Niblett, Director; Chief Executive, Chatham House

Please note this an online-only event.

Norway is one of the few European countries that remains outside of the European Union. After the country’s population rejected the prospect of joining the EU twice, Norway’s relationship with the Union has been based on its membership of the European Economic Area (EEA), alongside Iceland and Liechtenstein.

The ‘Norway Model’ was often mentioned in the run up to the Brexit vote as a possible basis for Britain’s future relationship with the bloc, not least because it offers the least disruption to the current arrangement. Equally, Norway is not subject to the EU fisheries policy - an anticipated major issue in the next phase of Brexit talks. Nor is it part of the EU Customs Union.

Even though Prime Minister Johnson has now ruled out the type of deep economic and regulatory integration with the EU that Norway enjoys through its EEA membership, the country’s experience can still offer valuable lessons for the UK as it prepares to exit the transition period at the end of 2020.

In this session, the speaker will share Norway’s experience as a long-standing EEA member and discuss the challenges of engaging with the EU from the outside. What lessons can Norway offer the UK ahead of the negotiations on the future of UK-EU relations? What are the limits of its current arrangement with the EU? And is there any appetite among the Norwegian population to revisit it?

Alina Lyadova

Europe Programme Coordinator




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Syria Showcases the Failure to Engage Locals in Development

20 August 2015

Kholoud Mansour

Former Academy Associate
The problems of the international humanitarian response in the war-torn country are part of a broader difficulty in connecting development with local sustainability.

20150820UNSyriaEnvoys.jpg

UN Deputy Special Envoy to Syria Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy, UNDP Representative in Syria Yacoub al-Helo and the commissioner general of UNRWA, Pierre Krahenbuhl, answer questions during an interview on 14 April 2015 in Damascus. Photo by Getty Images.

The international community’s response to the Syria crisis has been unsatisfactory on many fronts, and humanitarian aid and development is no exception. While there has been renewed emphasis by development organizations on the importance of engaging local actors − notably highlighted in the new Sustainable Development Goals − the reality is this has been woefully lacking in practice. And Syria is simply one example of many where the failure of UN agencies and other humanitarian actors to partner with local actors has hampered the response to humanitarian crises.

Double standards

The problem is that international agencies usually have high and unfair expectations from Syrian individuals and organizations, requiring them to speak the ‘language’ of development, meet international standards, and demonstrate a wide range of expertise. However, these demands are not reciprocated by international organizations and experts being expected to have the same depth of knowledge of the local context in which they are operating. In addition, while Syrian actors are expected to be neutral, impartial and politically unaffiliated, foreign aid appears to be driven − explicitly and unashamedly − by the political objectives of the donor countries.

There is a double standard at work. In many cases, international ‘experts’ on Syria have little local knowledge, but there are no channels to measure or question their level of expertise. At the same time, including local Syrians in decision-making is seen as a threat to predetermined objectives, rather than as an asset.

Syrians could add an indispensable source of knowledge and context to international agencies, as well as add local credibility. But too often they are brought on board to be part of the humanitarian and development picture or to get their simple feedback for evaluation and needs assessment reports to satisfy donors’ requirements, rather than employed as an integral component of designing and implementing projects. Though some of this is down to a pretext of lack of capacity, it raises the question of whether there is an international political willingness and genuine organizational courage to involve Syrians at programming, decision and policy making-levels.

The importance of local

The Syrian example is not isolated. While there is now a debate to encourage engaging local actors, this does not happen in practice. The Local to Global Protection Initiative study reported that local and national humanitarian actors received only 0.2% of the overall direct global humanitarian response in 2013.

Moreover, the international humanitarian and development systems are designed, together with foreign aid policy, to be self-contained and to exclude local actors. This allows donor governments to use the systems as political tools for leveraging control. It is equally difficult for both outsiders as well as insiders to understand how the system really functions. The UN-led coordination structure is one example of the heavy international architecture that remains unable to reform itself, learn from its previous mistakes, or to engage with local actors.

And that engagement matters. The Independent Research Forum emphasized in its brief in February 2014 how engaging local researchers and implementing bottom-up participatory learning can make countries better prepared to achieve the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals. Those goals, as well as the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit, highlight the importance of including local actors in the humanitarian and development responses.

Moving forward

Fortunately, such initiatives are creating a momentum within the development community to make radical changes through bottom-up approaches that put sustainability into practice. But if the Sustainable Development Goals want to affect real change, there will have to be a significant drive to move from rhetoric and ‘intentions’ to reality and actions. Currently it seems that the international community prefers to simply maintain the current status quo. It only takes a brief reflection on how many Syrians are included in every project or programme and how many Syrians are in positions to contribute at the policy and decision-making levels to realise the scale of the impetus required to change this system. To make that change might provide an opportunity for Syrians to restore some of the ownership to the outcomes and decisions of their conflict.

To comment on this article, please contact Chatham House Feedback




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Brain manganese and the balance between essential roles and neurotoxicity [Molecular Bases of Disease]

Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient required for the normal development of many organs, including the brain. Although its roles as a cofactor in several enzymes and in maintaining optimal physiology are well-known, the overall biological functions of Mn are rather poorly understood. Alterations in body Mn status are associated with altered neuronal physiology and cognition in humans, and either overexposure or (more rarely) insufficiency can cause neurological dysfunction. The resultant balancing act can be viewed as a hormetic U-shaped relationship for biological Mn status and optimal brain health, with changes in the brain leading to physiological effects throughout the body and vice versa. This review discusses Mn homeostasis, biomarkers, molecular mechanisms of cellular transport, and neuropathological changes associated with disruptions of Mn homeostasis, especially in its excess, and identifies gaps in our understanding of the molecular and biochemical mechanisms underlying Mn homeostasis and neurotoxicity.




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Zimbabwe’s International Engagement




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Undercurrents: Episode 45 - Politics in Kazakhstan, and Youth Engagement in Politics




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Maintaining Connections: How Might the UK Remain Engaged in the EU's Climate and Energy Strategies?

Invitation Only Research Event

3 March 2020 - 10:30am to 12:00pm

Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE

As the UK leaves the EU and the formal negotiations on the future relationship begins, this workshop will discuss any immediate changes and review the short and medium term impacts of Brexit on the energy sector. 

The workshop will look to cover:

  • The implications for UK business and system operations of the UK leaving the Internal Energy Market.
  • Current and future investment trends in the UK energy system.
  • The trade of electricity and gas over inter-connectors.
  • The need for the development of a new EU-UK operational framework mechanism.
  • The UK's EU withdrawal agreement and the operation of the Single Electricity Market (SEM) across Ireland. 
  • Options for the UK outside of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the impact on carbon prices.

This workshop is part of a programme funded by the UK Energy Research Centre on Brexit and the UK’s Net Zero Energy Policy being run by the University of Warwick and Chatham House.

Attendance at this event is by invitation only.

Event attributes

Chatham House Rule

Chloé Prendleloup




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BongaCash: perfect conversions with your webcam traffic!




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CBD News: Statement by Executive Secretary, Ahmed Djoghlaf, on the occasion of the World Cities Summit, Singapore, 23-25 June 2008.




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CBD News: Engaging Cities of the World in the Battle for Life on Earth.




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CBD News: "Sustainable Development: Which way next", Statement by Executive Secretary, Dr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, on the occasion of the Global Indian Diaspora Conference towards a Dynamic Indian Diaspora, Singapore, 9-11 October 2008.




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CBD News: Statement by Ahmed Djoghlaf, Exeutive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, at the Opening of the Expert Workshop on the Development of the City Biodiversity Index, Singapore 10-12 February 2009.




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CBD News: Address by Mr. Ahmed Djoghlaf on the occasion "the Biodiversity Debate: Engaging and Educating Children on Biodiversity as the Future Guardians of our Planet", held on 3 September 2009 at the Royal Geographical Society, London, UK.




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CBD News: Statement by Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, on the occasion of the Asean Conference on Biodiversity 2009, 21 October 2009, Singapore.




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CBD Communiqué: Engaging Business in the Battle for Life on Earth.




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CBD News: Statement by Mr Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on biological Diversity, on the occasion of the UNCTAD Event on Redefining Sustainability in the International Agenda: Inspiring Greater Engagement in Biodiversity Issues, Gen




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CBD Communiqué: Engaging North America People in Protecting Life on Earth.




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CBD News: Statement by Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, on the occasion of the Second World Cities Summit 2010, Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre, 30 June 2010.




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CBD Communiqué: Engaging children and youth on biodiversity at the Farnborough International Airshow.




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CBD News: Statement by Mr Ahmed Djoghlaf, CBD Executive Secretary, On the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation and Capacity Building Workshop on REDD-Plus, Including on Relevant Biodiversity Safeguards, Singapore, 15 - 18 March 2011




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CBD Communiqué: Engaging the Canadian Business Community in Support of the Nagoya Biodiversity Compact. Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat co-hosts Biodiversity Workshop for Quebec-Based Companies.




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CBD News: Message of Mr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, CBD Executive Secretary, on the occasion of Africa Environment Day (Wangari Maathai Day), 3 March 2012




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CBD Press Release: Montreal, 6 July 2012. With a spirit of compromise and constructive engagement, Governments concluded a week-long meeting where they advanced in the preparations for the entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-shar




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CBD News: The Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress reaches the halfway mark to entry into force with ratification by Hungary.




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CBD News: The Wangari Maathai Award recognizes extraordinary efforts by an individual to improve and sustain forests and the people who depend on them. The 2015 winner will be awarded US$20, 000 and will be invited to receive their award in person on 10 S




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CBD News: First, I would like to congratulate the Arab Society for Fungal Conservation for declaring 20 February as Egyptian Fungus Day. This initiative truly demonstrates commitment towards conservation of biodiversity and promoting the objectives of the




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CBD Notification SCBD/OES/DAIN/FD/88686 (2020-022): Engaging in Earth Hour 2020: Raise your Voice for Nature




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CBD News: Governments advance in the preparation of a New UN Biodiversity Framework; Negotiations in Rome demonstrate engagement across government and society




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CBD Notification SCBD/SSSF/AS/BB/ML/GD/88853 (2020-036): Launching of the UNEP Strategy for Private Sector Engagement