ee What you need to know about Bitcoin halving By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 19:22:32 +0000 Bitcoin will “halve” for the third time next week, slowing down the discovery of new bitcoins and preventing disruptions from new miners. Read more...More about Tech, Internet, Mashable Video, Money, and Bitcoin Full Article Tech Internet Mashable Video Money Bitcoin
ee Google Duo now lets you make group video calls on the web, just like Google Meet By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 20:03:59 +0000 Google's video chat app got new features this week. No, the other one. No, the other other one. In a Friday blog post, Google announced some snazzy new features for Duo, one of its three video chat services. Let's get this out of the way early: Duo is the one that's mobile-friendly and resembles FaceTime more than Hangouts and Meet. The new features make more sense with that in mind. Google added something called "Family Mode" to Duo, in which you can draw silly little doodles on the video feed, presumably to amuse the little ones on the call. There are also AR effects you can use on one-on-one calls on Android and iOS, similar to those available on Facebook's video calls. Read more...More about Google, Video Chat, Google Hangouts, Google Duo, and Google Meet Full Article Google Video Chat Google Hangouts Google Duo Google Meet
ee Artists donate free, uplifting images to the UN in pandemic response By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 15:37:53 +0000 The internet is a scary enough place as it is, and now with the added misinformation and panic surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, it's even scarier. Thanks to the United Nations and dozens of artists, however, the internet just got a little more beautiful. In late March, the UN put a call out to artists to help combat the spread of COVID-19. They sought creatives to create content around six areas of WHO and UN priority actions: personal hygiene, social distancing, knowing the symptoms, spreading kindness, myth-busting, and doing more/donating. Tens of thousands of artists answered the call in two weeks, and now the COVID-19 Response Creative Content Hub is available for browsing. Read more...More about Art, United Nations, Activism, Coronavirus, and Covid 19 Full Article Art United Nations Activism Coronavirus Covid 19
ee Watch the 'Bon Appétit' cast meet the creators behind the Meme Appetit account By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 16:32:07 +0000 What happens when memers meet the subject of their memes? In the case of the BA Test Kitchen meeting the brains behind @meme_appetit, pure gold. Harry Kersh and Will Martin started the accounts when they discovered their shared love of BA videos, and the Instagram and Twitter accounts have since taken off. Now with almost 400,000 followers on Instagram, the account has a lot of fans — including some members of the test kitchen. In this video, the BA cooks explain why they love (or dislike) some of the account's memes, whether it's accurate, and whether they even "get it." Watch them react to various memes and Kersh and Martin attempt to explain their reasoning behind them. Read more...More about Memes, Viral Video, Bon Appetit, Culture, and Web Culture Full Article Memes Viral Video Bon Appetit Culture Web Culture
ee Remembering Freeman Dyson By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 04 Mar 2020 14:31:30 +0000 Freeman Dyson died last week at the age of 96 after injuring himself in a fall in the cafeteria at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Princeton, where he had continued to work right up to the end. I can’t resist adding to the outpouring of appreciation and love that has ensued. He has an […] Full Article Innovation & Disruption Commentary
ee Leaders need to mobilize change-ready workforces By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 23 Mar 2020 09:58:00 +0000 Rita J. King, co-director and EVP for business development at Science House, recently conducted a series of interviews with business leaders, exploring the challenges and hurdles companies face in evolving business landscapes. In this interview, King chats with Jen Bruno, SVP of culture and human capital at LPL Financial, about mobilizing a change-ready workforce, leadership […] Full Article Future of the Firm Big Systemic Thinking
ee What you need to know about product management for AI By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 31 Mar 2020 10:00:00 +0000 If you’re already a software product manager (PM), you have a head start on becoming a PM for artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML). You already know the game and how it is played: you’re the coordinator who ties everything together, from the developers and designers to the executives. You’re responsible for the design, […] Full Article AI & ML Deep Dive
ee Weezer rocks The Simpsons theme song ahead of their appearance on the show By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 08:42:07 PDT This Sunday, Weezer will cameo on The Simpsons and as a teaser, the band released their cover of "The Simpsons Theme" by Danny Elfman. From Rolling Stone: In the new episode of The Simpsons, Weezer will play a cover band called Sailor’s Delight, which serves as the house act on a romantic cruise Homer and Marge are taking. Sailor’s Delight will “perform” a handful of tracks from Weezer’s 2019 self-titled record (also known as The Black Album) and their 2017 effort Pacific Daydream, while the episode will also boast the premiere of the band’s new song, “Blue Dream,” from their upcoming LP, Van Weezer. Read the rest Full Article Video music simpsons The Simpsons
ee Suspicious package found in north Edmonton deemed non-threatening By edmonton.ctvnews.ca Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 10:22:00 -0600 A transit centre in north Edmonton was evacuated for about two hours Saturday morning due to a suspicious package. Full Article
ee Most Realtors® Don’t Expect Steep Price Declines in Next 12 Months By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 17:33:19 +0000 Most Realtors® Don’t Expect Steep Price Declines in... Among the 4,063 respondents, 23% expect prices to remain stable, 38% expect prices to increase, and 40% expect prices to fall. By: Scholastica (Gay) Cororaton Full Article
ee Signs of Slowing Unemployment; U.S. Jobless Claims Decline for Four Weeks in a Row By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 16:58:19 +0000 Signs of Slowing Unemployment Although millions of people lost their jobs because of the coronavirus, a surge of companies is hiring additional employees due to increased demands. By: Nadia Evangelou Coronavirus Full Article
ee Signs of Slowing Unemployment; More Than Half of States Had Fewer Jobless Claims for Four Weeks in a Row By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 20:03:33 +0000 Signs of Slowing Unemployment Following an unprecedented surge in jobless claims in March due to the coronavirus, unemployment is continuously slowing in April in 26 states. By: Nadia Evangelou Full Article
ee Watch Meet the Smiths Online | Season 1 Full Episodes Video Streaming & Torrent Search By www.webtvwire.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2015 04:40:17 +0000 Meet the Smiths Synopsis Meet the Smiths is a scripted reality television series produced by TBS that premiered in April of 2015. Meet the Smiths follows the daily lives of Kenny Smith, an NBA analyst for TNT and his wife Gwendolyn Osborne-Smith, a model for The Price is Right. The couple has five children together […] Full Article TV Shows
ee Stop Losing Sleep: 7 Steps for Stress-free Decision-making By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 12:30:49 +0000 Decision-making can be tough especially when the best choice isn’t glaringly obvious. We’re faced with this process every minute of the day. When do I wake up? What’s for lunch? Do I want to go out on a date with this person? What do I want to do with my life? Can I stay in […] The post Stop Losing Sleep: 7 Steps for Stress-free Decision-making appeared first on Dumb Little Man. Full Article Stress Success
ee Article: Marketers Need Artificial Intelligence to Reach the Segment of One By www.emarketer.com Published On :: Wed, 27 Dec 2017 04:01:00 GMT Radoslaw Dobrolecki, US business development director at RTB House, discusses how artificial intelligence can help predict customer behavior at scale. Full Article
ee Two Weeks in Mexico: The BEST Yucatán Road Trip Itinerary By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Apr 2020 03:10:53 +0000 After spending two months living in Mérida and years of trips traveling through the Yucatán Peninsula, I’ve finally put together the best itinerary for two weeks in Mexico. Most travelers go to Mexico to lie on the beach for a week, maybe go on an excursion to a ruin or a cenote, and head straight … Two Weeks in Mexico: The BEST Yucatán Road Trip Itinerary Read More » The post Two Weeks in Mexico: The BEST Yucatán Road Trip Itinerary appeared first on Adventurous Kate. Full Article Blog Mexico
ee Northern Pudu - the World's Smallest Deer By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 07 Jul 2015 13:25:00 +0200 The Northern Pudu (Pudu mephistophiles) is the world's smallest deer. This little inhabitant of the Andes Mountains weighs in at only 3 to 6 kg, or 7 to 13 pounds. The Northern Pudu lives and plays across Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru. They prefer to stay in the higher elevations of the Andes Mountain range. Most of them live at least 2000 meters above sea level. The climate here is a temperate rainforest, with a wet winter and arid summer. What Do They Look Like? These little deer have a stocky body and slim legs. They average 32 - 35 cm, or 13 - 14 inches tall. They are approximately 85 cm or 33 inches long. They are slightly larger than a small house dog or a large cat. They have a Southern branch of the family that lives in Chili and Argentina. This species is slightly larger. Their fur is thick, stiff and lays close to the body. They range in color from a reddish brown to a darker brown. The males sport backward curving antlers that do not split. How Do They Survive? The Pudu is a solitary animal interacting socially only to mate. They are nocturnal by nature and thrive on leaves, shrubs, sprouts, blossoms and bark. They do not eat meat. They are adept at climbing, jumping and sprinting which helps them evade predators. They tend to move slowly and purposefully through the lush climate, utilizing dense vegetation to hide. Predators include owls, foxes, and large wild cats. How Many Young Do They Have? Mating season is short, lasting from April to May each year. Once done they return to their solitary existence. The female Pudu carries her young six to seven months. Most mothers have only one baby, but twins do occur with some regularity. Pudu young will stay with their Mommas for between 8 - 12 months before heading out on their own. Most of them have an average lifespan of 8 - 10 years. Why Are They Endangered? The Pudu is listed as vulnerable on the ICUN red list. The main causes of death are disease, loss of habitat, and over hunting. The Pudu is prone to become infected with various types of worms such as the round worm and heart worms. The worms multiply rapidly overcoming their small bodies. Loss of habitat has lead to a decline in mating and death from road accidents. Adding to the problem are hunters. The Pudu is eagerly sought due to the skill needed to track and kill them. Conservationist are working to restore and preserve the habitat for these precious little deer. Full Article default
ee Naked Mole Rat - More Than Meets The Eye By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sat, 22 Aug 2015 17:03:00 +0200 The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a rodent, known for its burrowing and is indigenous to East Africa. The mole rat possesses a number of characteristics which allow it to survive in underground and harsh environments. The average naked mole rat is between 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 centimeters) in length and weighs between 1.1 and 1.2 ounces (30 to 35 grams). They have small eyes, poor sight, and have legs that are quite short and thin. They are also able to move backward and forward at the same quick pace and have large teeth that allow them to dip. The term "naked" comes from the fact that they have very little hair and gray-pink skin. The species is highly adapted to situations in which oxygen is limited within tunnels of their habitat. The lungs are small and their blood is greatly able to bond oxygen. They have very low metabolic and respiration rates. During periods of drought and hunger, the metabolic can decrease further to about 25% of its normal level. The naked mole rat lives predominantly in the dry tropical grasslands in East Africa with large concentrations being concentrated in Somalia, Kenya, and southern Ethiopia. Groups of around 80 individual mole rats (although it can be as few as 20 and as many as 200) live within a complex burrowing system within the African desert. These tunnel systems can be quite long, between two to three miles in length. There is a complex hierarchical structure where one queen and between 1 and 3 males reproduce, the other naked mole rats are workers and sterile. Dimorphism exists between the males, two forms of workers (tunnel digging/gathering and soldiers), and the breeding males. The breeding males and the queen can keep up their relationship for several years. The queens can live for a period of between 13 and 18 years and are quite hostile towards other females. Upon the death of the queen, another female will become queen in her place. The naked mole rat mostly eats large tubers that they find underground during their mining exhibitions. However, they are also known for eating their own fecal matter. One tuber, depending upon its size, can feed a colony for several months or years as they only eat the inside of the tuber. They leave the outer parts so that the tuber is able to regenerate. Naked mole rats are currently not a threatened species. Although their living conditions are tough, they are a widespread species. Naked mole rats help in cancer research, because they never get cancer (read here). Full Article default
ee Passport Renewal: Everything American Travelers Need to Know By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 Mar 2019 17:29:52 +0000 Passport renewal isn't quite simple, but it is straightforward. You just need to prepare with the right forms, supporting documentation, and some patience. The post Passport Renewal: Everything American Travelers Need to Know appeared first on Vagabondish. Full Article Travel Tips america american passport renewal travel tips United States
ee I Never Thought I’d Want (or Need) an Electric Folding Bike … But This Changed My Mind By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 23 Sep 2019 18:44:13 +0000 If you've never had enough room to take your bike road-tripping, Oyama's origami-inspired folding electric bike is here to change your mind. The post I Never Thought I’d Want (or Need) an Electric Folding Bike … But This Changed My Mind appeared first on Vagabondish. Full Article Modern Vagabond Review
ee Employee-surveillance software is not welcome to integrate with Basecamp By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 20:17:17 +0000 We’ve been teaching people how to do remote work well for the better part of two decades. We wrote a whole book about the topic in 2013, called REMOTE: Office Not Required. Basecamp has been a remote company since day one, and our software is sold as an all-in-one toolkit for remote work. Yeah, we’re… keep reading Full Article Uncategorized
ee An Oscar nominee's diary By www.bbc.co.uk Published On :: 2008-02-22T12:30:00 Part of the Going for gold promo for the BBC UK Homepage Full Article
ee Video: "Broken Meetings (and how you'll fix them)" By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:40:08 +0000 A couple weeks ago, my pals at Twitter were kind enough to invite me in to visit with their (rapidly growing) team. The topic was meetings, so I used it as an opportunity to publicly premiere a talk I've been presenting to private clients over the past few months. I hope you'll enjoy, Broken Meetings (and how you'll fix them). Slides: Supplementary links and commentary forthcoming, but I wanted to go ahead and post the talk as quickly as the video was available. Special thanks to Michelle, Jeremy, and the crackerjack Twitter crew for a swell afternoon. I really like this talk and sincerely hope you will find it useful in helping to un-break your own meetings. ”Video: "Broken Meetings (and how you'll fix them)"” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on October 06, 2010. Except as noted, it's ©2010 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?" Full Article Meetings Merlin Speaking Twitter Videos world of work
ee No One Needs Permission to Be Awesome By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:10:32 +0000 Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address No one wants to die, even people who want to go to Heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet, death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be. Because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It's life's change agent; it clears out the old to make way for the new. […] Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. None of us should ever have to face death to accept the inflexible and, too-often, novel sense of scarcity that it introduces. In fact, it'd be great if we could each skip needing outside permission to be awesome by not waiting until the universe starts tapping its watch. A simple start would involve each of us learning to care just a little more about a handful of things that simply aren't allowed to leave with us--whether today, tomorrow, or whenever. Because, I really believe a lot of nice things would start to happen if we also stopped waiting to care. A whole lot of nice things. If that sounds like fancy incense for hippies and children, perhaps in a way that seems frankly un-doable for someone as practical and important and immortal as yourself, then go face death. Go get cancer. Or, go get crushed by a horse Or, go get hit by a van. Or, go get separated from everything you ever loved forever. Then, wonder no longer whether caring about the modest bit of time you have here is only for fancy people and the terminally-ill. Because, the sooner you care, the better you'll make. The better you'll do. And the better you'll live. Please don't wait. The universe won't. ”No One Needs Permission to Be Awesome” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on January 17, 2011. Except as noted, it's ©2010 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?" Full Article caring hacer Steve Jobs
ee VIDEO: AG Barr criticizes Mueller’s handling of Steele dossier By dennismichaellynch.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 15:50:00 +0000 The DML News App offers the best in news reporting. The post VIDEO: AG Barr criticizes Mueller’s handling of Steele dossier appeared first on Dennis Michael Lynch. Full Article News Feed Powered by DMLNewsApp.com
ee Bradford boy with sweet intentions sparks missing person search By barrie.ctvnews.ca Published On :: Thu, 7 May 2020 11:51:29 -0400 An eight-year-old boy with good intentions sparked a missing person search on Tuesday. Full Article
ee Police identify three teens responsible for 'appalling prank' in Innisfil By barrie.ctvnews.ca Published On :: Thu, 7 May 2020 13:55:00 -0400 An "appalling prank" in Innisfil sent South Simcoe Police officers on a mission to identify the culprits involved. Full Article
ee 'Who steals a tree?' Theft of Japanese maple caught on camera in Vancouver By bc.ctvnews.ca Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 19:31:00 -0700 Vancouver resident Hugo Huynh says he's never seen the man who got out of a minivan outside his home early Monday morning and uprooted the young tree. Full Article
ee 77-Yr-Old MI Barber Defies Gov Whitmer’s Shutdown Order: ”I don’t need another mother” Shop Will Stay Open Until “Jesus walks in or until they arrest me” [VIDEO] By 100percentfedup.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 18:57:01 +0000 The following article, 77-Yr-Old MI Barber Defies Gov Whitmer’s Shutdown Order: ”I don’t need another mother” Shop Will Stay Open Until “Jesus walks in or until they arrest me” [VIDEO], was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com. Emergency orders that “non-essential businesses” remain closed during the Covid-19 crisis have devastated small business owners across America. A wave of business owners across the nation are defying executive orders by their governors and opening their businesses anyhow. Yesterday, we reported about a small business owner in the state of Michigan, where Governor Gretchen Whitmer […] Continue reading: 77-Yr-Old MI Barber Defies Gov Whitmer’s Shutdown Order: ”I don’t need another mother” Shop Will Stay Open Until “Jesus walks in or until they arrest me” [VIDEO] ... Full Article Featured Politics
ee NY Shame: Workers Who Tested Positive For COVID-19 Were Allowed To Remain On The Job At Nursing Homes, As Death Toll For Nursing Home Patients Exceeds 3,000 By 100percentfedup.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 21:44:54 +0000 The following article, NY Shame: Workers Who Tested Positive For COVID-19 Were Allowed To Remain On The Job At Nursing Homes, As Death Toll For Nursing Home Patients Exceeds 3,000, was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com. The coronavirus crisis at New York’s nursing homes is even worse than previously thought. Monday night, the state Department of Health issued new data, adding more than 1,600 people who were presumed to have died of the virus in nursing homes, but did not have a confirmed diagnosis, to the official toll. As of May […] Continue reading: NY Shame: Workers Who Tested Positive For COVID-19 Were Allowed To Remain On The Job At Nursing Homes, As Death Toll For Nursing Home Patients Exceeds 3,000 ... Full Article Featured Politics
ee Legal Immigrant in Michigan Sends a Message to MI Gov Whitmer and Media Criticizing Freedom-Loving Protesters By 100percentfedup.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 22:43:02 +0000 The following article, Legal Immigrant in Michigan Sends a Message to MI Gov Whitmer and Media Criticizing Freedom-Loving Protesters, was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com. The media and even some governors are trying to paint the Americans who are protesting to open businesses up as racists and even Nazis. The Governor of Michigan recently made a derogatory statement about the protesters implying they are racists. Painting a negative picture of the people who want their freedom and businesses demonizes our […] Continue reading: Legal Immigrant in Michigan Sends a Message to MI Gov Whitmer and Media Criticizing Freedom-Loving Protesters ... Full Article Featured Left News Political Correctness Politics
ee Texas Gov Abbott Frees Salon Owner Shelley Luther: “Criminals shouldn’t be released to prevent COVID-19 just to put business owners in their place” By 100percentfedup.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 15:50:22 +0000 The following article, Texas Gov Abbott Frees Salon Owner Shelley Luther: “Criminals shouldn’t be released to prevent COVID-19 just to put business owners in their place”, was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com. Texas Governor Greg Abbott just changed the coronavirus order to free Salon A La Mode owner Shelley Luther from jail. Abbott tweeted out a comment about the poor treatment of the business owner: Throwing Texans in jail whose biz’s shut down through no fault of their own is wrong. I am eliminating jail for violating […] Continue reading: Texas Gov Abbott Frees Salon Owner Shelley Luther: “Criminals shouldn’t be released to prevent COVID-19 just to put business owners in their place” ... Full Article Breaking Featured Government Politics
ee Woman Shoots Three Teenage McDonald’s Workers For Telling Her She Couldn’t Eat In Dining Room Over COVID19 Restrictions By 100percentfedup.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 02:10:36 +0000 The following article, Woman Shoots Three Teenage McDonald’s Workers For Telling Her She Couldn’t Eat In Dining Room Over COVID19 Restrictions, was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com. An angry Oklahoma woman shot at a group of teenagers working at a local McDonald’s after they explained to her that the dining room was closed due to coronavirus restrictions. 32-year-old Gloricia Woody was arrested by the Oklahoma City Police and charged with the shooting. From the Oklahoma City Police -Last night, officers were called […] Continue reading: Woman Shoots Three Teenage McDonald’s Workers For Telling Her She Couldn’t Eat In Dining Room Over COVID19 Restrictions ... Full Article Featured Politics
ee Rush Limbaugh Predicts Joe Biden Won’t Be The Dem Nominee: “Something’s Gonna Happen” By 100percentfedup.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 02:15:43 +0000 The following article, Rush Limbaugh Predicts Joe Biden Won’t Be The Dem Nominee: “Something’s Gonna Happen”, was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com. Is Joe Biden going to become the Democrat nominee and run against Trump in the fall? Continue reading: Rush Limbaugh Predicts Joe Biden Won’t Be The Dem Nominee: “Something’s Gonna Happen” ... Full Article Featured Left News Politics
ee VIDEO: Man seen kicking gas pump to avoid prepayment By winnipeg.ctvnews.ca Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 13:37:00 -0600 Brandon police officers are searching for a man who was caught on camera attempting to pump gas in his car – without prepaying. Full Article
ee Little Richard, flamboyant rock 'n' roll pioneer, dead at 87 By www.ctvnews.ca Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 08:55:00 -0600 Little Richard, the self-proclaimed "architect of rock 'n' roll" whose piercing wail, pounding piano and towering pompadour irrevocably altered popular music while introducing black R&B to white America, has died Saturday. He was 87. Full Article
ee Coronavirus: Global Response Urgently Needed By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sun, 15 Mar 2020 14:33:11 +0000 15 March 2020 Jim O'Neill Chair, Chatham House Robin Niblett Director and Chief Executive, Chatham House @RobinNiblett Creon Butler Research Director, Trade, Investment & New Governance Models: Director, Global Economy and Finance Programme LinkedIn There have been warnings for several years that world leaders would find it hard to manage a new global crisis in today’s more confrontational, protectionist and nativist political environment. 2020-03-15-Korea-Stock-Exchange.jpg A currency dealer wearing a face mask monitors exchange rates in front of a screen showing South Korea's benchmark stock index in Seoul on March 13, 2020. Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images. An infectious disease outbreak has long been a top national security risk in several countries, but the speed and extent of COVID-19’s spread and the scale of its social and economic impact has come as an enormous and deeply worrying shock.This pandemic is not just a global medical and economic emergency. It could also prove a decisive make-or-break point for today’s system of global political and economic cooperation.This system was built up painstakingly after 1945 as a response to the beggar-thy-neighbour economic policies of the 1930s which led to the Second World War. But it has been seriously weakened recently as the US and China have entered a more overt phase of strategic competition, and as they and a number of the other most important global and regional players have pursued their narrowly defined self-interest.Now, the disjointed global economic response to COVID-19, with its enormous ramifications for global prosperity and economic stability, has blown into the open the urgent need for an immediate reaffirmation of international political and economic cooperation.What is needed is a clear, coordinated and public statement from the leaders of the world’s major countries affirming the many things on which they do already agree, and some on which they should be able to agree.In particular that:they will give the strongest possible support for the WHO in leading the medical response internationally;they will be transparent and tell the truth to their peoples about the progress of the disease and the threat that it represents;they will work together and with the international financial institutions to provide businesses, particularly SMEs, and individuals whatever support they need to get through the immediate crisis and avoid long-term damage to the global economy; they will ensure the financial facilities for crisis support to countries - whether at global or regional level - have whatever resources they need to support countries in difficulty;they will avoid new protectionist policies - whether in trade or finance;they commit not to forget the poor and vulnerable in society and those least able to look after themselves.Such a statement could be made by G20 leaders, reflecting the group’s role since 2010 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation.But it could be even more appropriate coming from the UN Security Council, recognising that COVID-19 is much more than an economic challenge; and also reflecting the practical fact, in a time when international travel is restricted, the UNSC has an existing mechanism in New York to negotiate and quickly agree such a statement.A public statement by leading countries could do a great deal to help arrest a growing sense of powerlessness among citizens and loss of confidence among businesses worldwide as the virus spreads.It could also set a new course for international political and economic cooperation, not just in relation to the virus, but also other global threats with potentially devastating consequences for economic growth and political stability in the coming years. Full Article
ee IMF Needs New Thinking to Deal with Coronavirus By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 08:59:48 +0000 27 April 2020 David Lubin Associate Fellow, Global Economy and Finance Programme @davidlubin The IMF faces a big dilemma in its efforts to support the global economy at its time of desperate need. Simply put, the Fund’s problem is that most of the $1tn that it says it can lend is effectively unusable. 2020-04-27-IMF-Virtual-News Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), speaks during a virtual news conference on April 15, 2020. Photo by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images There were several notable achievements during last week’s Spring meetings. The Fund’s frank set of forecasts for world GDP growth are a grim but valuable reminder of the scale of the crisis we are facing, and the Fund’s richer members will finance a temporary suspension on payments to the IMF for 29 very poor countries.Most importantly, a boost to the Fund’s main emergency facilities - the Rapid Credit Facility and the Rapid Financing Instrument - now makes $100bn of proper relief available to a wide range of countries. But the core problem is that the vast bulk of the Fund’s firepower is effectively inert.This is because of the idea of 'conditionality', which underpins almost all of the IMF’s lending relationships with member states. Under normal circumstances, when the IMF is the last-resort lender to a country, it insists that the borrowing government tighten its belt and exercise restraint in public spending.This helps to achieve three objectives. One is to stabilise the public debt burden, to ensure that the resources made available are not wasted. The second is to limit the whole economy’s need for foreign exchange, a shortage of which had prompted a country to seek IMF help in the first place. And the third is to ensure that the IMF can get repaid.Role within the international monetary systemSince the IMF does not take any physical collateral from countries to whom it is lending, the belt-tightening helps to act as a kind of collateral for the IMF. It helps to maximise the probability that the IMF does not suffer losses on its own loan portfolio — losses that would have bad consequences for the Fund’s role within the international monetary system.This is a perfectly respectable goal. Walter Bagehot, the legendary editor of The Economist, established modern conventional wisdom about managing panics. Relying on a medical metaphor that feels oddly relevant today, he said that a panic 'is a species of neuralgia, and according to the rules of science you must not starve it.' Managing a panic, therefore, requires lending to stricken borrowers 'whenever the security is good', as Bagehot put it. The IMF has had to invent its own form of collateral, and conditionality is the result. The problem, though, is that belt-tightening is a completely inappropriate approach to managing the current crisis.Countries are stricken not because they have indulged in any irresponsible spending sprees that led to a shortage of foreign exchange, but because of a virus beyond their control. Indeed, it would seem almost grotesque for the Fund to ask countries to cut spending at a time when, if anything, more spending is needed to stop people dying or from falling into a permanent trap of unemployment.The obvious solution to this problem would be to increase the amount of money that any country can access from the Fund’s emergency facilities well beyond the $100bn now available. But that kind of solution would quickly run up against the IMF’s collateral problem.The more the IMF makes available as 'true' emergency financing with few or no strings attached, the more it begins to undermine the quality of its loan portfolio. And if the IMF’s senior creditor status is undermined, then an important building block of the international monetary system would be at risk.One way out of this might have been an emergency allocation of Special Drawing Rights, a tool last used in 2009. This would credit member countries’ accounts with new, unconditional liquidity that could be exchanged for the five currencies that underpin the SDR: the dollar, the yen, the euro, sterling and the renminbi. That will not be happening, though, since the US is firmly opposed, for reasons bad and good.So in the end the IMF and its shareholders face a huge problem. It either lends more money on easy terms without the 'collateral' of conditionality, at the expense of undermining its own balance sheet - or it remains, in systemic terms, on the sidelines of this crisis.And since the legacy of this crisis will be some eye-watering increases in the public debt burdens of many emerging economies, the IMF’s struggle to find a way to administer its medicine will certainly outlive this round of the coronavirus outbreak.This article is a version of a piece which was originally published in the Financial Times Full Article
ee {alpha}-Synuclein filaments from transgenic mouse and human synucleinopathy-containing brains are maȷor seed-competent species [Molecular Bases of Disease] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-05-08T03:41:14-07:00 Assembled α-synuclein in nerve cells and glial cells is the defining pathological feature of neurodegenerative diseases called synucleinopathies. Seeds of α-synuclein can induce the assembly of monomeric protein. Here, we used sucrose gradient centrifugation and transiently transfected HEK 293T cells to identify the species of α-synuclein from the brains of homozygous, symptomatic mice transgenic for human mutant A53T α-synuclein (line M83) that seed aggregation. The most potent fractions contained Sarkosyl-insoluble assemblies enriched in filaments. We also analyzed six cases of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), one case of familial PD, and six cases of multiple system atrophy (MSA) for their ability to induce α-synuclein aggregation. The MSA samples were more potent than those of idiopathic PD in seeding aggregation. We found that following sucrose gradient centrifugation, the most seed-competent fractions from PD and MSA brains are those that contain Sarkosyl-insoluble α-synuclein. The fractions differed between PD and MSA, consistent with the presence of distinct conformers of assembled α-synuclein in these different samples. We conclude that α-synuclein filaments are the main driving force for amplification and propagation of pathology in synucleinopathies. Full Article
ee Brain manganese and the balance between essential roles and neurotoxicity [Molecular Bases of Disease] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-05-08T03:41:14-07:00 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. Full Article
ee Libya Needs an Economic Commission to Exit From Violence By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 20 Nov 2019 14:11:20 +0000 20 November 2019 Tim Eaton Senior Research Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme @el_khawaga LinkedIn A new effort to manage the economy, one that brings together both sides of the war with international partners, is an essential step forward. 2019-11-20-LD.jpg Angela Merkel greets Fayez al-Serraj, prime minister of the Government of National Accord of Libya, in May. Photo: Getty Images. There has been a stark contrast between messaging coming from the international community and trends on the ground as Libya’s latest bout of civil war enters its eighth month.Led by Germany, some states have been trying to build consensus for a ceasefire ahead of a summit that is expected to be held in Berlin in the next few months. Today marks the date of one of the final planning meetings for the summit.The increasing use of drone technology, airstrikes and further influxes of fighters trend points in the opposite direction. Warring groups in Libya continue to receive support from external states, undermining international efforts to de-escalate the conflict. A UN arms embargo goes largely unenforced. As the Berlin process unfolds, there is little evidence to suggest that these external states will shift their positions.The launch of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) offensive on Tripoli in April sunk a UN-planned ‘national conference’, intended to be held less than two weeks later, to negotiate a framework for transition out of Libya’s governance crisis. Yet, Haftar has so far failed in his objective of capturing Tripoli. While his offensive continues, had he the capacity to capture the city, he would have done so already.This has created a conundrum for peace talks: there appears to be little chance of negotiating a deal with Haftar, while it is also hard to see how a deal could be reached without him.The field marshal has little interest in accepting a withdrawal, even a partial one, of his forces. His opponents – who have found unity in their shared efforts to defeat Haftar’s forces – will not accept a ceasefire that leaves the LAAF on the hinterlands of the capital. Similarly, a deal apparently agreed in Abu Dhabi between Haftar and Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj in February is also dead in the water.Amid this logjam, there has been an increasing interest in the economic content of the Berlin summit. Countries supportive of Haftar argue that his alliance has legitimate concerns over the management of Libya’s economy and, particularly, the dominant role of the Tripoli-based central bank and its governor in supporting armed groups.For some within these countries, changing the leadership of the central bank and a finding means of limiting the dominance of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) over the state’s resources – thus reducing flows of funding to armed groups fighting Haftar – could present a point of agreement in Berlin.But their focus on financial management in Tripoli is not mirrored by interest in holding the rival central bank in the eastern city of Bayda – an institution unrecognized by the international community – to account for its pursuit of its own monetary policy. This is built on approximately $23 billion of unsecured debt from commercial banks and $11 billion of currency supplied by Russia.Indeed, very few of the conversations surrounding parameters for Berlin contain details of what would be asked of eastern-based actors beyond pursuit of an audit of the Tripoli and Bayda central banks (only the Tripoli bank is recognized by the international community).Clearly, the GNA and its allies would have no incentive to accept provisions that limit their means to mobilize resources for the war while its opponents do not receive the same scrutiny. However, it is possible to capitalize on the broad interest in economic content to reach some points of agreement over the management of the economy and state institutions. Rather than seeking to replace individuals aligned with one faction for those aligned with another, or expecting asymmetrical concessions from the GNA and its allies, this effort must instead focus on structures and processes that exacerbate the conflict and represent major grievances for the warring parties.Importantly, this would include the establishment of a system of transparency and accountability for the management of Libya’s finances. The opacity of current processes enables the support of patronage-based networks with no effective oversight.Linked to this, the development of effective processes for budgeting and allocating funds could help to reduce graft.And, finally, rationalizing the role of state institutions to agree their roles and responsibilities, creating the room for reforms to Libya’s system of state employment and subsidies through provision of direct payments to Libyan citizens, is essential. An economic commission that comprises members from across political and institutional divides – receiving political support from international powers and technical support from international financial institutions – could be an effective approach. Such a commission could match an inclusive, Libyan-led process with international support to progressively harmonize economic and financial policy between rival authorities and develop consensus for a process of institutional reunification in Libya.This would constitute a major element of an eventual political settlement and reduce the risk of a limited set of actors capturing the system at the expense of the others – an outcome which would likely result in future bouts of violence.Such a commission would offer a means of addressing a key driver of the conflict by decentralizing aspects of Libya’s governance, moving away from the dominance of Tripoli and the current winner-take-all system. These issues cannot be put to one side, to follow progress on the security front. The remarkable resilience that Libya’s economy has shown over the last seven months should not be taken for granted. It has become increasingly difficult for Libya’s institutions to insulate themselves from the conflict as both sides seek to mobilize resources to sustain their war effort.The LAAF is increasingly looking to sideline civilian authorities in eastern Libya. On the other side, the GNA has found means of routing funds to armed groups fighting Haftar.In September, a dispute over the supply of jet fuel between the LAAF and the National Oil Corporation resulted in the establishment of a parallel Brega Petroleum Marketing Company, the state-owned company that possesses a monopoly over fuel distribution.Meanwhile, other major problems lurk under the surface. The banking sector is in an increasingly perilous state and debts continue to mount all around, with those in the east not accounted for by Tripoli’s official authorities. Through the establishment of an economic commission, the Berlin process provides an opportunity and – most importantly – a mechanism to address these problems while also helping to maintain the basic functionality of the state. Even if a ceasefire deal does not materialize, initiating negotiations about the future shape of the state and its economy would be a significant step forward. Full Article
ee As Parliamentary Elections Loom, the Legitimacy of Iran’s Regime Has Been Shaken By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 05 Dec 2019 15:58:49 +0000 5 December 2019 Dr Sanam Vakil Deputy Director and Senior Research Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme @SanamVakil The latest wave of protests highlights a fracturing social contract in the Islamic Republic. 2019-12-05-Iran.jpg Iranian protesters block a road during a demonstration against an increase in gasoline prices in Isfahan on 16 November. Photo: Getty Images. For four decades, the rule of Iran’s Islamic Republic has rested on the pillars of redistributive social justice, foreign policy independence, Islam and a managed form of electoral legitimacy. These pillars, each of equal importance, have served as guiding principles bolstering Iran’s domestic and foreign policy decisions. Amid the latest round of protests to have gripped Iran, it is clear that these pillars are fracturing. On 15 November at midnight, the Iranian government, in a move supported by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, President Hassan Rouhani, Speaker of the Parliament Ali Larijani and Head of the Judiciary Ebrahim Raisi, announced a 200 per cent increase in fuel prices – a redistributive measure designed to provide cash transfers to the population.In immediate reaction, Iranian citizens took to the streets to express their discontent with this policy move alongside mounting economic and political grievances.What ensued over the subsequent days was an outbreak of protests through 100 Iranian cities, including at universities and bazaars, that was followed by a weeklong internet blackout and a brutal crackdown that has left at least 200 people dead and 7,000 arrested. Initially, public anger focused on the price increases but quickly targeted the political leadership, lack of government accountability, effective governance and corruption.This wave of protests is the fourth in a two-decade period – 1999, 2009, 2017 and 2019 – for the Islamic Republic and comes at time when the Iranian government is under severe economic strain from Washington’s maximum pressure campaign. It is equally burdened by endemic factional politicking.These protests are one of many reminders of the shattered social contract between state and society in Iran, which without repair will continue to resurface.With internet connectivity resumed and news of the regime’s brutality spreading, conservatives and reformists are both trying to distance themselves from this internal crisis and reposition themselves in advance of the 2020 parliamentary elections.Parliamentary elections for Iran’s 290-person legislature are expected to be held on 21 February. Amid concerns over public apathy and lower political participation, both reformists and conservatives are trying to develop strategies to maximize gains at their ballot box.Even before these protests, voter turnout was anticipated to be lower than normal. Participation in the July 2019 Tehran municipality election was at a nadir of 9 per cent. To prepare for this challenge, Iran’s parliament has lowered the vote threshold for a valid result from 25 to 20 per cent.Elections in Iran, while by no means completely free and fair due to the vetting of candidates by the Guardian Council, have repeatedly been an important barometer of public support and participation. Electoral participation, which is traditionally higher than in most Western democracies, and compared to the lack of electoral opportunities in the Middle East, is heralded as a sign of public legitimacy. Voter participation is generally higher in presidential elections than in legislative ones.For example, 73% voted in the 2017 presidential elections, 72% in 2013, 80% in the contested 2009 elections, and 59% in 2005 elections that brought Mahmood Ahmadinejad to office. Comparatively, in the 2016 parliamentary elections 62% voted, in 2012, 66%, in 2008, 47%, and in 2004, 51% participated.Voter turnout in the 2008 parliamentary elections, reflective of public apathy, mounting international tensions over the nuclear programme, and Guardian Council vetting of reformist candidates, could be emblematic of what to expect next year. In the run up to the election, conservative groups are trying to capitalize on popular economic frustrations, disappointment with reformists, wider regional security concerns and tensions with the United States to rally voters. Reformists associated with the Rouhani government, who also supported the Iran nuclear agreement, have been severely weakened by the US maximum pressure campaign and the return of US sanctions. They are also blamed for the current economic downturn and remain frustrated by their ability to affect change in a political system that affords more power to unelected figures.Amidst this stalemate, Rouhani has continued to call for a national referendum to no avail, while reformist groups are debating how to position themselves – some even calling for greater accountability – so as not be tainted by the government crackdown. Leading reformist politicians such as Mohammad Khatami have called on reformists to stay united and avoid boycotting the elections. It remains to be seen how their strategy will develop after the protests.Should the Guardian Council bar too many reformists from running, calls for a boycott could snowball and even incite new protests. Together with low turnout at the ballot box, the outcome of this election could further damage the regime’s already fragile electoral pillar and weaken its claims to legitimacy. Full Article
ee Oman’s New Sultan Needs to Take Bold Economic Steps By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Jan 2020 11:20:41 +0000 16 January 2020 Dr John Sfakianakis Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme The country is in a good regional position, but the economy is at a crossroads. 2020-01-16-SultanHaitham2.jpg Sultan Haitham bin Tariq speaks during a swearing in ceremony as Oman's new leader. Photo: Getty Images. The transition of power in Oman from the deceased Sultan Qaboos to his cousin and the country’s new ruler, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, has been smooth and quick, but the new sultan will soon find that he has a task in shoring up the country’s economic position.Above all, the fiscal and debt profile of the country requires careful management. Fiscal discipline was rare for Oman even during the oil price spike of the 2000s. Although oil prices only collapsed in 2014, Oman has been registering a fiscal deficit since 2010, reaching a 20.6 per cent high in 2016. As long as fiscal deficits remain elevated, so will Oman’s need to finance those deficits, predominately by borrowing in the local and international market.Oman’s Debt-to-GDP ratio has been rising at a worrying pace, from 4.9 per cent in 2014 to an IMF-estimated 59.8 per cent in 2019. By 2024, the IMF is forecasting the ratio to reach nearly 77 per cent. A study by the World Bank found that if the debt-to-GDP ratio in emerging markets exceeds 64 per cent for an extended period, it slows economic growth by as much as 2 per cent each year.Investors are willing to lend to Oman, but the sultanate is paying for it in terms of higher spreads due to the underlying risk markets are placing on the rising debt profile of the country. For instance, Oman has a higher sovereign debt rating than Bahrain yet markets perceive it to be of higher risk, making it costlier to borrow. Failure to address the fiscal and debt situation also risks creating pressure on the country’s pegged currency.If oil revenues remain low, Sultan Haitham will have to craft a daring strategy of diversification and private sector growth. He is well placed for this: Sultan Haitham headed Oman’s Vision 2040, which set out the country’s future development plans and aspirations, the first Gulf country to embark on such an assessment. However, like all vision documents in the Gulf, Oman’s challenge will be implementation.In the age of climate change, renewable energy is a serious economic opportunity, which Oman has to keep pursuing. If cheap electricity is generated it could also be exported to other Gulf states and to south Asia. In Oman, the share of renewables in total electricity capacity was around 0.5 per cent in 2018; the ambition is to reach 10 per cent by 2025.However, in order to reach this target, Oman would have to take additional measures such as enhancing its regulatory framework, introducing a transparent and gradual energy market pricing policy and integrating all stakeholders, including the private sector, into a wider national strategy.Mining could provide another economic opportunity for Oman’s diversification efforts, with help from a more robust mining law passed last year. The country has large deposits of metals and industrial minerals and its mountains could have gold, palladium, zinc, rare earths and manganese.Oman’s strategic location connecting the Gulf and Indian Ocean with east Africa and the Red Sea could also boost the country’s economy. The Duqm special economic zone, which is among the largest in the world, could become the commercial thread between Oman, south Asia and China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative.’Oman has taken important steps to make its economy more competitive and conducive to foreign direct investment. Incentives include a five-year renewable tax holiday, subsidized plant facilities and utilities, and custom duties relief on equipment and raw materials for the first 10 years of a firm’s operation in Oman.A private sector economic model that embraces small- and medium-sized enterprises as well as greater competition and entrepreneurship would help increase opportunities in Oman. Like all other Gulf economies, future employment in Oman will have to be driven be the private sector, as there is little space left to grow the public sector.Privatization needs to continue. Last year’s successful sale of 49 per cent of the electricity transmission company to China’s State Grid is a very positive step. The electricity distribution company as well as Oman Oil are next in line for some form of partial privatization.The next decade will require Oman to be even more adept in its competitiveness as the region itself tries to find its new bearings. Take tourism for instance; Oman hopes to double its contribution to GDP from around 3 per cent today to 6 per cent by 2040 and the industry is expected to generate half a million jobs by then. Over the next 20 years, Oman will most likely be facing stiff competition in this area not only by the UAE but by Saudi Arabia as well.The new sultan has an opportunity to embark on deeper economic reforms that could bring higher growth, employment opportunities and a sustainable future. But he has a big task. Full Article
ee COVID-19 Impact on Refugees is Also Political By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 31 Mar 2020 10:53:27 +0000 31 March 2020 Dr Lina Khatib Director, Middle East and North Africa Programme @LinaKhatibUK The spread of coronavirus in the Levant puts Syrian as well as other refugees and internally displaced people at particular risk because of the policies and practices of the authorities. 2020-03-31-Covid19-lebanon The word Corona written in the sand on the beach in Lebanon's southern city of Saida. amid the spread of coronavirus in the country. Photo by MAHMOUD ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images. As Lebanon strains to contain COVID-19, it is not clear which governmental public health policies apply to refugees. The government announced free testing for coronavirus in the public Rafiq Hariri University Hospital in Beirut but has not mentioned if refugees are eligible.Lebanon’s coronavirus containment strategy is based on self-reporting and, given incidents of forced deportation and harassment of Syrian refugees from both the authorities and local communities, it is certainly less likely refugees would present themselves to the health authorities for fear of deportation.Despite agreeing a Lebanon Crisis Response Plan with the UN for refugees, different ministries were left to implement it without coordination, just as Lebanese politicians from all sides started trying to rally popular support for ridding Lebanon from refugees - in particular from Syria, who Lebanese leaders say are causing a strain on the country’s already weak infrastructure.This finger pointing is coupled with the leaders’ own complete disregard for the rampant corruption and lack of accountability within Lebanon’s political class, which contribute to the weakening of the country’s infrastructure.For refugees who do find themselves back in Syria, there are different challenges according to which area they are in. In the north-east, the WHO and international NGOs (INGOs) negotiate with both Kurdish authorities as well as the government - each presenting its own hurdles.Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria have closed the Semalka border with Iraqi Kurdistan, posing a serious dilemma for INGOs offering services in north-east Syria but concerned about their staff safety whose movement is now curtailed.The government of Syria has stipulated all emergency response must go through its ministries. But this limits what the WHO can do in the country and gives Syrian authorities the ability to block ‘cross-line aid’ which goes from government-controlled to non-government areas.Despite reports that doctors raised the alarm about suspected cases well before patient zero was confirmed, the government appears to be either covering up the actual extent of the spread of COVID-19 or failing to respond. Some limited testing kits have arrived but testing has barely started.The WHO’s Syria plan is divided into three regions (north-west, north-east, and areas under government control). But concerns remain as to how workable such a decentralized plan is because of the government’s practices. In January, the UN Security Council did not renew the cross-border response resolution for the Yaroubiye border crossing between Syria and Iraq that the WHO was using to send medical supplies into north-east Syria.Syrian authorities do not permit recently authorized ‘cross-line’ responders to engage with non-government authorities in areas outside regime control. This essentially voids the authorization to work cross-line as it is practically impossible to implement programs. The WHO has sought approval from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to move medical supplies by land to north-east Syria.While promising facilitation, the Ministry’s reply comes with conditions of seeking detailed approval for every shipment. When Eastern Ghouta was under siege, similar conditions led to certain supplies being removed from UN/ICRC convoys to Eastern Ghouta, and there is no guarantee this will not happen again.Due to lack of capacity in north-east Syria, coronavirus tests conducted by the WHO there must be processed through the Central Public Health Laboratory in Damascus. Samples are transported twice a week from Qamishli to Damascus but no results were ever received from Damascus for those tests.While the WHO is able to coordinate access to north-west Syria with the Turkish authorities, the prospective coronavirus testing capacity in the Idlib region is low – despite claims that thousands of kits are arriving, a lack of resource on the ground means potentially only 20 tests per day could be done in an area inhabited by an estimated three million people.Following the recently announced ceasefire in the area, many internally displaced people are returning from the Turkish border to their homes in the north-west, but such mass movement increases the risk of coronavirus spreading. People also continue to move between Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon, posing a challenge to the WHO’s COVID-19 response in the Levant, as the WHO has distinct response plans for each country in the region and it is difficult to coordinate across these plans.Challenges face refugees even if they head towards Europe due to the potential for conflation between migration control and coronavirus outbreak control. Aurelie Ponthieu, Coordinator for Forced Migration at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says there is a risk some countries could use COVID-19 to impose draconian measures towards asylum seekers.The crisis has also put a halt to search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean because European countries are not allowing boats carrying migrants to disembark under the pretext of limiting the spread of coronavirus. And for migrants who already made it - such as in Greece - they are now being put in collective quarantines in asylum centers, often with poor medical facilities.Ponthieu also reports that migrants being quarantined on overcrowded navy ships docked in Greek ports, making social distancing impossible. And she is concerned the Greek authorities are imposing a curfew on asylum seekers but not on the local population.UNHCR is stressing that people’s right of asylum must not be overruled by concerns about the spread of coronavirus, while local and international NGOs across the Levant are trying to coordinate their advocacy on lifting restrictions on freedom of movement for humanitarian workers and on other policies and practices by authorities in the region which are adversely affecting refugee and other vulnerable communities.The international community must not lose sight of the impact of the crisis on refugees and migrants. It is not enough simply to supply humanitarian and medical assistance without paying attention to the policies and practices of the different authorities who have direct control over the fate of vulnerable communities.The author would like to thank Aurelie Ponthieu and the two INGO field workers who all agreed to be interviewed to inform this analysis piece. Full Article
ee Three distinct glycosylation pathways are involved in the decoration of Lactococcus lactis cell wall glycopolymers [Microbiology] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-04-17T00:06:05-07:00 Extracytoplasmic sugar decoration of glycopolymer components of the bacterial cell wall contributes to their structural diversity. Typically, the molecular mechanism that underpins such a decoration process involves a three-component glycosylation system (TGS) represented by an undecaprenyl-phosphate (Und-P) sugar-activating glycosyltransferase (Und-P GT), a flippase, and a polytopic glycosyltransferase (PolM GT) dedicated to attaching sugar residues to a specific glycopolymer. Here, using bioinformatic analyses, CRISPR-assisted recombineering, structural analysis of cell wall–associated polysaccharides (CWPS) through MALDI-TOF MS and methylation analysis, we report on three such systems in the bacterium Lactococcus lactis. On the basis of sequence similarities, we first identified three gene pairs, csdAB, csdCD, and csdEF, each encoding an Und-P GT and a PolM GT, as potential TGS component candidates. Our experimental results show that csdAB and csdCD are involved in Glc side-chain addition on the CWPS components rhamnan and polysaccharide pellicle (PSP), respectively, whereas csdEF plays a role in galactosylation of lipoteichoic acid (LTA). We also identified a potential flippase encoded in the L. lactis genome (llnz_02975, cflA) and confirmed that it participates in the glycosylation of the three cell wall glycopolymers rhamnan, PSP, and LTA, thus indicating that its function is shared by the three TGSs. Finally, we observed that glucosylation of both rhamnan and PSP can increase resistance to bacteriophage predation and that LTA galactosylation alters L. lactis resistance to bacteriocin. Full Article
ee Chatham House Prize 2015 Nominees Announced By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Apr 2015 15:03:27 +0000 20 March 2015 Chatham House is pleased to announce the nominees for the 2015 Chatham House Prize. The nominees are: Mahamadou Issoufou, President of the Republic of NigerMédecins Sans FrontièresAngela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of GermanyJuan Manuel Santos, President of the Republic of Colombia The Chatham House Prize is awarded to the person or organization deemed to have made the most significant contribution to the improvement of international relations in the previous year. The winner will be announced later this year and an award ceremony will take place in the autumn. More about the 2015 nominees About the Chatham House Prize The selection proceed for the nominees draws on the expertise of Chatham House's research teams and three presidents - Lord Ashdown, Sir John Major and Baroness Scotland. Our members are then invited to vote for the winner in a ballot. The winner will be announced later this year. The winner will receive a crystal award and a scroll signed by our Patron, Her Majesty the Queen. An award ceremony will take place in London with keynote speeches by leading figures in international affairs. Previous winners include: Melinda Gates (2014); Hillary Rodham Clinton, former US Secretary of State (2013); Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi, Head of the Ennahdha movement, Tunisia and Dr Moncef Marzouki, President of Tunisia (2012); Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese democracy campaigner (2011); HE Abdullah Gül, President of Turkey (2010), HE President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil (2009), President John Kufuor of Ghana (2008), HH Sheikha Mozah, Chairperson, Qatar Foundation (2007), HE Joaquim Chissano, former President of Mozambique (2006) and HE President Victor Yushchenko of Ukraine (2005). More about the Prize and previous winners Full Article
ee Global health system needs reform to help deliver SDGs, says new report By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 09 Oct 2015 14:31:11 +0000 24 September 2015 20150922RethinkingGlobalHealthArchitecture.jpg A Pakistani health worker gives polio vaccines to children in the suburbs of Lahore, Pakistan, February 2015. Photo: Associated Press. The global health system has contributed significantly to improved health and life expectancy in recent decades. However, the existing architecture needs to be reformed in order to address future challenges and meet the health targets in the Sustainable Development Goals. Rethinking the Global Health System, a new Chatham House report, analyses how fit for purpose the current system is and identifies priority areas for reform. The Ebola crisis has shown that weak systems make individual countries more vulnerable and that strong, resilient and equitable systems at country level are needed to protect global health security. There is a pressing need for enhanced global disease surveillance and detection capacity, as well as improved international coordination in responding to emerging health threats.In addition, addressing determinants of health outside the health sector requires cross-sectoral collaboration and linkages to other policy domains. Historically, the focus has rested on directly reducing illness and death, but the need to address other influences on health outcomes – safe drinking water, proper sewage treatment, good education – is now well recognized.The report says that stronger leadership in global health is therefore required and the report lends support to calls for the creation of a new organization that would bring together United Nations agencies with health-related mandates – UN-HEALTH. Just as UNAIDS created a more coherent response for HIV, a UN-HEALTH organization could achieve a similar but more wide-reaching effect by bringing together and streamlining all UN agencies working on global health issues.Professor David Harper, who led the Chatham House project that resulted in the report, said: 'This report is intended to make a substantial contribution to the international debate on what the world will require of the health architecture of the future. It offers some options for political leaders to consider, but it is just a starting point. More work is urgently needed to develop the ideas introduced in this project and to help generate the high-level political traction that is so vital in any change process.' Editor's notes Read the report Rethinking the Global Health System from the Centre on Global Health Security at Chatham House. For all enquiries, including requests to speak with the authors of this paper, please contact the press office. Contacts Press Office +44 (0)20 7957 5739 Email Full Article
ee The resource curse has not been lifted By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 09 Oct 2015 15:40:02 +0000 5 August 2015 20150804ResourceCurse2.jpg Hoping to make a little money from Sudan's ocean of black gold, a woman sells tea to roughnecks at an oil rig near Bentiu, Sudan. Photo by Getty Images. During a decade-long commodities boom, new or emerging producers of oil, gas or mineral resources registered some of the fastest rates of economic growth in the world. Development banks, governments giving foreign aid, extractives companies and major consultancies broadly agreed that ‘extractives-led growth’ is a viable path to socio-economic development for poor countries. Following over a year of decline in global commodities prices and as efforts to tackle climate change mount, a new paper re-examines the 'curse of natural resources'. It finds that a policy of extractives-led growth entails serious risks. As governments of countries as diverse as Afghanistan, Mauritania, Somalia, Liberia and Cuba prepare to follow an extractives-led growth path, both the advice being handed to them and the growth model itself require a fundamental rethink.The Resource Curse Revisited argues that:The steep decline in the oil price in the second half of 2014 demolished the main assumption of the extractives-led growth agenda. The assumption that prices of raw materials would continue to increase as global demand grew and well-established sources were exhausted has actually led several low- to middle-income producers such as Ghana into unmanageable debt. At the very least, the current price context puts new producers at a serious disadvantage, as the focus on cost-cutting has made investors reluctant to accept the risks of developing projects in countries with little infrastructure or capacity to support them.Good governance initiatives are not the antidote to the resource curse. There has often been a mismatch in terms of policy advice given (for example on transparency and revenue management) and the capacity of a country to implement it. Furthermore, basing economic growth on the extraction of below-ground resources will create strong pressures towards poor governance. In the absence of strong institutions, this path leads to the enrichment of minority elite groups, whose interest in capturing rents is likely to become a barrier to improving governance.Both governments with extractives potential and those advising them give too little consideration to the size and nature of the resource base. If extractives-led growth is to be sustained, resource extraction must persist long enough for new economic sectors to emerge and generate revenues that can support government spending and import needs as income from extractives declines.The extractives-led growth model, in its current form, is at odds with green growth strategies. The advice from international agencies and initiatives to countries with extractive resources offers no suggestions on how governments should manage the risk of stranded assets or how they can reconcile extractives-led growth with national sustainable-development goals.The report concludes that the extractives-led growth agenda has tended to reinforce domestic, government and investor pressures to ‘develop fast’. However, this can threaten long-term opportunities for robust economic diversification. In many cases, there is a strong case for slowing development of extractives projects to allow time to develop the capacity of the government and the private sector to maximize the linkages with the rest of the economy.Avoiding the resource curse needs not only good governance but also an economic policy that provides for the transition of an economy over time in accordance with its competitive advantages. This report recommends that countries considering extractives development, and their would-be advisors, take into account a wider set of issues at the outset including the likely value of the asset to the economy over time, the options for slow or indeed no development of extractives, and how the rest of the economy would lessen reliance on support from the extractives sector over time. Editor's notes Read the report The Resource Curse Revisited from the Energy, Environment and Resources Department, Chatham House.For all enquiries, please contact the press office Contacts Press Office +44 (0)20 7957 5739 Email Full Article
ee Radical new business model for pharmaceutical industry needed to avert antibiotic resistance crisis By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 12 Oct 2015 09:19:24 +0000 7 October 2015 20151009Antibiotics.jpg High-level complex of physiologically active antibiotic substance extracted from blastema at the Arctic Innovation Center (AIC) of Ammosov, North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU) in Yakutsk. Photo: Yuri Smityuk/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis. Revenues for pharmaceutical companies need to be 'delinked' from sales of antibiotics to avoid their over-use and avert a public health crisis, says a new report from the think-tank Chatham House.Over-use of antibiotics is contributing to the growing resistance of potentially deadly bacteria to existing drugs, threatening a public health crisis in the near future. The report notes that, by 2050, failing to tackle antibiotic resistance could result in 10 million premature deaths per year. Novel antibiotics to combat resistant pathogens are thus desperately needed, but market incentives are exacerbating the problem. Towards a New Global Business Model for Antibiotics: Delinking Revenues from Sales states that, 'The current business model requires high levels of antibiotic use in order to recover the costs of R&D. But mitigating the spread of resistance demands just the opposite: restrictions on the use of antibiotics.' To tackle this catch-22 problem, the Centre on Global Health Security at Chatham House recommends the establishment of a global body to implement a radical new business model for the industry, which would encourage investment and promote global access to - and conservation of - antibiotics. The current business model has several perverse effects. As R&D is an inherently risky and costly endeavour, the industry is chronically under-investing in new treatments. Today, few large pharmaceutical companies retain active antibacterial drug discovery programmes. Re-stoking the industry's interest in antibiotics would be one of the primary roles of the new body. Secondly, the need to recover sunk cost under the current business model encourages both high prices and over-marketing of successful drugs, making potentially life-saving treatments unaffordable to many in developing countries, while simultaneously encouraging over-use in developed markets and increasing resistance. The new global body would address these challenges by ‘delinking’ pharmaceutical revenues from sales of antibiotics. It would do this by directly financing the research and development of new drugs, which it would then acquire at a price based on production costs rather than the recovery of R&D expenses. Acquisition could take the form of procurement contracts with companies, the purchase of full IP rights or other licensing mechanisms. This would enable it to promote global access to antibiotics while simultaneously restricting over-use. Conservation would be promoted through education, regulation and good clinical practice, with the report recommending that 'proven conservation methods such as antibiotic stewardship programmes… be incentivized and implemented immediately.'Priorities for R&D financing would be based on a comprehensive assessment of threats arising from resistance. Antibiotics would qualify for the highest level of financial incentives if they combat resistant pathogens posing a serious threat to human health. Finance for the new body would come from individual nation states, with the report noting that this could 'begin with a core group of countries with significant research activity and large antibiotic markets, (though) it is envisaged that all high income countries should make an appropriate financial contribution.' It is not yet clear exactly how much funding would be necessary to combat resistance, but with inaction expected to cost $100 trillion in cumulative economic damage, the report argues that 'an additional global investment of up to $3.5 billion a year (about 10 per cent of the current value of global sales of antibiotics) would be a bargain.' Editor's notes Towards a New Global Business Model for Antibiotics: Delinking Revenues from Sales, is a Chatham House report edited by Charles Clift, Unni Gopinathan, Chantal Morel, Kevin Outterson, John-Arne Røttingen and Anthony So.The report is embargoed until 00.01 GMT Friday 9 October.For more information, or to request an interview with the editors, contact the press office. Contacts Press Office +44 (0)20 7957 5739 Email Full Article
ee First ever global analysis of refugees’ energy use: High costs and poor supply undermine humanitarian assistance By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 17 Nov 2015 11:50:49 +0000 11 November 2015 20151119MovingEnergyInitiative.jpg A migrant girl looks at a light illuminating a camp site of refugees and migrants on the Greek island of Lesbos, 4 October 2015. Photo: Getty Images. About 90 per cent of refugees living in camps have no access to electricity and many lack any form of lighting at night, says a Chatham House report for the Moving Energy Initiative. Energy poverty in refugee settlements is not on the radar of international initiatives and humanitarian agencies are ill-equipped to deal with the scale of need. Heat Light and Power for Refugees: Saving Lives, Reducing Costs zooms in on the energy needs of refugees and displaced people worldwide, and presents the first ever estimates of the volume and costs of what they use.'The problem goes beyond electricity. 80 per cent of those in camps rely on firewood for cooking and, as a result, we estimate that some 20,000 people die prematurely each year due to the pollution from indoor fires. Exposure to extremes of cold and heat are also killers for people living in flimsy, temporary shelter,' says Glada Lahn, senior research fellow at Chatham House. 'The current lack of provision for energy undermines the fundamental aims of humanitarian assistance,' she adds.There are nearly 60 million forcibly displaced people in the world, and they pay staggering costs for energy. The 83,277 households living in Dadaab in Kenya, the world’s largest refugee settlement, spent an estimated $6.2 million on firewood last year, which accounts for approximately 24 per cent of their overall household income. (The average UK household spent 4 per cent of its income on energy in 2011.) In Uganda, almost half of refugee households surveyed by the UNHCR skip meals because they do not have enough fuel to cook with.'The imperative is to find humane, creative and cost-effective ways to respond to the needs of so many individuals, most of whom are women and children. Improving access to clean, safe and sustainable energy offers a promising way forward,' says Kofi Annan in the report’s foreword.The report calls for an overhaul in the way that heat, light and power are delivered in humanitarian crises. It makes the case for new partnerships between humanitarian agencies and private providers to increase clean energy access in refugee settlements. Investment in energy infrastructure will also benefit host communities in some of the world’s poorest countries.'As refugee households spend approximately $2.1 billion on energy each year, developing local markets for energy services could be part of a mix of solutions,' adds Lahn. 'Using green, culturally appropriate technologies could save lives, reduce CO2 emissions by 11 million tonnes per year and radically improve living standards. Introducing even the most basic solutions, such as improved cookstoves and basic solar lanterns, could save $323 million a year in fuel costs.' Other findings include:Rape and violence against women is common in many unlit camps. Only 4 per cent of women and girls in households in the Goudoubo camp in Burkina Faso would go out after dark due to the lack of streetlights.Wood equalling around 49,000 football pitches worth of forest (64,700 acres) is burned by displaced families living in camps each year, mainly in countries suffering severe deforestation, because they have no alternative sources of energy.Firewood consumption emits nearly twice as much CO2 as liquid petroleum gas and produces little energy in comparison to its carbon intensity.International Development Minister Grant Shapps said:‘Across sub-Saharan Africa, hundreds of millions of people still do not have access to electricity. Women and girls are at risk of violence after dark, families are forced to inhale toxic kerosene fumes, and energy remains unaffordable for many.‘With the technology in place and investors coming on board, the time to act is now. The UK's Energy Africa campaign is already kick-starting a solar revolution across the continent.‘Supporting the Moving Energy Initiative is another way Britain can help boost access to clean, reliable and affordable energy. This will transform people’s lives and help achieve the UN’s goal of universal energy access by 2030.’ Editor's notes Read Heat Light and Power for Refugees: Saving Lives, Reducing Costs by Glada Lahn and Owen Grafham.To link back to the report in an article, please use this landing page for the final report.The Moving Energy Initiative (MEI) is a collaboration between GVEP International, Chatham House, Practical Action Consulting, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The report is supported by the UK Department for International Development through the Humanitarian Innovation and Evidence Programme.The number of refugee households in Dadaab, Kenya is as of May 2015.Chatham House will host a press briefing with MEI programme board member Michael Keating and authors Glada Lahn and Owen Grafham on Thursday 12 November at 10:30-11:30 GMT. To register, or for interview requests, please contact the press office.All figures are original and based on estimations and calculations prepared for the Moving Energy Initiative. Chatham House designed a model offering the first estimates of the scale and cost of energy use and CO2 emissions among forcibly displaced households worldwide, not including people affected by natural disasters. For more details on the populations considered in the report and used in the model, contact the authors.The authors are available to answer questions from the media. Please contact the press office. Contacts Press Office +44 (0)20 7957 5739 Email Full Article