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George Mason University researchers and World Bank launch web portal for hospitals

By www.eurekalert.org
Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 00:00:00 EDT

(George Mason University) The team's work supports evidence-based decision making, informed by models, to rethink and facilitate hospital operations during the pandemic.


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DDT, other banned pesticides found in Detroit-area black women: BU study

By www.eurekalert.org
Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 00:00:00 EDT

(Boston University School of Medicine) A new Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) study published in the journal Environmental Research finds detectable levels of DDE (what DDT becomes when metabolized in the body) and other banned organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the blood of over 60 percent of a cohort of black women of reproductive age in the Detroit area, with higher levels in women who smoked cigarettes daily, drank more alcohol, and drank more water.


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Examining urban British churchyards

By www.eurekalert.org
Published On :: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 00:00:00 EDT

(Bentham Science Publishers) Two authors representing environmental geomorphology and historical archaeology collaborated in an investigation that aimed to examine the material culture still evident in urban burial sites with dated, upstanding headstone memorials.


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Palestinians say Israel targeting prisoners' bank accounts

By news.yahoo.com
Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 08:26:54 -0400

Palestinian officials said Friday that Israel is forcing banks in the occupied West Bank to close accounts held by the families of prisoners in Israeli jails to prevent the Palestinian Authority from providing stipends to them. Israel has long objected to the Palestinian Authority's payments to the families of prisoners and those killed in the conflict, including militants, saying it rewards terrorism. The Palestinians view the payments as a social safety net for those living under decades of military occupation.



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Marketing claims for infant formula should be banned, argue researchers

By www.imperial.ac.uk
Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 23:30:00 +0100

Current regulations do not effectively prevent potentially misleading claims, says Imperial scientists


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Buju Banton and John Legend create magical ‘Memories’

By jamaica-star.com
Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 05:01:48 -0500

Closing 2019, reggae star Buju Banton celebrated the inking of a partnership deal with international entertainment group Roc Nation, founded by rapper Jay-Z. The artiste is on the promotional pathway for his 2020 album, Upside Down, which will be...


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Bank of REU/Grad Fair Questions

By blogs.ams.org
Published On :: Fri, 24 Jan 2020 19:14:06 +0000

By Lucy Martinez and Eduardo Torres Davila We attended the Joint Math Meetings (JMM) conference in Denver to present our research from our work at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute Undergraduate Program. At JMM, there was a fair of graduate … Continue reading →


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Strengthening Urban Preparedness and Resilience Against Biological Threats in Accra

By feedproxy.google.com
Published On :: Wed, 23 Jan 2019 17:40:01 +0000

Invitation Only Research Event

1 March 2019 - 10:30am to 2 March 2019 - 3:00pm

Chatham House, London

Capacity to contain and respond to biological threats varies considerably across the world. Yet such preparedness is vital for prevention, impact-reduction and resilience in the face of biological events, whether they be natural or deliberate outbreaks.

Chatham House is conducting a series of meetings to strengthen urban preparedness for, and resilience against, biological threats in African countries. This meeting will examine the preparedness and prevention mechanisms in Accra, reviewing the comprehensiveness of city-level preparedness.  

This meeting will focus on the formation and implementation of city-level action plans in the context of preparedness for managing biological threats. It will also explore how local authorities are contributing to this effort with their knowledge and expertise.

Attendance at this event is by invitation only.

Department/project

International Security Programme, Strengthening Urban Preparedness and Resilience against Biological Threats

Nilza Amaral

Project Manager, International Security Programme


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Building LGBTIQ+ Inclusivity in the Armed Forces, 20 Years After the Ban Was Lifted

By feedproxy.google.com
Published On :: Thu, 16 Jan 2020 12:27:18 +0000

16 January 2020

Will Davies

Army Chief of General Staff Research Fellow, International Security Programme
Change was slow to come but progress has since been swift. Not only can a continuing focus on inclusivity benefit service people and the organization, it is also an essential element of a values-based foreign policy.

2020-01-16-Westminster.jpg

Crew members from HMS Westminster march through Admiralty Arch as they exercise their freedom of the city in August 2019 in London. Photo: Getty Images.

The new UK government will conduct a review of foreign, security and defence policy in 2020. If the UK decides to use values as a framework for foreign policy this needs to be reflected in its armed forces. One area where this is essential is continuing to deepen inclusivity for LGBTIQ+ personnel, building on the progress made since the ban on their service was lifted in 2000.

I witnessed the ban first-hand as a young officer in the British Army in 1998. As the duty officer I visited soldiers being held in the regimental detention cells to check all was well. One day a corporal, who I knew, was there awaiting discharge from the army having been convicted of being gay. On the one hand, here was service law in action, which was officially protecting the army’s operational effectiveness and an authority not to be questioned at my level. On the other, here was an excellent soldier in a state of turmoil and public humiliation. How extreme this seems now.

On 12 January 2000 Tony Blair’s Labour government announced an immediate lifting of the ban for lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel (LGB) and introduced a new code of conduct for personal relationships. (LGB is the term used by the armed forces to describe those personnel who had been banned prior to 2000.) This followed a landmark ruling in a case taken to the European Court of Human Rights in 1999 by four LGB ex-service personnel – supported by Stonewall – who had been dismissed from service for their sexuality.

Up to that point the Ministry of Defence's long-held position had been that LGB personnel had a negative impact on the morale and cohesion of a unit and damaged operational effectiveness. Service personnel were automatically dismissed if it was discovered they were LGB, even though homosexuality had been decriminalized in the UK by 1967.

Proof that the armed forces had been lagging behind the rest of society was confirmed by the positive response to the change among service personnel, despite a handful of vocal political and military leaders who foresaw negative impacts. The noteworthy service of LGBTIQ+ people in Iraq and Afghanistan only served to debunk any residual myths.

Twenty years on, considerable progress has been made and my memories from 1998 now seem alien. This is a story to celebrate – however in the quest for greater inclusivity there is always room for improvement.

Defence Minister Johnny Mercer last week apologized following recent calls from campaign group Liberty for a fuller apology. In December 2019, the Ministry of Defence announced it was putting in place a scheme to return medals stripped from veterans upon their discharge.

The armed forces today have a range of inclusivity measures to improve workplace culture including assessments of workplace climate and diversity networks supported by champions drawn from senior leadership.

But assessing the actual lived experience for LGBTIQ+ people is challenging due to its subjectivity. This has not been helped by low participation in the 2015 initiative to encourage people to declare confidentially their sexual orientation, designed to facilitate more focused and relevant policies. As of 1 October 2019, only 20.3 per cent of regular service people had declared a sexual orientation.

A measure of positive progress is the annual Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, the definitive benchmarking tool for employers to measure their progress on LGBTIQ+ inclusion in the workplace; 2015 marked the first year in which all three services were placed in the top 100 employers in the UK and in 2019 the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force were placed 15th=, 51st= and 68th respectively.

Nevertheless, LGBTIQ+ service people and those in other protected groups still face challenges. The 2019 Ministry of Defence review of inappropriate behaviour in the armed forces, the Wigston Report, concluded there is an unacceptable level of sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination. It found that 26-36% of LGBTIQ+ service people have experienced negative comments or conduct at work because of their sexual orientation.

The Secretary of State for Defence accepted the report’s 36 recommendations on culture, incident reporting, training and a more effective complaints system. Pivotal to successful implementation will be a coherent strategy driven by fully engaged leaders.

Society is also expecting ever higher standards, particularly in public bodies. The armed forces emphasise their values and standards, including ‘respect for others’, as defining organisational characteristics; individuals are expected to live by them. Only in a genuinely inclusive environment can an individual thrive and operate confidently within a team.

The armed forces also recognize as a priority the need to connect to and reflect society more closely in order to attract and retain talent from across all of society. The armed forces’ active participation in UK Pride is helping to break down barriers in this area.

In a post-Brexit world, the UK’s values, support for human rights and reputation for fairness are distinctive strengths that can have an impact on the world stage and offer a framework for future policy. The armed forces must continue to push and promote greater inclusivity in support. When operating overseas with less liberal regimes, this will be sensitive and require careful handling; however it will be an overt manifestation of a broader policy and a way to communicate strong and consistent values over time.

The armed forces were damagingly behind the times 20 years ago. But good progress has been made since. Inclusion initiatives must continue to be pushed to bring benefits to the individual and the organization as well as demonstrate a values-based foreign policy.


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Lebanon Is Paying the Cost of Its Dysfunctional Politics

By feedproxy.google.com
Published On :: Wed, 26 Feb 2020 05:27:10 +0000

26 February 2020

Nadim Shehadi

Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme
A series of fights to political stalemate have led its economy to the brink and cut it off from its natural economic partners in the Gulf.

2020-02-25-Leb1.jpg

Protests against economic conditions and government inaction turned violent in January. Photo: Getty Images.

To understand Lebanon’s financial collapse, look to its politics.

The country has been deeply damaged by an increasingly dysfunctional political system. A series of compromises have alienated it from its main markets in the Gulf and strangled its economy; anyone that has glanced at fluctuations in Lebanese bank deposits over the last 10 years can see the correlation.

Imagine if Boris Johnson or Donald Trump were obliged to form joint governments with Jeremy Corbyn or Bernie Sanders. The result would be paralysis and lack of accountability as each party pulls the country in opposite directions and blames the other for the state of limbo. This has been the state of affairs in Lebanon since the Doha agreement of 2008. 

That agreement followed an 18-month siege that paralyzed Beirut and an attack on the city by Hezbollah’s ‘black shirts’. The Doha formula imposed governments of national unity between Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s pro-Saudi camp and Hezbollah’s pro-Iran camp and their respective internal allies.

The pattern was set: each period of subsequent paralysis was followed by further compromise as the tug of war pulled the country away from its principal economic partners, the Arab Gulf states, with the regional balance of power tilting towards Hezbollah. 

It was not supposed to be like this. The Baabda Declaration in June 2012, reached after a process of national dialogue, was meant to secure Lebanon’s neutrality in regional conflicts, with both sides promising to hold back on external alliances and coexist despite difference over major regional issues like the war in Syria, the standoff between the US and Iran or relations with Israel or the Gulf states.

This has worn away. The Baabda declaration itself became a sham when Hezbollah inserted itself into the war in Syria in support of the Assad regime and overtly got involved in Iraq and Yemen as an Iranian proxy. This was followed by Saudi opposition to concessions by Hariri that led to the election of General Michel Aoun, an ally of Hezbollah, as president in October 2016; again, after a political paralysis that lasted 29 months with no active government and no head of state.  

The Saudis were also furious when President Aoun’s son-in-law, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, abstained from condemning the burning of the Saudi embassy in Tehran at an Arab League meeting in Cairo in January 2016, citing the need to preserve national unity.

Fearing that he was simply providing Hezbollah with protection in the guise of compromise, the Saudis pressured Hariri to resign in November 2017 during a trip to Riyadh, but he later challenged that by retracting on his resignation when back in Beirut. Lebanon was caught between two sides, and as the regional conflict intensified from tension to open confrontation, neutrality was no longer an option.

Gulf connections

An estimated 350,000 Lebanese expats live and work in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait. These countries are also the main clients for Lebanese contractors, consultants and advertising companies, some of which have offices there. The domestic tourism industry relies heavily on Arab Gulf visitors and they are a principal source of foreign investments especially in the real estate sector.

Lebanon also enjoyed a certain degree of political and economic protection from the US and the Gulf, and Hezbollah benefited indirectly from that protection, as it also shielded it to a certain degree from sanctions.

The deterioration of relations meant that the country was cut off by its Gulf partners. This was manifested in travel bans for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nationals to Lebanon and a decrease in investments and bank deposits, as well as a decrease in remittances from Lebanese expats, partly because of economic crisis in the Gulf countries themselves.

Saudi Arabia withdrew $4 billion of aid to the Lebanese army and internal security forces, and no aid or deposits were forthcoming as the economic and financial situation deteriorated. 

The costs to the Lebanese economy include the opportunity cost created by the annual threat of war with Israel, after which trips are cancelled and projects postponed. Hezbollah also controls a section of Beirut port where it pays no duty or taxes. Add to that the economic fallout from the war in Syria, such as the impact on exports, the inflow of refugees and the cost of Hezbollah’s involvement.

The burden of these political factors is difficult to estimate but it constitutes the ransom that the Lebanese economy bears as a cost of the compromise. This is not to absolve Lebanese politicians from corruption or bankers of mismanagement but to add that political factors cannot be ignored.

The cumulative cost and economic impact of being cut off from its main economic partner eventually bankrupted the country. The fiscal and financial aspects, with Lebanon’s inability to service its debt, are but a reflection of these political factors. In the long run, the key to avoiding complete collapse is to restore relations with the GCC and free Lebanon from that very costly grip.


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Lebanon: Futile Victory

By feedproxy.google.com
Published On :: Tue, 07 Apr 2020 15:11:46 +0000

1 June 2008 , Number 3

For the third time in less than two years, Beirut has been turned into a battleground, with Hizbollah and the opposition taking over the city. The government and its allies did not engage militarily, managing to avoid civil war and becoming a regional battlefield. The Arab League is now trying to sort things out, highlighting the regional and international dimensions.

Nadim Shehadi

Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme


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Lebanese Women and the Politics of Disruption

By feedproxy.google.com
Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 11:00:01 +0000

Research Event

6 May 2020 - 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Event participants

Carmen Geha, Assistant Professor of Public Administration, Leadership and Organisational Development, American University of Beirut
Moderator: Lina Khatib, Director, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House
Lebanese women have been at the forefront of the protest movement that has shaken Lebanon since October 2019. The active participation by women and their visibility in Lebanon's protest movement has challenged the gender norms prevalent in Lebanese society and politics. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown that ensued has disrupted women's ability to organize, and is threatening the fragile progress towards female inclusion in the political process.
 
In a recent article, Carmen Geha discussed the politics of representation in the context of women's participation in public life in Lebanon and argued that the country's political system is maintained through tightly-knit informal power relations among sectarian politicians, making women's participation in politics virtually impossible. The article explained how the October 2019 revolution challenged that norm by creating inclusive spaces where women activists could confront politicians and thus, transform the way women participate in politics and public life.
 
In this webinar, part of the Chatham House project on the future of the state in the Middle East and North Africa, the article's author will discuss how women's activism in Lebanon has been affected by the coronavirus-induced lockdown. The speaker will consider how, under current circumstances, women activists can speak up collectively and bring back a movement to contest gender norms in order to build an alternative political model that can better represent women's priorities.
 
You can express your interest in attending by following this link. You will receive a Zoom confirmation email should your registration be successful. Alternatively, you can watch the event live on the MENA Programme Facebook page.

Department/project

Middle East and North Africa Programme, The Future of the State in the Middle East

Reni Zhelyazkova

Programme Coordinator, Middle East and North Africa Programme
+44 (0)20 7314 3624


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China's ivory bans: enhancing soft power through wildlife conservation

By feedproxy.google.com
Published On :: Wed, 06 Nov 2019 09:20:21 +0000

6 November 2019 , Volume 95, Number 6

Jonas Gamso

Read online
China has been a major market for elephant ivory for centuries. However, the Chinese government recently enacted bans on imports and exports of ivory (2015) and on the domestic ivory trade (2017). These bans appear to have come in response to intensive influence campaigns and public shaming from domestic and foreign activists, who cited declining elephant populations and highlighted China's role. However, this shaming-narrative is at odds with conventional wisdom regarding Chinese policy-making: China typically resists international pressures and its authoritarian government is thought to be largely insulated from domestic efforts by civil society groups. This article reconciles Beijing's ivory policy with these conventional beliefs about policy-making in China. I argue that the Chinese government saw unique benefits to banning the ivory trade, under growing international scrutiny, as doing so enhanced Chinese soft power while having very little impact on its sovereignty or development. Non-government organizations (NGOs) operating both inside and outside of China played a role as well: NGOs in China helped to shift Chinese public opinion towards favouring the bans, while those operating abroad led public relations efforts to publicize Chinese demand for ivory to foreign audiences. Efforts by the latter group of NGOs intensified pressure on the Chinese government to rein in the ivory market, while increasing the soft power benefits that banning ivory would bring to Beijing.


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The real reason St George Bank, Bank of Melbourne and BankSA are suffering a long outage

By www.smh.com.au
Published On :: Mon, 05 Oct 2015 06:44:52 GMT

It was meant to be a simple task: turn the computer off and on again while performing scheduled maintenance.


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St George, Bank of Melbourne and BankSA outage to be fixed on Monday night, St George says

By www.smh.com.au
Published On :: Mon, 05 Oct 2015 19:22:02 GMT

St George, Bank of Melbourne and BankSA customers begin to regain access to their accounts after a system outage.


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Bank of Melbourne, St George, BankSA internet banking services back online

By www.smh.com.au
Published On :: Tue, 06 Oct 2015 01:08:44 GMT

Bank of Melbourne, St George and and BankSA customers should now be able to access their money online, but those still locked out of the system are advised to try the old remedy of switching their banking apps on and off again.


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Public service to ban paper in boxes: New digital policy to make sweeping reforms across APS

By www.smh.com.au
Published On :: Sat, 31 Oct 2015 10:34:24 GMT

One powerful agency head warns against "tyranny of small person" as sweeping reforms released for public service.


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Brisbane City Council IT contract faces potential $60 million blow-out

By www.smh.com.au
Published On :: Wed, 25 Jan 2017 05:49:06 GMT

A $122 million Brisbane City Council IT contract will be renegotiated after a systems replacement program was delayed by 18 months, with a potential cost blow-out of up to $60 million.


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Brisbane City Council terminates $122 million IT contract

By www.smh.com.au
Published On :: Fri, 28 Jul 2017 12:14:03 GMT

Brisbane CIty Council has terminated a $122 million IT contract that had been plagued with cost blow outs and lengthy delays.


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Smart Energy Council calls for state to abandon facial recognition

By www.smh.com.au
Published On :: Tue, 23 Jul 2019 01:27:04 GMT

Some users have been brought to tears by 'broken' facial recognition software now required to approve solar rebate applications.


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Development Prospects in the Asia-Pacific: The Role of the Asian Development Bank

By feedproxy.google.com
Published On :: Wed, 04 Sep 2019 12:55:01 +0000

Research Event

25 September 2019 - 12:30pm to 1:30pm

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

Event participants

Takehiko Nakao, President, Asian Development Bank
Chair: Champa Patel, Head, Asia-Pacific Programme, Chatham House

The speaker will discuss development prospects in the Asia-Pacific and their implications for Europe and the UK. He will outline prospects for the region’s growth, the impact of the current US-China trade conflict as well as other challenges faced by the region. He will also discuss the future role of the Asian Development Bank and how it plans to support the further development of the region.

Department/project

Asia-Pacific Programme, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, Trade, Investment and Economics

Lucy Ridout

Programme Administrator, Asia-Pacific Programme
+44 (0) 207 314 2761


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The Future of Banking

By feedproxy.google.com
Published On :: Mon, 21 Oct 2019 09:10:01 +0000

Corporate Members Event

26 November 2019 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm

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

Event participants

Antony Jenkins, Founder and Executive Chair, 10x Future Technologies; Group Chief Executive, Barclays (2012-15)
Tracey McDermott CBE, Group Head, Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing and Group Head, Conduct, Financial Crime and Compliance, Standard Chartered; Acting Chief Executive, Financial Conduct Authority (2015-16)
Chair: Patrick Jenkins, Financial Editor, FT

 

In recent years, FinTech start-ups and 'big tech' companies have expanded their foothold in the financial services market, using technology to radically transform the way in which banking services are delivered and used. These new entrants have brought with them digital and cloud-based innovations and, in the case of large technology majors, deep pockets, large customer bases and access to vast quantities of data.
 
Against this backdrop, the panellists will provide their outlook for the future of banking. What are the new technologies disrupting the financial services industry and to what extent are they reshaping society more broadly? Can traditional banks remain competitive in the face of increased competition, regulation and the high costs associated with maintaining legacy systems? And how can regulators manage the complex trade-offs associated with new entrants into the market including data protection, financial stability and inclusion?
 
The discussion will be followed by a reception at 7pm.

This event is open to Chatham House Corporate Members only. Not a member? Find out more.

For further information on the different types of Chatham House events, visit Our Events Explained.
 

Members Events Team


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Episode 27 - The Internet of No Man's Sky (IoNMS) NMS hype, open banking and emojis

By play.acast.com
Published On :: Fri, 12 Aug 2016 14:50:59 GMT

Host Matt Egan is joined by the world's number one authority on No Man's Sky, producer Chris, to discuss the hype around the vast Playstation and PC game, how it was made and parallel universes. Scott Carey, online editor at Techworld.com jumps in to speak about the government's Open Banking report and how technology could change the way we bank in the future (16:00). Finally, acting editor at Macworld UK David Price is talking water pistol emojis and the strange politics of Apple (27:00).  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.


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Episode 40: The Internet of Trump Sadness (IoTS) Trump on tech, Daydream & Tesco Bank hack

By play.acast.com
Published On :: Fri, 11 Nov 2016 16:37:14 GMT

Host Matt Egan is in a sombre mood this week as the tech industry comes to terms with a Donald Trump US presidency. Staff writer at Macworld UK dives into what this could mean for Silicon Valley, Apple products and wether social media is at fault. Then producer Chris comes on to discuss the latest addition to the VR headset market with Google's Daydream. Will it be held back by a lack of applications though? (14:45) Finally, online editor at Computerworld UK talks about the biggest data breach at a UK bank, as Tesco Bank suffers a £2.5 million cyber theft and what this means for the banking industry as a whole (25:00).  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.


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Episode 81 - The Internet of Cashierless Shopping (IoCS) Open banking, Qualcomm fines and Amazon Go

By play.acast.com
Published On :: Fri, 26 Jan 2018 16:00:00 GMT

This week host Charlotte Jee breaks down open banking with Computerworld UK editor Scott Carey: what is it and why should we care?


Then audience development editor Christina Mercer explains why chip-maker Qualcomm has been fined nearly €1 billion and the EU's sustained attack on big tech (12:00)


Last up is senior staff writer at Tech Advisor Dom Preston to talk about Amazon's revolutionary concept Go store opening in Seattle and if this is really the future of shopping (20:00).

 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.


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Episode 98 - The Internet of Banning Idiots (IoBI) Infowars, new phone hype and the Millennium Dome

By play.acast.com
Published On :: Fri, 10 Aug 2018 14:46:19 GMT

This week on the UK Tech Weekly Podcast our host Scott Carey talks to Macworld editor David Price about the ever-controversial Alex Jones and why the big tech companies are finally stepping up their efforts to ban him from their platforms. Editors note: we recorded this on Thursday before Twitter finally started to take some measures against Jones, without outright banning him.


Next our resident phone nerd and consumer tech editor at Tech Advisor Henry Burrell talks about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 9, the latest iPhone X rumours and how Apple and Google are trying to make you use your phone less.


Lastly Techworld editor Charlotte Jee takes us on a trip down memory lane to talk about the utopian vision of the Millennium Experience, how it reflected the values of a New Labour government and its legacy.

 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.


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Lebanon: Futile Victory

By feedproxy.google.com
Published On :: Tue, 07 Apr 2020 15:11:46 +0000

1 June 2008 , Number 3

For the third time in less than two years, Beirut has been turned into a battleground, with Hizbollah and the opposition taking over the city. The government and its allies did not engage militarily, managing to avoid civil war and becoming a regional battlefield. The Arab League is now trying to sort things out, highlighting the regional and international dimensions.

Nadim Shehadi

Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme


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Inner Circle gives thanks for Jacob Miller on his birthday - Singer would have caused ‘problem’ at King’s House, says ­former bandmate

By jamaica-gleaner.com
Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 00:19:16 -0500

Long before the existence of the Internet and going viral was a thing, reggae singer Jacob Miller, back in the ‘70s, coined a term that went viral – under heavy manners. Ian Lewis of Inner Circle band, the Bad Boys of Reggae, recalled that his...


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Buju Banton calls new single with John Legend 'special'

By jamaica-gleaner.com
Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 10:31:00 -0500

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s been over a decade since reggae king Buju Banton and R&B star John Legend collaborated on a song, and the Grammy winners have reunited for a new track. Banton and Legend released the easygoing love song...


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Norris McDonald | COVID-19 pandemic … The US must lift Cuban embargo to save lives

By jamaica-gleaner.com
Published On :: Sun, 05 Apr 2020 00:26:43 -0500

“The United States has launched a stunning attack on Cuba’s medical-aid missions, with the Trump administration pressing countries to reject them during the coronavirus pandemic,” Steve Sweeny reported in the Morning Star, March 26, 2020. Given...


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The World Bank - why it matters for global health

By feeds.bmj.com
Published On :: Fri, 01 Sep 2017 08:59:54 +0000

The world bank was set up in 1944. In the aftermath of the second world war, the institution was there to give loans to countries rebuilding after the conflict. Their first loan went to France - but with stipulations about repayment that set a tone for future funds. A new series, authored by Devi Sridhar, and her team from the University of...


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The World Bank - Universal Healthcare

By feeds.bmj.com
Published On :: Fri, 01 Sep 2017 09:01:34 +0000

The world bank was set up in 1944. In the aftermath of the second world war, the institution was there to give loans to countries rebuilding after the conflict. Their first loan went to France - but with stipulations about repayment that set a tone for future funds. A new series, authored by Devi Sridhar, and her team from the University of...


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The World Bank - trust funds

By feeds.bmj.com
Published On :: Fri, 01 Sep 2017 09:03:51 +0000

The world bank was set up in 1944. In the aftermath of the second world war, the institution was there to give loans to countries rebuilding after the conflict. Their first loan went to France - but with stipulations about repayment that set a tone for future funds. A new series, authored by Devi Sridhar, and her team from the University of...


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The World Bank - the Global Financing Facility

By feeds.bmj.com
Published On :: Fri, 01 Sep 2017 09:05:03 +0000

The world bank was set up in 1944. In the aftermath of the second world war, the institution was there to give loans to countries rebuilding after the conflict. Their first loan went to France - but with stipulations about repayment that set a tone for future funds. A new series, authored by Devi Sridhar, and her team from the University of...


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Banting Lecture 2001: Dysregulation of Fatty Acid Metabolism in the Etiology of Type 2 Diabetes

By diabetes.diabetesjournals.org
Published On :: 2002-01-01

J. Denis McGarry
Jan 1, 2002; 51:7-18
Banting Lecture 2001


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Assessment of MTNR1B Type 2 Diabetes Genetic Risk Modification by Shift Work and Morningness-Eveningness Preference in the UK Biobank

By diabetes.diabetesjournals.org
Published On :: 2020-01-20T12:00:26-08:00

Night shift work, behavioral rhythms, and the common MTNR1B risk single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs10830963, associate with type 2 diabetes; however, whether they exert joint effects to exacerbate type 2 diabetes risk is unknown. Among employed participants of European ancestry in the UK Biobank (N = 189,488), we aimed to test the cross-sectional independent associations and joint interaction effects of these risk factors on odds of type 2 diabetes (n = 5,042 cases) and HbA1c levels (n = 175,156). Current shift work, definite morning or evening preference, and MTNR1B rs10830963 risk allele associated with type 2 diabetes and HbA1c levels. The effect of rs10830963 was not modified by shift work schedules. While marginal evidence of interaction between self-reported morningness-eveningness preference and rs10830963 on risk of type 2 diabetes was seen, this interaction did not persist when analysis was expanded to include all participants regardless of employment status and when accelerometer-derived sleep midpoint was used as an objective measure of morningness-eveningness preference. Our findings suggest that MTNR1B risk allele carriers who carry out shift work or have more extreme morningness-eveningness preference may not have enhanced risk of type 2 diabetes.


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World Bank predicts sharpest decline of remittances to Caribbean

By jamaica-gleaner.com
Published On :: Thu, 23 Apr 2020 15:26:53 -0500

WASHINGTON, CMC – The World Bank has predicted the sharpest decline of remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean, saying that global remittances on a whole are projected to fall by about 20 percent in 2020 due to the economic crisis...


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Scotiabank – a loose vampire

By jamaica-gleaner.com
Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 00:06:30 -0500

THE EDITOR, Madam: On May 5, 2020, at about 8:40 a.m., I went completely berserk, telling two staff members of the Bank of Nova Scotia from the Liguanea branch some proper Jamaica vernaculars, long like the Holland Bamboo. I was astonished by my...


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Lack of Opportunities and Family Pressures Drive Unaccompanied Minor Migration from Albania to Italy

By www.migrationpolicy.org
Published On :: Tue, 16 Jul 2019 14:38:33 -0400

Faced with a lack of employment opportunities and recurrent poverty, Albanian youth migrate to Italy alone in the hopes of improving their educational prospects or making money for their families. Yet upon arrival, they face many vulnerabilities. While some protections for unaccompanied minors exist in the Italy, the system is greatly fragmented and challenges, including how to return them to Albania, remain persistent.


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Chasing the Dubai Dream in Italy: Bangladeshi Migration to Europe

By www.migrationpolicy.org
Published On :: Tue, 03 Oct 2017 13:02:31 -0400

Bangladeshis in 2017 suddenly emerged as one of the top migrant groups entering Europe illegally. While Europe is a new destination, Bangladeshi labor migration has been an important part of the country's development since the 1970s, with growing numbers heading abroad, largely to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. This article explores and contextualizes the new phenomenon of Bangladeshi migration to Europe.


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Embracing Emigration: The Migration-Development Nexus in Albania

By www.migrationpolicy.org
Published On :: Wed, 09 Sep 2015 14:07:00 -0400

From ongoing emigration flows and a surge in asylum seekers, to more than 150,000 returnees, this country profile examines contemporary and historical migration trends in Albania. Driven by extreme poverty and unemployment, more than one-third of Albania's population has emigrated in the last 25 years. The government now seeks to capitalize on diaspora resources by linking migration and development policies.


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Cuban Migration: A Postrevolution Exodus Ebbs and Flows

By www.migrationpolicy.org
Published On :: Mon, 03 Jul 2017 13:24:00 -0400

The Cuban Revolution unleashed a massive exodus from the island. Cuba is now among the top origin countries of immigrants in the United States—where for decades they have received preferential treatment—with smaller numbers across Europe and Latin America. This article explores the evolution of Cuban migration, particularly within the context of the Cold War and shifting U.S. policies toward the country.


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Glucosamine Use, Inflammation, and Genetic Susceptibility, and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Study in UK Biobank

By care.diabetesjournals.org
Published On :: 2020-03-20T11:50:34-07:00

OBJECTIVE

Glucosamine is a widely used supplement typically taken for osteoarthritis and joint pain. Emerging evidence suggests potential links of glucosamine with glucose metabolism, inflammation, and cardiometabolic risk. We prospectively analyzed the association of habitual glucosamine use with risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and assessed whether genetic susceptibility and inflammation status might modify the association.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This study analyzed 404,508 participants from the UK Biobank who were free of diabetes, cancer, or cardiovascular disease at baseline and completed the questionnaire on supplement use. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the association between habitual use of glucosamine and risk of incident T2D.

 RESULTS

During a median of 8.1 years of follow-up, 7,228 incident cases of T2D were documented. Glucosamine use was associated with a significantly lower risk of T2D (hazard ratio 0.83, 95% CI 0.78–0.89) after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, race, center, Townsend deprivation index, lifestyle factors, history of disease, and other supplement use. This inverse association was more pronounced in participants with a higher blood level of baseline C-reactive protein than in those with a lower level of this inflammation marker (P-interaction = 0.02). A genetic risk score for T2D did not modify this association (P-interaction = 0.99).

 CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that glucosamine use is associated with a lower risk of incident T2D.


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Watch: Driver accidentally reverses onto two parked cars outside Florida bank

By www.upi.com
Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 10:31:58 -0400

A Florida sheriff's office said a driver reversing out of a bank parking lot accidentally ended up backing up onto two other cars.


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Watch: Monkey enters bank kiosk in India, removes front panel of ATM

By www.upi.com
Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 11:18:09 -0400

Police in India said officers suspecting thieves were behind the damage to an ATM in a bank kiosk reviewed security camera footage and discovered the machine had been partially disassembled by a curious monkey.


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Prevalence of Diabetes in Mexican Americans, Cubans, and Puerto Ricans From the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1982-1984

By care.diabetesjournals.org
Published On :: 1991-07-01

Katherine M Flegal
Jul 1, 1991; 14:628-638
Supplement 3: Diabetes in Hispanic Americans


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Bank of England: British economy could decline 14 percent

By www.upi.com
Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 07:29:45 -0400

A Bank of England report said Thursday the British economy could fall as much as 14 percent this year, which would be its worst showing in more than 300 years.


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Acrylamide Exposure and Oxidative DNA Damage, Lipid Peroxidation, and Fasting Plasma Glucose Alteration: Association and Mediation Analyses in Chinese Urban Adults

By care.diabetesjournals.org
Published On :: 2020-04-28T14:58:19-07:00

OBJECTIVE

Acrylamide exposure from daily-consumed food has raised global concern. We aimed to assess the exposure-response relationships of internal acrylamide exposure with oxidative DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) alteration and investigate the mediating role of oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation in the association of internal acrylamide exposure with FPG.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

FPG and urinary biomarkers of oxidative DNA damage (8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine [8-OHdG]), lipid peroxidation (8-iso-prostaglandin-F2α [8-iso-PGF2α]), and acrylamide exposure (N-acetyl-S-[2-carbamoylethyl]-l-cysteine [AAMA], N-acetyl-S-[2-carbamoyl-2-hydroxyethyl]-l-cysteine [GAMA]) were measured for 3,270 general adults from the Wuhan-Zhuhai cohort. The associations of urinary acrylamide metabolites with 8-OHdG, 8-iso-PGF2α, and FPG were assessed by linear mixed models. The mediating roles of 8-OHdG and 8-iso-PGF2α were evaluated by mediation analysis.

RESULTS

We found significant linear positive dose-response relationships of urinary acrylamide metabolites with 8-OHdG, 8-iso-PGF2α, and FPG (except GAMA with FPG) and 8-iso-PGF2α with FPG. Each 1-unit increase in log-transformed level of AAMA, AAMA + GAMA (UAAM), or 8-iso-PGF2α was associated with a 0.17, 0.15, or 0.23 mmol/L increase in FPG, respectively (P and/or P trend < 0.05). Each 1% increase in AAMA, GAMA, or UAAM was associated with a 0.19%, 0.27%, or 0.22% increase in 8-OHdG, respectively, and a 0.40%, 0.48%, or 0.44% increase in 8-iso-PGF2α, respectively (P and P trend < 0.05). Increased 8-iso-PGF2α rather than 8-OHdG significantly mediated 64.29% and 76.92% of the AAMA- and UAAM-associated FPG increases, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure of the general adult population to acrylamide was associated with FPG elevation, oxidative DNA damage, and lipid peroxidation, which in turn partly mediated acrylamide-associated FPG elevation.


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Federal judge declines to block COVID-19 abortion ban in Arkansas

By www.upi.com
Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 23:41:21 -0400

A federal court on Thursday denied a motion to block an Arkansas directive preventing patients from receiving abortion care.


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[ Politics ] Open Question : Is it true many British and American banks and companies(Bank of England,UIC,Prescott Bush,etc) gave money and goods to Hitler secretly?

By answers.yahoo.com
Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 17:24:02 +0000


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