Quotes CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

>>“Making it” means making it in the specifically American climate of cut-throat, unprincipled competition, where good guys not only always end up last but deserve to, where the prize is money and power, and though the price is the loss of character and humanity, few hesitate to pay it. But money and power are the highest good possible for an American to achieve, and to achieve it no holds are barred, all foul means are fair. If you “win” no questions asked. There is only one caveat: don’t get caught.

I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning about the Soviet Union, their trade unions, their working conditions, their technology, or what life was like for visitors.

Image link https://assets.thehansindia.com/h-upload/2024/01/26/1418006-japan.webp Tokyo: Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, has announced a plan to release around 54,600 tons of nuclear-contaminated water from the facility into the ocean in fiscal 2024. The volume is expected to be discharged into the Pacific Ocean in seven rounds, starting from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, according to the plan announced Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported. TEPCO is slated to finalise the discharge plan by the March 31 end of fiscal 2023, it said. Despite concerns and oppositions among local fishermen in Fukushima Prefecture as well as other countries, the Fukushima wastewater discharge started in August 2023. In fiscal 2023, TEPCO is set to release a total of about 31,200 tons of radioactive wastewater in four batches, with the fourth and final round for the year scheduled late next month. Hit by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and an ensuing tsunami on March 11, 2011, the Fukushima nuclear plant suffered core meltdowns that released radiation, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. The plant has been generating a massive amount of water tainted with radioactive substances from cooling down the nuclear fuel in the reactor buildings, which are now being stored in tanks at the nuclear plant.

LGBTQ+ CJReplay • 8 months ago • 93%

www.rt.com

Each successive US generation has seen larger numbers of self-identified non-heterosexuals  FILE PHOTO © Getty Images / David Levingstone More than one in four (28%) Americans between the ages of 18 and 25, known as Generation Z, identified as LGBTQ in a survey published earlier this week by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). The figure was the largest percentage recorded for any generation by the pollster, which conducted its research during August and September on a sample of over 6,600 people. Nearly half of the non-heterosexual Gen Zers said they were bisexual, amounting to 15% of all Gen Z adults. Gays and lesbians (5% of total) were outnumbered by “other” (8%). Generation Z was far more likely to identify as something other than straight than previous generations. Among millennials, 16% said they were some form of LGBTQ, with gays and lesbians nearly as common as bisexuals (5% vs 7%). Among Generation X, gays and lesbians actually outnumbered bisexuals (3% vs 2%) among the 7% of the total age group who said they weren’t heterosexual. Even fewer Baby Boomers (4%) and members of the Silent Generation (3%) said they were LGBTQ. Generation Z was also more racially diverse than any other age group surveyed. Just 52% of adults – and only 50% of teens – described themselves as white, compared to 62% of the total US population. Additionally, they were less likely to politically identify as Republican and more likely to identify as liberal. The survey even suggested there are more LGBTQ Gen Zers than there are Gen Z Republicans, who comprise just 21% of the age group compared to 27% of the total population. The PRRI did not speculate on possible reasons for the trend, which has accompanied a rapid liberalization of attitudes about homosexuality in American society. Despite this shift, 20% of Gen Z adults said they had experienced hostility or discrimination because of their sexual orientation. Homosexual acts only stopped being a federal crime in the US following the 2003 Supreme Court decision Lawrence v. Texas, though many states had already scrapped their sodomy laws by this time. The 2014 Obergefell v. Hodges decision legalized same-sex marriage, which had been illegal across the US since 1996. Individual states have since been required to license and perform such marriages, while same-sex couples have been able to adopt children. Just 35 UN member states allow same-sex marriage. While the PRRI’s numbers echoed previous surveys showing Generation Z is the most LGBT and liberal group to come of age in the US yet, the percentage who identified as something other than heterosexual was significantly higher in this week’s findings than in a similar poll by Gallup last year, which found 19.7% of Gen Z adults aged 18 to 26 self-identified as LGBTQ, compared to 7.2% of the general population.

People's Court CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

Right now, we have /c/Introductions, but it only has one post from nearly a year ago. Would be cool if those who wanted to introduce themselves knew that there was a place where they can.

www.plenglish.com

 Havana, Jan 26 (Prensa Latina) The 1st International Biennial of Political Humor will take place in Havana from June 1 to 30, 2024, the National Association of Cuban Writers and Artists (UNEAC) announced. According to the announcement, the Ministry of Culture, the National Council of Plastic Arts, and the Cuban magazine La Jiribilla invite artists, illustrators, cartoonists, and humorists from all over the world to participate in the event. The text stated that the contest aims to explore the effects of globalization and related phenomena from the political humor perspective. The central theme will be the fight against neo-fascism. The works, in digital format, should be sent to bienalhumorpoliticocuba@gmail.com. The attached files should be in a JPG format, with a 300 dpi resolution, not less than 2400 pixels on the longest side. The author’s identity and location information (name, pen name, country, title, address, e-mail address, and phone number) must be included. The selected works will be printed and exhibited in the leading and side exhibitions of the Biennial.

Russia CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

www.plenglish.com

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/3439918 > Moscow, Jan 26 (Prensa Latina) Cuba's Ambassador to Russia, Julio Garmendía, stressed that the relations between the two nations are of strategic allies at the bilateral and international levels. > > During his opening speech at the reception devoted to the 65th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, the Cuban ambassador outlined the development of national historiography from January 1959 to the present. > > He also highlighted the more-than-six-decade ties between Moscow and Havana since the friendship offered by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) when Cuba, according to Fidel Castro, was facing, perhaps, the most complex period of the war unleashed by the United States against the people. > > Garmendía argued that it would take time to explain the years of unconditional support, to which he detailed that both Governments signed significant documents in 2023 to boost direct investment of Russian capital in the Cuban economy. > > The diplomat told the attendees at the meeting that despite those complex times, Cuba currently faces an unprecedented tightening of the blockade that the United States has maintained for more than 60 years. The inclusion in the illegal list of countries sponsoring terrorism that complicates Cuba’s commercial and financial activity, the challenges in international logistics, and the rise in the prices of food and other products worsen the internal situation in Cuba. > > Other factors, including media war, incitement to the so-called regime change, and other subversive events, also add to the list of actions against the Cuban Revolution. > > Russian First Vice Chairman of the State Duma Ivan Melnikov, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin chaired the event.

www.plenglish.com

Moscow, Jan 26 (Prensa Latina) Cuba's Ambassador to Russia, Julio Garmendía, stressed that the relations between the two nations are of strategic allies at the bilateral and international levels. During his opening speech at the reception devoted to the 65th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, the Cuban ambassador outlined the development of national historiography from January 1959 to the present. He also highlighted the more-than-six-decade ties between Moscow and Havana since the friendship offered by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) when Cuba, according to Fidel Castro, was facing, perhaps, the most complex period of the war unleashed by the United States against the people. Garmendía argued that it would take time to explain the years of unconditional support, to which he detailed that both Governments signed significant documents in 2023 to boost direct investment of Russian capital in the Cuban economy. The diplomat told the attendees at the meeting that despite those complex times, Cuba currently faces an unprecedented tightening of the blockade that the United States has maintained for more than 60 years. The inclusion in the illegal list of countries sponsoring terrorism that complicates Cuba’s commercial and financial activity, the challenges in international logistics, and the rise in the prices of food and other products worsen the internal situation in Cuba. Other factors, including media war, incitement to the so-called regime change, and other subversive events, also add to the list of actions against the Cuban Revolution. Russian First Vice Chairman of the State Duma Ivan Melnikov, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin chaired the event.

Palestine CJReplay • 8 months ago • 98%

Short video in link Judges at the International Court of Justice have ordered Isn'treal to take steps to limit killings and acts of genocide in Gaza and to allow in humanitarian aid, but the court did not insist on a ceasefire.

Technology CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

www.rt.com

Microsoft will lay off 8% of the workers at its gaming unit  © Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images Microsoft is cutting around 1,900 employees in its gaming unit Activision Blizzard and Xbox this week, CNBC reported on Thursday, citing an internal memo from Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer. The layoffs, which will eliminate around 8% of Microsoft Gaming’s 22,000 staff, are part of a larger “execution plan” that will reduce “areas of overlap,” shortly after the US software giant closed on its $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, its largest ever acquisition, the head of the company’s gaming division said. “It’s been a little over three months since the Activision, Blizzard, and King teams joined Microsoft. As we move forward in 2024, the leadership of Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard is committed to aligning on a strategy and an execution plan with a sustainable cost structure that will support the whole of our growing business,” Spencer wrote in a note. Microsoft closed its deal for Activision Blizzard, the publisher and developer of several best-selling gaming franchises, in October 2023. The deal boosted the company’s weight in the video-gaming market with popular titles including Call of Duty and Diablo. Experts say the acquisition will help Microsoft compete with industry leader Sony. Microsoft has recently overtaken Apple as the world’s most valuable company with its market cap surpassing $3 trillion on Thursday.

US News CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

www.peoplesworld.org

Image link https://www.peoplesworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/PBLA980.jpg Ken Bank/PW The last few years have seen significant momentum towards the goal of making public, people-owned banks a reality in many parts of the country. This is especially true in California. In 2019 the governor of California signed a bill allowing counties and municipalities to establish publica banks. Two years later, Gov. Newsom signed another bill that appropriates funds for a state commission to analyze the prospects and feasibility to establish a state bank that would also function as a commercial bank to provide personal financial services for residents of California. Recently the Los Angeles City Council voted to allocate funding for a feasibility study to establish a city-managed public bank. This was a huge step forward to the creation of a public bank for Los Angeles. Though other cities and states have moved forward on proposals for a public bank, so far Los Angeles is the only public community to appropriate funds for that purpose. The idea of a public bank for Los Angeles was under consideration for some time. In 2018 voters in Los Angeles rejected an amendment to the city charter enabling the creation of a public bank, which was heavily opposed by monopoly capitalists and predatory financiers who spent large sums of money to defeat the amendment. Despite this defeat, supporters of public banking would not give up. This meant that Los Angeles would not have to rely on a referendum vote to establish a city-managed public bank. With support from grass roots community organizations, the Los Angeles City Council passed a law in 2021 to study the feasibility of setting up a public bank. To continue that effort, the City Council voted recently to appropriate $460,000 for funding additional means toward officially establishing a public bank. In doing so Los Angeles became the first city to actually appropriate funds to enable that effort for public finance to succeed. The initiative to establish a public bank for Los Angeles was inspired by a report issued last May by the Jain Family Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to applied research for providing funds to public and community improvements. The report emphasizes how a public bank would facilitate providing funds for development and acquisition of affordable housing and public infrastructure. Operate with municipal deposits The bank would operate primarily by utilizing municipal deposits, public pension funds, and ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) investment funds to provide ready capital to acquire and support developing residential homes as affordable housing. This process would stimulate the availability of affordable housing in low-income neighborhoods, as well as prevent the commercial corporate banks, predatory developers and vulture capitalists, from buying property to build more expensive homes and community gentrification. Los Angeles is not the only city in California moving forward to establish a public, municipal bank. The San Francisco City Council also voted unanimously for a law to create a process for setting up a city-owned bank that would be similar to Los Angeles. The long-term plan would be to pass an ordinance that would facilitate the process for a city-managed corporation to receive public deposits and then invest that money for low-income borrowers and disadvantaged groups, small businesses and community organizations which otherwise would not have access to credit from for-profit commercial banks. Eventually, it is hoped that a municipal bank would be able to offer personal financial services to depositors whose funds would be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The last few decades have seen an explosion of commercial investment banks which have become so big that only a few banks now control America’s investment capital. They became dominant by taking over smaller community and regional banks which historically were the main source of capital for middle and low income borrowers. By “redlining” low income neighborhoods and minority communities, these large banks put their investment capital into high income projects that were much more profitable than lending to middle and low income borrowers. Thanks to these large, dominant financial institutions, the rich became even more rich, predatory and vulture capitalist investors became much more wealthy, while poor neighborhoods and communities were left to fend for themselves. In response to the destructive forces unleashed by predatory, investment capitalism, enabled by the concentration of financial resources among a few large, multinational banks and international financial institutions, activists and progressive political leaders around the world have begun the movement to establish public financial institutions. They are a form of democratic finance, accountable to people and not to vulture investment capitalists seeking to maximize profits at the expense of the poor. California is not the only state where public banking advocates have been successful. In New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has introduced legislation to establish a state banking option that would be available to local, municipal, county and other government entities to deposit their surplus cash. The funds would then be reinvested in their local communities to stimulate economic activity which would largely benefit the public as well as disadvantaged groups and individuals who were previously unable to access credit for their financial needs. So far, largely due to the effects of the COVID pandemic, progress has been limited mostly to public hearings on the subject. Across the Delaware River from New Jersey, the City of Philadelphia is also moving forward to establish a public bank. Last year the Philadelphia City Council by a near-unanimous vote established the Philadelphia Public Financial Authority, which would receive deposits from the city’s treasury and reinvest those funds in disadvantaged neighborhoods which had little or no access to credit from private commercial banks. The likely winner of the November election for Mayor of Philadelphia is Cherelle Parker, who is African-American and the first female to become Mayor. As a member of City Council, Parker voted to establish the PPFA, but so far as the presumed Mayor-elect she has not fully committed herself to provide appropriations which would fund the PPFA’s operation. Though California leads the way forward to establish public banks, other local and state governments like Philadelphia, New Jersey and elsewhere are pursuing the process for providing public banking services that hopefully will lead to personal financial services to individual, small business, groups and non-profit depositors, and which would be eligible for FDIC deposit insurance. Ironically, the State of North Dakota already has a public bank, the Bank of North Dakota, that has been in existence for more than a century providing loans and financial credit to farmers, small businesses and community organizations. There is already a successful model for public banking available there that other states and local governments could follow. All that is needed is the political will to do so.

www.rt.com

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/3431483 > Despite the mammal’s death with her unborn calf, the team believes that IVF methods can save endangered African northern white rhinos > >  > FILE PHOTO. © TONY KARUMBA / AFP > > Scientists with the BioRescue research consortium in Kenya have recorded the world’s first pregnancy in a rhino following a successful embryo transfer, potentially paving the way to save Africa’s northern white subspecies from extinction. > > The embryo of a southern white rhino, created in vitro from egg cells and sperm, was transferred into a surrogate mother at Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy last year, the team said in a statement on Wednesday. > > ”The BioRescue team confirmed a pregnancy of 70 days with a well-developed 6.4 cm long male embryo,” it announced. However, the mother rhino named Curra and her fetus have died from a bacterial infection. > > ”It is bitter that this milestone is confirmed under such tragic circumstances with the death of the surrogate Curra and her unborn calf, but I am certain that this proof of concept is a turn of the tide for the survival of the northern white rhino and the health of Central-African ecosystems,” BioRescue project chief Thomas Hildebrandt said. > > Fatu and her mother, Najin, are the world’s two remaining northern white rhinos, living on Kenya’s 90,000-acre Ol Pejeta wildlife conservancy, under protection from poaching. > > The northern white rhino was pronounced functionally extinct after the last male, Sudan, died in 2018. > > Last year, BioRescue announced that five new embryos had been created to rescue the endangered African mammal under the project, funded mainly by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. > > The consortium said 18 eggs had been collected from Fatu and fertilized with sperm from two different bulls to improve genetic diversity. The zygotes were then cryopreserved – a process that keeps them at low temperatures for later transfer to surrogate-identified wild southern white rhino females – as neither Fatu nor Najin are able to carry a pregnancy to full term. > > According to the scientists, the next step in the project will be to select and prepare a new teaser bull, which will reveal when potential surrogate mothers can be implanted with embryos.

World News CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

www.rt.com

Despite the mammal’s death with her unborn calf, the team believes that IVF methods can save endangered African northern white rhinos  FILE PHOTO. © TONY KARUMBA / AFP Scientists with the BioRescue research consortium in Kenya have recorded the world’s first pregnancy in a rhino following a successful embryo transfer, potentially paving the way to save Africa’s northern white subspecies from extinction. The embryo of a southern white rhino, created in vitro from egg cells and sperm, was transferred into a surrogate mother at Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy last year, the team said in a statement on Wednesday. ”The BioRescue team confirmed a pregnancy of 70 days with a well-developed 6.4 cm long male embryo,” it announced. However, the mother rhino named Curra and her fetus have died from a bacterial infection. ”It is bitter that this milestone is confirmed under such tragic circumstances with the death of the surrogate Curra and her unborn calf, but I am certain that this proof of concept is a turn of the tide for the survival of the northern white rhino and the health of Central-African ecosystems,” BioRescue project chief Thomas Hildebrandt said. Fatu and her mother, Najin, are the world’s two remaining northern white rhinos, living on Kenya’s 90,000-acre Ol Pejeta wildlife conservancy, under protection from poaching. The northern white rhino was pronounced functionally extinct after the last male, Sudan, died in 2018. Last year, BioRescue announced that five new embryos had been created to rescue the endangered African mammal under the project, funded mainly by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The consortium said 18 eggs had been collected from Fatu and fertilized with sperm from two different bulls to improve genetic diversity. The zygotes were then cryopreserved – a process that keeps them at low temperatures for later transfer to surrogate-identified wild southern white rhino females – as neither Fatu nor Najin are able to carry a pregnancy to full term. According to the scientists, the next step in the project will be to select and prepare a new teaser bull, which will reveal when potential surrogate mothers can be implanted with embryos.

Vietnam CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

en.vietnamplus.vn

Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and his spouse will make a state visit to Vietnam from January 29 to 30.  Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. (Photo: AFP/VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and his spouse will make a state visit to Vietnam from January 29 to 30. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the trip is made at the invitation of President Vo Van Thuong and his spouse.

www.plenglish.com

Havana, Jan 25 (Prensa Latina) The first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and president of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel, expressed his willingness to strengthen ties with the Communist Party of Spain (PCE), the Presidency informed on Thursday. At a meeting with PCE Secretary General Enrique Santiago Romero at the Palace of the Revolution (seat of the Executive) on Wednesday , Díaz-Canel referred to the need for joint work on issues of international interest. I think that there are many global issues; that we have to be sharing ideas; above all, visions from our positions, especially in view of the media manipulation of issues related to the visions of the leftist, socialist, communist parties, and also for the Third World, the Cuban president said. The head of State also referred to the environment, or the necessary energy transition, which he considered essential, and to which poor countries do not know what their paths with solutions can be. In this regard, Santiago Romero noted that capitalism is incompatible with the workers’ rights, with a dignified life, and “today it is already clear that this is “incompatible with the maintenance of life on the planet, of ecosystems, and is a risk of destruction for the human species.”

www.plenglish.com

 Havana, Jan 25 (Prensa Latina) President Miguel Díaz-Canel met with José Miguel Mejía, general secretary of the United Left Movement (MIU) party and Minister for Regional Integration Policies of the Dominican Republic, national television informed. During the meeting on Wednesday at the Palace of the Revolution, the seat of the Government, the head of State expressed satisfaction with this new visit to Havana of the political leader and member of the Dominican Executive, who visited Cuba in 2022. Díaz-Canel considers Mejía “a great friend of Cuba.” The president was interested in the program conducted by Mejía in this capital and sent a greeting to his Dominican counterpart, Luis Abinader, to whom he reiterated the invitation to visit Cuba officially when his agenda allows it. Both leaders acknowledged the MIU’s historic position in supporting Cuba and its solidarity against the economic, commercial, and financial blockade of the United States imposed on Cuba, which has lasted for more than 60 years and is currently being tightened. Roberto Morales, a member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of Organization of Cuba’s Communist Party (PCC); Emilio Lozada, head of the International Relations Department of the PCC Central Committee; and Juan Carlos Frómeta, an officer of the same party, attended the meeting.

China CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

 Chinese tourists pose for photos with the Merlion statue at Marina Bay in Singapore, May 3, 2023. (File photo: Reuters/Edgar Su) Singapore (VNA) - Singapore and China have agreed to a 30-day mutual visa-free entry for their citizens, which will formally come into force on February 9 - the eve of the Lunar New Year. As reported by the Channel News Asia, plans for the 30-day mutual visa exemption agreement were announced last December during the two countries’ highest-level annual bilateral forum, which was co-chaired by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang. Singaporeans holding ordinary passports can currently enter China without a visa for 15 days for purposes like sightseeing, visiting family and business. China resumed this arrangement in July last year, more than three years after it was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chinese citizens currently require a visa to enter Singapore. Between January and November 2023, Singapore welcomed a total of 12.4 million tourists, of which the number of Chinese visitors was just over 1.2 million.

laotiantimes.com

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/3431281 > Image link > https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_lossless,ret_img,w_1536/https://laotiantimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/wirestory_99a965b424adfe60f97a1c42a04d2c0e_16x9-1536x864.jpg > Police officers gather outside the Kyoto District Court in Kyoto, western Japan, Thursday, 25 January 2024, ahead of the sentencing hearing for Shinji Aoba, who has confessed to a deadly arson attack in July 2019 on a Kyoto Animation Co. studio. Aoba was convicted of murder and other crimes Thursday for carrying out the shocking arson attack on the anime studio that killed 36 people and drew an outpouring of grief from anime fans worldwide. (Miki Matsuzaki/Kyodo News via AP) > > TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court sentenced a man to death after finding him guilty of murder and other crimes Thursday for carrying out a shocking arson attack on an anime studio in Kyoto, Japan, that killed 36 people. > > The Kyoto District Court said it found the defendant, Shinji Aoba, mentally capable to face punishment for the crimes and announced his capital punishment after a recess in a two-part session on Thursday. > > Aoba stormed into Kyoto Animation’s No. 1 studio on 18 July, 2019, and set it on fire. Many of the victims were believed to have died of carbon monoxide poisoning. More than 30 other people were badly burned or injured.

Japanimation CJReplay • 8 months ago • 50%

laotiantimes.com

Image link https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_lossless,ret_img,w_1536/https://laotiantimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/wirestory_99a965b424adfe60f97a1c42a04d2c0e_16x9-1536x864.jpg Police officers gather outside the Kyoto District Court in Kyoto, western Japan, Thursday, 25 January 2024, ahead of the sentencing hearing for Shinji Aoba, who has confessed to a deadly arson attack in July 2019 on a Kyoto Animation Co. studio. Aoba was convicted of murder and other crimes Thursday for carrying out the shocking arson attack on the anime studio that killed 36 people and drew an outpouring of grief from anime fans worldwide. (Miki Matsuzaki/Kyodo News via AP) TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court sentenced a man to death after finding him guilty of murder and other crimes Thursday for carrying out a shocking arson attack on an anime studio in Kyoto, Japan, that killed 36 people. The Kyoto District Court said it found the defendant, Shinji Aoba, mentally capable to face punishment for the crimes and announced his capital punishment after a recess in a two-part session on Thursday. Aoba stormed into Kyoto Animation’s No. 1 studio on 18 July, 2019, and set it on fire. Many of the victims were believed to have died of carbon monoxide poisoning. More than 30 other people were badly burned or injured.

US News CJReplay • 8 months ago • 85%

www.wsws.org

This past Monday heavy rains hit Southern California, triggering dangerous flash flooding and mudslides across the region. Hundreds of people were in need of emergency rescue due to the intensity of the flooding, with many people losing all their belongings. Image link https://www.wsws.org/asset/012b0c2d-cc5a-483a-a600-88a1f1dacd74?rendition=image1280 Marlene Sanchez-Barriento salvages items behind her home damaged by flooding on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 in San Diego. [AP Photo/Denis Poroy] Thousands of residents were unaware of the immense danger until the floodwaters entered their homes. Miraculously, no deaths have been reported as of this writing. Due to the large storm originating in the Western Pacific, San Diego County experienced historic levels of flash flooding. An alarming one inch an hour or more of water was falling in many places across the county, including National City, Point Loma and San Diego. The airport in San Diego recorded 2.73 inches of rain, breaking the record for the wettest January day in San Diego County ever recorded and the fourth wettest day ever recorded, according to the National Weather Service. The catastrophic flooding provoked multiple emergency declarations by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in San Diego and Ventura counties. The San Diego River and the Tijuana River overflowed, flooding the nearby communities of Mountain View, Southcrest and Shelltown, as well as multiple highways, which were inundated with several feet of water. In Southcrest, hundreds of families were rescued after a creek overflowed threatening their lives. According to San Diego’s fire department, at least 24 people had been rescued from overrunning rivers, and hundreds more were rescued from flash floods across the county, as well as 30 animals. Even more San Diegans were displaced by the floods, while 1,000 residents were still without power into Tuesday. Southern California boasts some of the highest rates of homelessness in the country. In San Diego alone, more than 10,000 homeless people are especially vulnerable to intense storms. Normally, the city experiences two inches of rain a month during the winter season. However, in National City, the storm produced three inches of rain in the span of three hours. The water drainage system in the city failed due to the high volume of water over such a short period of time and inadequate maintenance of drainage systems. Images and videos on social media show cars floating away at the mercy of the floods and entire neighborhoods severely flooded. Link to Twitter/Nitter video of flood https://nitter.net/i/status/1749548699146162320 According to San Diego County Sheriff’s Lt. Zee Sanchez, water flooded into homes in the Spring Valley and Casa de Oro neighborhoods, prompting rescue efforts. Other residents were forced to escape by walking through waist-high water carrying their children and pets to safety. Insultingly, insurance corporations are refusing to cover or assist families who lost their homes to floods. In a region that historically has had very little rainfall, very few residents have flood insurance. According to the mayor of San Diego, Todd Gloria (Democrat), early conservative estimates of damages from the floods and mudslides are $6 million, but that is likely to rise. The devastation by unpredictably heavy rainfall that coastal cities are prone to, particularly with the oceans warming due to climate change, coupled with the sheer scale of damage to infrastructure and homes, calls into question San Diego’s current building codes. The devastating storm and floods came with little warning to residents, who had to flee for their lives completely unprepared. While doing a tour of the immense damage left by the storm Tuesday morning, Mayor Gloria attempted to block any political blame for the devastation, telling Fox 5, “We knew it was going to rain, but no one told us that we were going to get four inches of rain right here in Point Loma. … What that did was overwhelm our city’s stormwater drainage system to the point where we see an extraordinary amount of flooding all across the city, but particularly impacted our southeastern communities that today are now cleaning out and cleaning out for many days to come.” While it may be true that unprecedented weather events, particularly in a coastal city, can be difficult to anticipate, this does not explain why there is not adequate infrastructure being built to deal with more intense storms as they are expected to increase in Southern California. It is no secret that one of the trends of climate change is an increased intensity of storms in the Southwest of the United States. Last August, Hurricane Hilary swept through Southern California and devastated much of the state’s southeastern desert regions. Hurricane Hilary started as a tropical storm but quickly strengthened to a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. As the latest catastrophe demonstrates, San Diego’s severely outdated water drainage system is in urgent need of repair and maintenance that have not been allocated by the city’s budget. While the city neglects infrastructure maintenance, over half a billion dollars was appropriated to the police department last year. Other parts of California also suffered from the extreme weather. In the town of Guerneville, north of San Francisco, four inches of rain within 24 hours caused a creek to overflow, forcing the closure of schools Monday. In the mountains around Lake Tahoe in Northern California, the storm is expected to bring up to a foot of snow, as well as 60 mph winds, prompting an avalanche warning through Tuesday morning. These events are part of an international trend of chaotic and dangerous weather patterns, which are increasing in frequency due to climate change. Last month, there was record-breaking torrential rain in northwestern Queensland, Australia which provoked mass flooding and landslides. Earlier this month, an arctic blast which affected almost every state in the US and exposed 231 million Americans to dangerously cold conditions, resulted in numerous deaths. The tragic consequences of these weather disasters expose the ruling class’s criminal failure to make and maintain safe public infrastructure.

Russia CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

www.rt.com

Domestically made goods in the segment are now sold to 60 countries  © Getty Images / Bloomberg Creative Russia’s exports of dairy products increased by 18% year-on-year in 2023, the head of the National Union of Dairy Producers, Artyom Belov, said on Monday, as cited by TASS. ”The growth of consumption and exports has become a major driver for the domestic market over the past several years, particularly in 2023,” Belov said, adding that “consumption rose by nearly 5% versus 2022.” He added that Russia had begun exporting the types of dairy products for which demand is high globally, including those considering dairy commodities. “For example, exports of powdered skim milk saw a nearly fivefold growth, while suppliers of powdered whey almost tripled,” Belov explained. Meanwhile, Vladimir Skvortsov, the head of food and processing at the Russian Agriculture Ministry, said that Russian dairy products are now sold to around 60 countries and that almost three-quarters of domestic enterprises export their output. ”Traditionally, Russia sells dairy products to the CIS states and former Soviet countries,” Skvortsov said, adding that the latter category has seen a strong expansion. He also mentioned that Russian producers had started exporting products to Algeria, the world’s second-biggest consumer of dairy. Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev recently noted that raw milk production in the country has been growing over the past five years, adding that it reached 33.5 million metric tons in 2023, nearly 0.5 million metric tons more than during the previous year.

World News CJReplay • 8 months ago • 92%

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Total household energy debt in the UK has reached nearly $3.8 billion and continues to grow, according to Citizens Advice  © Getty Images / coldsnowstorm More than 1.4 million people in the UK have been disconnected from the energy grid since November as consumers struggle to pay their bills this winter, according to new research by state-funded Citizens Advice. Published on Tuesday, the study shows that over 3 million people have been cut off from energy in the last year because they could not afford to top up their prepayment meter. The average energy debt had increased to £1,835 ($2,332) by the end of 2023, up from £1,579 a year earlier. As the total energy debt pile – currently at £2.9 billion – continues to rise, it is weighing down millions of consumers and risks becoming unsustainable for the sector, the researchers warned. Data shows that over 5 million people live in homes with an energy debt, and are at greater risk as a result of actions to reduce costs, including turning off the heating or skipping meals. “The rest of winter looks set to be even worse, with prices rising 5% this month and colder weather seeing typical household energy usage reach its highest point,” Citizens Advice wrote. “We estimate that over 2 million people will disconnect because they can’t afford to top up by the end of winter.” The report comes as the energy price cap in Britain has risen this month. With the situation predicted to ease somewhat from April, bills will still be 40% higher than they were in 2021, Citizens Advice wrote. “We risk an annual winter crisis unless action is taken to help those struggling most,” the report warned.

World News CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

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Germany's rail network has been brought to a standstill after the country's leading train drivers union launched a six-day-strike as part of a long-running pay dispute. The decision marks the longest strike in the history of state rail firm Deutsche Bahn and comes after months of shorter bouts of industrial action. Passengers are being warned of major disruption, with thousands of services being cancelled across the country's high-speed, intercity, regional and metro networks. Affected ticket holders are being given the option to rebook with no penalty or a full refund. The strike, which began at 2am local time on Wednesday morning is expected to last until Monday evening, follows intense negotiations between union leaders and Deutsche Bahn's management over salary increases for drivers. With platforms largely empty at key rail hubs in Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt and Munich, passengers were left scrambling trying to find alternative means of transportation. "I'm a little frustrated because trains which were announced as running this morning as part of the emergency schedule at the end never arrived. It's annoying but I have to live with it," said stranded passenger Torsten Ilgenstein. "Six days is exaggerated, quite honestly. Especially in the current situation, we don't need a six-day train strike," said Andrea Kretschmer. More pay, less hours Drivers are asking for higher salaries to compensate for rising inflation, and to have their working hours reduced from 38 to 35 a week with no loss of wages. Executives from Deutsche Bahn have criticised the demands. "This six-day GdL strike is the longest in Deutsche Bahn's history. We tried to avert it up to the very last moment but the GdL refused and escalated the situation. There are currently massive restrictions to train services across the country," said company spokesperson Anja Broeker. GdL union leader Claus Weselsky told German broadcaster ARD defended the disruption, saying the current offers put on the table by the rail company weren't adequate. "We have to strike longer and harder because the railway management is resistant to advice," he said. "Sand in the gears" Freight train drivers have also joined the strike, with analysts warning disruption to the logistics sector could spell trouble for Europe's biggest economy. "The strike itself will not trigger a recession, but it will throw sand in the gears of an engine that is not running smoothly anyway. And all of us know that we are currently facing a number of burdens. We really don't need this on top," said Michael Groemling, an economist with the Cologne Institute for Economic Research. The management of Deutsche Bahn has also sharpened its rhetoric against the union about the impact its decisions are having on the economy. "This six-day GdL strike has massive implications on the economy. If you will, the GdL is also on strike against the economy in Germany and Europe. Cancellations can already be felt in European freight traffic and as far as the economic impact is concerned, we must count on it being massive," said Broeker.

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Havana, Jan 24 (Prensa Latina) The Cuban government today approved a three-month increase in the social benefit for maternity, as part of the actions planned to correct distortions and boost the economy in 2024. Granma newspaper reported that the communiqué informing the measure, published on the government’s official networks, explains that protecting the most precious thing for our family, infants, is a priority for the Revolution. Granma adds that from this moment on, mothers and fathers will be able to be with their babies until they are 15 months old, three more than the 12 months established so far. This is the second time in less than five years that Cuba has adopted a resolution of great benefit for parents and their families. In October 2021 the approval by the Council of State, Decree Law 56 “On Working Mothers and the Responsibility of Families” increased and equalized guarantees for working mothers in the state and non-state sector. This decree is also noteworthy because it included the payment of 100 percent of the worker’s salary in the event of a risky pregnancy and the elimination of the requirement of having worked 75 days to be entitled to receive economic and social benefits. In turn, the entry into force of Decree Law 71 in 2023 extended the exercise of the right to protection for the care of the daughter or child to other working persons. This new regulation introduced changes in line with the Family Code as a consequence of multiparentality, adoptive, assisted and socio-affective filiation.

China CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

BEIJING, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- By the end of 2023, all pre-roll advertisements had been removed from China's cable TV and Internet Protocol TV services as the result of a targeted campaign, according to an inter-agency meeting on Tuesday. The ongoing campaign aims to tackle unreasonable TV fees and streamline TV services for the benefit of audiences, said the meeting, which was held by authorities including the National Radio and Television Administration, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the State Administration for Market Regulation. In over four months, the initial phase of the campaign also led to an average reduction of more than 50 percent in various TV package fees, and audience-friendly upgrades to TV home screens, navigation, fee-charging services and applications, according to the meeting.

China CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

CHANGCHUN, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Jilin, a key agricultural province in northeast China, reported grain production of 41.87 billion kilograms in 2023, setting a new record, despite the challenges posed by floods in certain regions. The average grain yield per mu (approximately 0.067 hectares) stood at 479.1 kg last year, positioning the province at the forefront of grain-producing regions nationwide, according to the government work report released at the annual session of the Jilin Provincial People's Congress on Wednesday. In 2023, the province implemented a raft of measures to increase grain output, such as expanding cultivated areas, improving the quality of farmland and seeds, and promoting agricultural machinery. The province developed nearly 8 million mu of high-standard cropland and 254,000 mu of arable land transformed from saline-alkali soil. The integrated mechanization rate for crop cultivation reached 94 percent, the government work report said. Jilin Province plays a crucial role as one of China's significant commodity grain bases. In 2024, the grain production of Jilin is expected to surpass 44 billion kg. It strives to develop all permanent basic cropland into high-standard cropland by 2027, it noted.

China CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

Image too large to upload. Check link for image FILE PHOTO: National flags are placed outside a room in Beijing, China, January 23, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo MANILA, Philippines — China, which once criticized and urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to “read more to develop a proper understanding” on the Taiwan issue, now said it appreciates the chief executive’s assurance that the Philippines adheres to the One China Policy. “We appreciate President Marcos reiterating the Philippines adherence to the one-China policy, emphasizing Taiwan is a province of China and the Philippines not endorsing Taiwan independence,” said the China Embassy in Manila in a statement on Wednesday. This, after Marcos made it clear that he only extended greetings to Taiwan’s Lai Ching-te “out of common courtesy. The Department of Foreign Affairs previously explained that President Marcos’ controversial congratulatory message to Lai was only his way of thanking them for hosting nearly 200,000 Taiwan-based Filipino workers. “Nevertheless, the Philippines reaffirms its One China Policy,” DFA told reporters then. Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy on Wednesday said “there is but one China in the world” and that Taiwan “is an inalienable part of China’s territory.” “The complete reunification of China is where global opinion trends and where the arc of history bends. China will realize reunification, and this is unstoppable,” it added.

World News CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

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Construction and real estate are among the hardest hit sectors, researchers say  The number of UK businesses on the brink of bankruptcy skyrocketed by more than a quarter at the end of last year amid a “debt storm” triggered by a series of interest rate hikes, a report from a group of insolvency specialists revealed on Monday. The latest ‘Red Flag Alert’ released by Begbies Traynor Group found that 47,477 firms in Britain were in “critical” financial distress in the final quarter of last year, as more companies struggled with inflation and borrowing costs. The figure was a 26% increase compared to the 37,772 firms that reported a “critical” level of distress in the previous three months. The surge marked the second consecutive quarter-on-quarter period in which critical financial distress has risen by 25%, the report noted. A significant percentage of businesses facing these conditions are expected to enter insolvency over the course of the next year. According to Julie Palmer, a partner at Begbies Traynor, soaring interest rates, “rampant” inflation and weak consumer confidence amid rising and “unpredictable” input costs have created a “perfect storm” for British businesses. The Bank of England has steadily raised interest rates from 0.1% at the end of 2021 to the current 5.25% in an effort to tame inflation. “Hundreds of thousands of businesses in the UK, who loaded up on affordable debt during those halcyon days, are now coming to terms with the added burden this will have on their finances,” Palmer added. “For tens of thousands of British businesses who should be looking ahead with some degree of optimism, the new year will bring a fight for survival.” Macroeconomic turmoil is impacting “every corner” of the UK economy, Palmer said, noting that the most serious concerns are in the construction and real estate sectors. They represent nearly 30% of all businesses in critical financial distress, according to Begbies. Researchers pointed out that all of the 22 sectors assessed saw an increase in “critical” financial distress last year. The report also showed that almost 540,000 British companies were in “significant” distress in the final quarter of last year, up 12.9% from the third quarter. Begbies Traynor warned that insolvency rates in the UK are likely to speed up in 2024.

China CJReplay • 8 months ago • 96%

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 Beijing, Jan 24 (Prensa Latina) China and Nauru formally resumed diplomatic relations on Wednesday after the foreign ministers of both countries signed a joint document. Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Nauru counterpart, Lionel Aingimea, talked in this capital about the future of bilateral relations and resumed ties at the level of ambassador, effective from the date of signature. Nauru is the latest country to break diplomatic relations with Taiwan. In this regard, the Chinese Government recently stressed that the one-China principle is non-negotiable and the so-called “dollar diplomacy” is not a go-to tool. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning was responding to media reports that Beijing is allegedly pressuring Nauru to break its ties with Taiwan. Shortly after the elections in Taiwan, the Government of Nauru decided to re-establish diplomatic ties with Beijing and joined the 182 countries that recognize the one-China principle.

sports CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

www.aljazeera.com

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/3421462 > Players and supporters say the 3-0 win is an embodiment of the Palestinian spirit and determination. > >  > Palestine's Mohammed Saleh reacts after their win against Hong Kong [Thaier al-Sudani/Reuters] > > Doha, Qatar – Palestine started their last group match of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 with their hopes of qualifying for the next round hanging by a thread, but ended it with an emphatic 3-0 win over Hong Kong and by sealing a last-16 spot. > > The compact Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium turned into a Palestinian den on Tuesday night as the Fedayeen roared into the knockout stage of the tournament. > > When the last two games of group C got under way at 6pm, Palestine were trailing Iran, who had sealed their spot as group leaders, and second-placed United Arab Emirates (UAE) on points and goal difference. > > Palestine’s supporters were hopeful but not entirely confident of securing a result that would bring them in contention for a last-16 spot. At full-time, they were in a state of disbelief at how their team turned their fortunes around. > > Some, like Linah al-Fatah, had faith in their team. > > “It says a lot about our determination, self-belief and faith in God [as Palestinian people] that we have bounced back in the tournament in this manner,” she told Al Jazeera after the match. > > According to Palestine’s captain Musab Al-Battat, it was a performance that showed the world that his team is among the best in the continent. > > “We wanted to deliver a message to the world that we have a right to participate in every major football tournament, and not just for the sake of participation, but to show our skills,” Al-Battats aid in his passionate post-match news conference. > > “We deserve to be here.” > > The captain said his team came into the tournament with a “clear objective” of putting a smile on the faces of their supporters. > > The supporters, in turn, helped the players pick themselves up after a crushing defeat in their opening match against Iran nine days ago. > > Their second match, against the UAE, saw an improved performance that was vociferously backed by a partisan crowd. > > Last week’s 1-1 draw against their regional rivals was the stepping stone in their progress and the win against Hong Kong sealed their reputation as a team that cannot be brushed aside. > > For their part, Hong Kong began the match brightly as their group of 500 travelling supporters made their presence felt from the one stand that they occupied. > > Dressed in red and carrying their banners from all the way back home, the fans arrived and settled in long before kickoff and before the local Palestinian supporters took their seats. > > However, once the match kicked off it was clear that their team was under pressure. > > Palestine relentlessly attacked the Hong Kong goal with a strong forward line, and reaped the reward with three goals. > > Every Palestinian attack was backed with a crescendo of noise. > > Different groups of Palestinian fans took turns in chanting pro-Palestine slogans and calling for freedom. > > Their captain, Al-Battat, acknowledged the support after the match. > > “The thousands of fans in Qatar and the millions of displaced Palestinians around the world are our number one motivation,” he said with a steely look. > > His team are nearly certain to face hosts, holders and favourites Qatar in their round-of-16 tie. > > The prospect may be daunting but if there is one thing Palestine have shown in the 12 days of this tournament and the 109 days of the war in Gaza, they will not give up without a fight. > > “We have faced every challenge with determination and we are not going to stop now.” > > For their Gaza-born defender Mohammed Saleh, the full-time whistle brought a gush of emotions. > > The number five fell to the ground and buried his face in the grass as he cried uncontrollably. When he was finally pulled up on his feet by his teammates, Saleh pulled his shirt over his face as he sobbed. > > Saleh is one of the few players from Gaza who are part of the current squad, and has spoken of the difficulties of playing and training while not being able to hear about his family’s safety amid the war. > > The win gives Saleh, Al-Battat and their teammates another chance of ensuring the Palestinian anthem is played in the stadium, the Palestinian flag is waved by thousands and the Palestinian spirit is displayed for the world to see.

Palestine CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

www.aljazeera.com

Players and supporters say the 3-0 win is an embodiment of the Palestinian spirit and determination.  Palestine's Mohammed Saleh reacts after their win against Hong Kong [Thaier al-Sudani/Reuters] Doha, Qatar – Palestine started their last group match of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 with their hopes of qualifying for the next round hanging by a thread, but ended it with an emphatic 3-0 win over Hong Kong and by sealing a last-16 spot. The compact Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium turned into a Palestinian den on Tuesday night as the Fedayeen roared into the knockout stage of the tournament. When the last two games of group C got under way at 6pm, Palestine were trailing Iran, who had sealed their spot as group leaders, and second-placed United Arab Emirates (UAE) on points and goal difference. Palestine’s supporters were hopeful but not entirely confident of securing a result that would bring them in contention for a last-16 spot. At full-time, they were in a state of disbelief at how their team turned their fortunes around. Some, like Linah al-Fatah, had faith in their team. “It says a lot about our determination, self-belief and faith in God [as Palestinian people] that we have bounced back in the tournament in this manner,” she told Al Jazeera after the match. According to Palestine’s captain Musab Al-Battat, it was a performance that showed the world that his team is among the best in the continent. “We wanted to deliver a message to the world that we have a right to participate in every major football tournament, and not just for the sake of participation, but to show our skills,” Al-Battats aid in his passionate post-match news conference. “We deserve to be here.” The captain said his team came into the tournament with a “clear objective” of putting a smile on the faces of their supporters. The supporters, in turn, helped the players pick themselves up after a crushing defeat in their opening match against Iran nine days ago. Their second match, against the UAE, saw an improved performance that was vociferously backed by a partisan crowd. Last week’s 1-1 draw against their regional rivals was the stepping stone in their progress and the win against Hong Kong sealed their reputation as a team that cannot be brushed aside. For their part, Hong Kong began the match brightly as their group of 500 travelling supporters made their presence felt from the one stand that they occupied. Dressed in red and carrying their banners from all the way back home, the fans arrived and settled in long before kickoff and before the local Palestinian supporters took their seats. However, once the match kicked off it was clear that their team was under pressure. Palestine relentlessly attacked the Hong Kong goal with a strong forward line, and reaped the reward with three goals. Every Palestinian attack was backed with a crescendo of noise. Different groups of Palestinian fans took turns in chanting pro-Palestine slogans and calling for freedom. Their captain, Al-Battat, acknowledged the support after the match. “The thousands of fans in Qatar and the millions of displaced Palestinians around the world are our number one motivation,” he said with a steely look. His team are nearly certain to face hosts, holders and favourites Qatar in their round-of-16 tie. The prospect may be daunting but if there is one thing Palestine have shown in the 12 days of this tournament and the 109 days of the war in Gaza, they will not give up without a fight. “We have faced every challenge with determination and we are not going to stop now.” For their Gaza-born defender Mohammed Saleh, the full-time whistle brought a gush of emotions. The number five fell to the ground and buried his face in the grass as he cried uncontrollably. When he was finally pulled up on his feet by his teammates, Saleh pulled his shirt over his face as he sobbed. Saleh is one of the few players from Gaza who are part of the current squad, and has spoken of the difficulties of playing and training while not being able to hear about his family’s safety amid the war. The win gives Saleh, Al-Battat and their teammates another chance of ensuring the Palestinian anthem is played in the stadium, the Palestinian flag is waved by thousands and the Palestinian spirit is displayed for the world to see.

US News CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

www.rt.com

The Los Angeles Times will fire at least 115 journalists amid heavy financial losses  The Los Angeles Times newspaper headquarters in El Segundo, California, January 23, 2024 © AP / Damian Dovarganes The Los Angeles Times announced on Tuesday that it would lay off at least 155 employees, or a fifth of its newsroom staff. According to its owner, the paper has been losing up to $40 million per year. The latest round of layoffs is among the most severe in the newspaper’s 142-year history, and comes after 74 newsroom staff were sacked in July. The Los Angeles Times Guild, a trade union representing the paper’s journalists, said that 94 of its members were among those let go. The union said that it pushed the paper’s owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong, into agreeing to voluntary buyouts instead of layoffs, but that he refused. However, in an article announcing the layoffs, Soon-Shiong said that the union soured negotiations by choosing to go on strike last week and refusing a buyout deal that would save all but the most senior staff from being sacked. Soon-Shiong and his family purchased the ailing newspaper in 2018 and managed to reverse more than a decade of losses and headcount reductions. However, advertising revenue was falling across the entire media industry, and ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, the LA Times had been running up losses of between $30 million and $40 million per year, he said. Soon-Shiong partially blamed the paper’s editors for the dire financial straits, claiming that their decision to stop printing sports scores last summer led to thousands of readers canceling their subscriptions. The LA Times is not the only major media company to slash its workforce in recent months. ABC News, Buzzfeed, CNN, Conde Nast, NBC News, and the Washington Post have all cut staff members over the last year, with more than 2,600 jobs lost in the news industry in 2023. Across the broader media sector, 20,342 jobs were cut over the same period, according to a recent report.

Vietnam CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

en.vietnamplus.vn

LOTUSat-1, Vietnam’s first ever indigenous weather satellite, is expected to be launched into orbit from December 2024 to February 2025, according to the Vietnam National Satellite Centre (VNSC) at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST).  The fifth Epsilon solid-fuel rocket that carries Vietnam’s NanoDragon satellite. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – LOTUSat-1, Vietnam’s first ever indigenous weather satellite, is expected to be launched into orbit from December 2024 to February 2025, according to the Vietnam National Satellite Centre (VNSC) at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST). VNSC Deputy General Director Le Xuan Huy said the 570kg satellite is expected to be completed in May, with an image resolution of one metre. Huy said radar satellites can take pictures in all weather conditions, cloudy, foggy or low-light, adding the ground control system for the launch will be completed by September this year at the Hoa Lac hi-tech park. In 2019, the VNSC and Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. cooperated to implement the project "LOTUSat-1 satellite, equipment and human resources training", using official development assistance (ODA) loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In addition to satellite development, there have been classes to transfer radar satellite image processing technology to prepare technology and human resources for the launch, Huy said. According to the VAST’s Space Technology Institute, Vietnam’s first remote sensing satellite, the VNREDSat-1, has been operating effectively since it was launched in 2013. The 120-kg satellite has run for 10 straight years to assist Vietnam in addressing challenges in forest and water resources management, disaster management, urban mapping and planning, national defence and security, and coastal zone management.

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A simple blood test could detect biological markers of the disease 15 years before symptoms develop, researchers say  File photo of a medical professional observing a brain scan © Getty Images / Brian B. Bettencourt/Toronto Star via Getty Images Scientists have hailed a potentially ‘revolutionary’ breakthrough in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, after a team of Swedish researchers found that a commercially available blood test can detect biological markers of the disease about ten to 15 years before symptoms develop. In a study of 768 people in their fifties, sixties, and seventies over an eight-year period conducted by the University of Gothenburg, it was found that the test – which detects the presence of tau proteins in blood – was 97% accurate in assessing if a subject was liable to develop the disease. The results of the study, published in the JAMA Neurology journal on Monday, have been hailed as a breakthrough in early screening tests for the disease well in advance of the onset of symptoms. Alzheimer’s, which causes the brain to shrink and its cells to eventually die, is the most common form of dementia, and is characterized by a decline in cognitive function, as well as behavior and social skills. The research “adds to a growing body of evidence that this particular test has huge potential to revolutionize diagnosis for people with suspected Alzheimer’s,” Sheona Scales, the director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said, according to The Times on Monday. She added that the testing is “superior to a range of other tests currently under development,” and preferable to more invasive methods currently used by medical practitioners, such as lumbar punctures. David Curtis of the UCL Genetics Institute said that the findings of the Swedish team of scientists “could potentially have huge implications.” “Everybody over 50 could be routinely screened every few years, in much the same way as they are now screened for high cholesterol,” he added. “It is possible that currently available treatments for Alzheimer’s disease would work better in those diagnosed early this way.” The developer of the blood test, Californian company ALZpath, has said that it hopes to make the test widely available for clinical use in the first quarter of this year. About 1 in 9 people (10.7%) aged 65 or over has the disease, according to data from the Alzheimer’s Association. This is expected to rise substantially in the next 25 years, the group says on its website, “barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease.”

US News CJReplay • 8 months ago • 91%

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 Washington, Jan 22 (Prensa Latina) Dexter Scott King, the youngest child of civil rights leaders Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, died of cancer on Monday. In a press release, The King Center said the 62-year-old died peacefully in sleep after a battle with prostate cancer. “He gave it everything and battled this terrible disease until the end,” said Leah Weber, Dexter Scott King’s wife for the last 11 years, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. “As with all the challenges in his life, he faced this hurdle with bravery and might.” Named after the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Alabama where his father had once served as pastor, King was only seven years old when his father was assassinated. On Monday, The King Center said he “was the family member delegated to take on the mantle of continuing the precedent his father set by legally protecting his work.” “He devoted his life to the continued perpetuation of his father’s legacy and the protection of the intellectual property (IP) his father left behind,” The King Center said. At the time of his death, King served as the chairman of The King Center and president of the King Estate. “Words cannot express the heartbreak,” Rev. Bernice King, the youngest of the King children, said in a statement according to NBC. “I’m praying for strength to get through this very difficult time.” Martin Luther King III said the “sudden shock” of his brother’s death is “devastating.” “I am deeply saddened to share that my brother, Dexter Scott King, has passed away. The sudden shock is devastating. It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this. Please keep the entire King family in your prayers, and in particular Dexter’s wife, Leah Weber,” Martin Luther King III said in a statement. Black leaders across the nation have expressed their sympathies for the family. Both Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Tennessee State Rep. Justin Pearson (D) said that they were “saddened” to hear of the news. Pearson posted on X that Martin Luther King III and Bernice King will “continue to hold the flame of hope, justice, and love.” Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) posted she is “grateful for his work to continue his father’s legacy.” Ivan J. Bates, Baltimore’s states attorney, said in a statement that much of King’s intellectual property talents were “outshined by his devotion to his family and preserving his father’s legacy.” King’s death, he said, is heartbreaking for both the family and the nation.

Russia CJReplay • 8 months ago • 95%

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The founder of the Soviet Union remains a highly divisive figure 100 years after his death  FILE PHOTO: A Russian national flag flies in the wind above a monument to the Soviet State founder Vladimir Lenin in the Russian city of Kursk on May 28, 2023. © Olga MALTSEVA / AFP Almost half of Russians have a high opinion of Bolshevik revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin, according to a poll released on Friday by the country’s Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM). The survey, conducted ahead of the 100th anniversary of Lenin’s death, found that Russians remain sharply divided over the Communist leader’s historical legacy. Some see him as a wise ‘vozhd’ (leader) who paved the way for the 1917 Great October Socialist Revolution which made society fairer, while others consider him a blood-stained tyrant whose actions led to the deaths of millions. The October Revolution sparked a civil war in Russia, with the Bolsheviks emerging triumphant after several years of brutal fighting and uniting most of the regions of the defunct Russian Empire under their rule. In 1922, these territories were officially combined to form the Soviet Union. Lenin, who played a key role in this tumultuous period, died two years later, on January 21, 1924. Some 47% of respondents have a “rather positive” view of Lenin while another 30% are ambivalent, according to the VCIOM poll. A further 15% have a negative opinion of the Bolshevik leader. Regarding the results of his rule, 36% believe Lenin did more good than harm to Russia, while 30% think the pros and cons balanced each other out. Of those surveyed, 19% said that his actions were mostly harmful. Of the respondents, 24% believe the Bolshevik leader is mainly remembered as the founder of the Soviet state, while 10% see him as a calculating politician who imposed his will on a large country. Another 9% see him as a political adventurer and 7% as a thinker who saw far into the future. Only 6% think that in 50 years’ time Lenin will be seen as a brutal dictator. Russians are not only divided on Lenin’s historical legacy, but also over whether his embalmed body – which is now kept in a mausoleum on Red Square – should be removed and buried. A third of respondents see no reason to do so, while 30% insist on immediate reburial in a cemetery. Another 27% think Lenin should be buried, but only when such a move does not cause controversy. In 2021, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had no plans to rebury Lenin, arguing there were many more important items on the agenda.

Late Stage Capitalism CJReplay • 8 months ago • 99%

www.rt.com

Many vulnerable households refrain from using heating due to the high cost of energy, according to the End Fuel Poverty coalition  Nearly 5,000 people died in the UK last winter due to living in cold and damp homes as they could not afford the rising energy costs, the latest report from the End Fuel Poverty Coalition has claimed. The surge in excess deaths underscores the need to upgrade the UK’s housing stock and implement measures to bring down energy bills, the coalition has warned. The End Fuel Poverty Coalition includes Greenpeace, WWF, Green Alliance, Save the Children, and Age UK, among others. Meanwhile, a study by the Warm This Winter campaign noted that excess winter deaths climb when the temperature in the UK drops below four degrees Celsius. According to Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, as many as 8.3 million adults in the UK are living in poorly insulated, cold, damp homes and, as temperatures drop, conditions go from being uncomfortable to “downright dangerous.” “While households struggle, ministers are sitting on their hands and leaving matters of life and death to chance. Instead of taking action on energy bills, they have allowed energy firms to restart using the courts to force households onto prepayment meters and have now ruled out reform to energy tariffs to help those most in need,” he told Euronews on Friday. Meanwhile, with energy bills set to remain far above pre-pandemic levels this year and beyond, such health dangers are expected to persist this winter following a series of cold snaps, experts warn. The coalition criticized the British government for a lack of “meaningful” action to help households struggling with elevated energy tariffs. Experts noted that officials “would rather play politics with a ridiculous Oil & Gas Licensing Bill that will do nothing to improve energy security or lower bills.” “We are very concerned at the level of disinterest shown by the government in the welfare of older people at a time when the temperature is dropping well below freezing,” Jan Shortt, General Secretary of the National Pensioners’ Convention, which is part of the Warm This Winter campaign, said. The coalition’s report also censured the UK government for its refusal to set up a “help to repay” scheme for those in energy debt and also for its unwillingness to implement a proposed emergency energy tariff aimed at bringing down energy bills for vulnerable households.

Palestine CJReplay • 8 months ago • 100%

www.workers.org

Every week, more U.S. cities are calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, where Palestinians face daily lethal assaults from the Isn'treal occupation army. According to a list compiled by Newsweek magazine, city council and other cease-fire resolutions have been passed in Oakland, Richmond and San Francisco, in California, as well as Ann Arbor, Detroit, Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Ypsilanti in Michigan; Akron, Ohio; Albany, New York, Atlanta, Georgia; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; Wilmington, Delaware; and others. Image too large. Click link to view Protesters celebrate after Oakland, California, City Council unanimously passes ceasefire resolution, Nov. 27, 2023. As of early January 2024, 179 labor organizations have also called for an end to the slaughter in Gaza, where over 23,000 Palestinians have been killed and an estimated twice as many wounded, mostly civilians, including thousands of children. Among the labor groups supporting a cease-fire or otherwise backing the besieged Palestinians are national unions including Alphabet Workers Union (Google employees), American Federation of Teachers, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, American Postal Workers Union, IUPAT (Painters), National Education Association, National Nurses United, Starbucks Workers United, United Auto Workers, and the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers (UE). Labor-affiliated organizations backing a cease-fire include the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Coalition of Labor Union Women and Jobs with Justice. Many state and local unions, as well as local and regional labor councils, have issued support for a cease-fire. Many are demanding that the Biden administration end its strong backing for the Isn'treal offensive. Tariq Habash, a Palestinian-American and senior official in the Department of Education, resigned recently from his position because the Biden administration “has put millions of innocent lives in danger, most immediately the 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza who remain under continuous assault and ethnic cleansing by the Isn'treal government.”