tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91840528429182000192024-02-18T17:33:26.242-08:00everything onlineAdminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comBlogger4852125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-12772187918595594162023-09-10T06:07:00.002-07:002023-09-10T06:09:12.832-07:00FIBA: Canada targets Olympic success after first World Cup bronze<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWK2RNUkcDEAADB6AvcBledB6fnWxYYMVOzehIxEwJ5vT3YoQqAG_OniWRlTokFYK6M5akC7O9HCzsVozAzJJOcqEm0dPTWhbWMz7WNyl5F7IKQ1g0QkG801nUmQEJ8iJNvkAqsA44fMNs_1qx5lBQWaDZSeZcUuXeTzjPrG3dq-Ma5_oY7KoHCi0Re31R/s950/SL.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWK2RNUkcDEAADB6AvcBledB6fnWxYYMVOzehIxEwJ5vT3YoQqAG_OniWRlTokFYK6M5akC7O9HCzsVozAzJJOcqEm0dPTWhbWMz7WNyl5F7IKQ1g0QkG801nUmQEJ8iJNvkAqsA44fMNs_1qx5lBQWaDZSeZcUuXeTzjPrG3dq-Ma5_oY7KoHCi0Re31R/w400-h266/SL.webp" width="400" /></a></div><p>MANILA -- Small forward Dillon Brooks said Canada would take "good momentum" into next year's Paris Olympics after beating the United States to win bronze at the FIBA World Cup on Sunday.</p><p>Canada won 127-118 in overtime in Manila to claim their first World Cup podium finish, denying the United States a medal for a second straight tournament.</p><p>Canada had already qualified for their first Olympics since 2000 by finishing as one of the two highest-placed teams from the Americas at the World Cup.</p><p>Brooks, who finished the game as Canada's top scorer with 39 points, said the medal would fuel their ambitions when the new NBA season starts next month.</p><p>"It's good momentum for us, we'll hold on to that throughout the season," he said.</p><p>"I'm going to see a lot of my team-mates during the season.</p><p>"Guys that weren't here, that's motivating to them as well, to want to join us, to get better, to make a run at the Olympics."</p><p>Canada led for most of the game and built double-digit leads in both the first and third quarters.</p><p>They looked to have the game won until the United States' Mikal Bridges hit a game-tying three-pointer with 0.2sec remaining.</p><p>Canada quickly took control in overtime, with Brooks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in imperious form.</p><p>"This team was amazing, special, it's the beginning of something that's going to last for a long time," said head coach Jordi Fernandez.</p><p>"All 12 guys came in and worked every day since August 1, they got at least 1 percent better every day.</p><p>"They built the identity that we just showed."</p><p>Fernandez said Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 31 points, was "to me the MVP of this World Cup".</p><p>Bridges called Canada's point guard a "slithery" player to defend.</p><p>"He knows how to get away from you," Bridges said of Gilgeous-Alexander.</p><p>"He's an unbelievable player."</p><p>Fernandez paid tribute to Brooks's leadership after the Houston Rockets player helped keep the United States' stars quiet while scoring points at the other end.</p><p>Brooks was booed by the Manila crowd earlier in the tournament but they serenaded him with chants of "MVP" against the United States.</p><p>Brooks said he was determined to help the team win after losing in the semi-finals to Serbia.</p><p>"Having that edge every single game, how I prepared for the game, how I was trying to be a leader out there for my team-mates, I've got to bring this back to Houston," he said.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-26368675867734034072023-04-04T12:44:00.004-07:002023-04-04T12:46:01.166-07:00NBA: Red-hot Suns feeding off Kevin Durant ahead of clash with Spurs <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlfx0fyoOFHrGcJk9eYpVB8iJRVz2XrcmrIhIDsvCZ_0VWuSxbTF41gpbbBEiCruTFkzl3PrfZ9YGZgOClyHBHGOe01AhK-x-wJUkUjUaR4rLnH9PlZ95-Gr7rhq6kkAeg8F80U4jTAnZs4nzMkKAwAvSd-uvpeb0YS6zTOU5Rk2IEFehaul3muMdmg/s1024/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="1024" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlfx0fyoOFHrGcJk9eYpVB8iJRVz2XrcmrIhIDsvCZ_0VWuSxbTF41gpbbBEiCruTFkzl3PrfZ9YGZgOClyHBHGOe01AhK-x-wJUkUjUaR4rLnH9PlZ95-Gr7rhq6kkAeg8F80U4jTAnZs4nzMkKAwAvSd-uvpeb0YS6zTOU5Rk2IEFehaul3muMdmg/w400-h258/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The Phoenix Suns will go for their sixth straight win when they host the suddenly dangerous San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night.</p><p>Phoenix (43-35) is coming together as the regular season heads into the final stretch and its roster is nearly whole. The Suns flexed their considerable muscle on Sunday in a 128-118 win on the road in Oklahoma City, with Kevin Durant scoring 35 points, 13 of those in the fourth quarter, in Phoenix’s fifth consecutive victory, its longest winning streak since November.</p><p>Devin Booker finished with 22 points and 10 assists for the Suns, while Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Chris Paul had 16 points and eight assists.</p><p>Phoenix shot 56.8 percent from the floor in Sunday’s win to match its season high. The Suns remain in fourth place in the West and are three games up on the Lakers and New Orleans in the race to clinch the conference’s guaranteed playoff spots without having to participate in the play-in tournament.</p><p>The Suns are 6-0 with Durant in the lineup. Phoenix is becoming the team insiders expected it to be when Durant was brought to the Valley of the Sun.</p><p>“There’s not a way that he can’t score,” Phoenix coach Monty Williams said about Durant after Sunday’s win. “Those kind of players — they want those (clutch) shots. They’re so used to having the ball in their hands. … Guys work their tails off to be ready for those shots and he and Booker are a case in point. That’s what Kevin does.”</p><p>Phoenix has won the first two games with the Spurs this season and has defeated San Antonio eight straight times dating back to May 2021.</p><p>The Spurs (20-58) head to Phoenix after a rousing 142-134 overtime win in Sacramento on Sunday that snapped a six-game losing streak. San Antonio got a combined 56 points from reserves Doug McDermott (season-best 30 points) and Julian Champagnie (career-high 26 points).</p><p>Nine of McDermott’s points came in the extra period in which the Spurs never trailed, while Champagnie scored 22 of his points before halftime.</p><p>San Antonio also got a triple-double from Tre Jones (17 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds) in the win, a double-double from Dominick Barlow (12 points, 10 rebounds), 16 points from Zach Collins, 15 from Malaki Branham and 13 from Keita Bates-Diop.</p><p>“I think it’s the defensive end, really,” Jones said. “That’s the main thing for us. We came out in overtime and they scored right away but then we were able to string a few stops together. We were able to get some stops in the middle of it all and that really helped us.”</p><p>San Antonio was without Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan and Keldon Johnson due to injuries.</p><p>“It was a great night for us,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We had a lot of guys play really well. We had career games by three or four guys. I’m just happy for them. They have been busting their butts all year. We don’t have many wins.”</p><p>-reuters</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-30650946772867588082023-04-04T12:34:00.003-07:002023-04-04T12:35:54.677-07:00Dozens injured after train derails in Netherlands: emergency services<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnFqOCbh2p8fyxuZVeZ4eFOHCH976BS7qf-L-31grkO0pJ3S3QscLwL9pkRH67Y2v5Gtj0YdejsZRyWFYHUF3ipBiN8vKBIzaeQE8GivYhnO9mqKxDtlo9NgreKw1YoYUxX_vr-nbu7u4C9kg1GuAxzZU9d5WSmyxTA2PbB3GNKXlHBsziYOCjDEgyA/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnFqOCbh2p8fyxuZVeZ4eFOHCH976BS7qf-L-31grkO0pJ3S3QscLwL9pkRH67Y2v5Gtj0YdejsZRyWFYHUF3ipBiN8vKBIzaeQE8GivYhnO9mqKxDtlo9NgreKw1YoYUxX_vr-nbu7u4C9kg1GuAxzZU9d5WSmyxTA2PbB3GNKXlHBsziYOCjDEgyA/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The HAGUE, Netherlands — At least 30 people were injured after a passenger train derailed in the southern Netherlands on Tuesday, emergency services said.</p><p>The train derailed after colliding with construction equipment on the line near the village of Voorschoten, between The Hague and Amsterdam, it said.</p><p>"At least 30 people were injured and are being treated at the spot. The seriously injured are being taken to hospital, while 11 are at homes of nearby residents," Hollands Midden emergency services said.</p><p>"Specialists are working to secure the train."</p><p>The accident happened at around 3:30 am (0130 GMT) when the double-decker intercity train smacked into the building material on the tracks at Voorschoten, about eight kilometers (five miles) north of The Hague.</p><p>Images from the scene and news reports showed a front carriage derailed and plowing into a field, while a second derailed carriage landed on its side.</p><p>A third carriage remained upright, while a fourth caught fire, the ANP news agency said.</p><p>Around 60 people were on board at the time of the accident.</p><p>Ambulance services rushed to the scene en masse, including a trauma helicopter, to take the most seriously injured passengers to the hospital.</p><p>It was not immediately clear how serious their injuries were.</p><p>"We heard a loud bang and suddenly the lights went out," an unidentified witness told the local Omroep West television news.</p><p>"We couldn't initially get out of the train because there was no electricity," said the man, who appeared in a state of shock.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-44752884006921135942023-03-19T06:07:00.006-07:002023-03-19T06:09:09.560-07:00How AI 'revolution' is shaking up journalism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNpmKC_yZGit0P1DDx1_EqujhrtqA3ehjl7Dc6rb3nunzPpWs7W9yt-_nQPrF1a3l8Ut5G2AY-YsPTmUwkJc3xKSTC8bpYcrM4T7Xlf-BnwV1Ijweotv3e1AMujjmqsae51giCwEU6o_7pu0a55t-d7oHV2G2nXDMXmz-hxgv9h_tXDV9xWlp_bIz0A/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNpmKC_yZGit0P1DDx1_EqujhrtqA3ehjl7Dc6rb3nunzPpWs7W9yt-_nQPrF1a3l8Ut5G2AY-YsPTmUwkJc3xKSTC8bpYcrM4T7Xlf-BnwV1Ijweotv3e1AMujjmqsae51giCwEU6o_7pu0a55t-d7oHV2G2nXDMXmz-hxgv9h_tXDV9xWlp_bIz0A/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>PARIS, France — Journalists had fun last year asking the shiny new AI chatbot ChatGPT to write their columns, most concluding that the bot was not good enough to take their jobs. Yet.</p><p>But many commentators believe journalism is on the cusp of a revolution where mastery of algorithms and AI tools that generate content will be a key battleground.</p><p>The technology news site CNET perhaps heralded the way forward when it quietly deployed an AI program last year to write some of its listicles.</p><p>It was later forced to issue several corrections after another news site noticed that the bot had made mistakes, some of them serious.</p><p>But CNET's parent company later announced job cuts that included editorial staff -- though executives denied AI was behind the layoffs.</p><p>The German publishing behemoth Axel Springer, owner of Politico and German tabloid Bild among other titles, has been less coy.</p><p>"Artificial intelligence has the potential to make independent journalism better than it ever was –- or simply replace it," the group's boss Mathias Doepfner told staff last month.</p><p>Hailing bots like ChatGPT as a "revolution" for the industry, he announced a restructuring that would see "significant reductions" in production and proofreading.</p><p>Both companies are pushing AI as a tool to support journalists, and can point to recent developments in the industry.</p><p>'<b>Glorified word processor' </b></p><p>For the past decade, media organizations have been increasingly using automation for routine work like searching for patterns in economic data or reporting on company results.</p><p>Outlets with an online presence have obsessed over "search engine optimization", which involves using keywords in a headline to get favored by the Google or Facebook algorithms and get a story seen by the most eyeballs.</p><p>And some have developed their own algorithms to see which stories play best with their audiences and allow them to better target content and advertising -- the same tools that turned Google and Facebook into global juggernauts.</p><p>Alex Connock, author of "Media Management and Artificial Intelligence", says that mastery of these AI tools will help decide which media companies survive and which ones fail in the coming years.</p><p>And the use of content creation tools will see some people lose their jobs, he said, but not in the realms of analytical or high-end reporting.</p><p>"In the specific case of the more mechanistic end of journalism -- sports reports, financial results -- I do think that AI tools are replacing, and likely increasingly to replace, human delivery," he said.</p><p>Not all analysts agree on that point.</p><p>Mike Wooldridge of Oxford University reckons ChatGPT, for example, is more like a "glorified word processor" and journalists should not be worried.</p><p>"This technology will replace journalists in the same way that spreadsheets replaced mathematicians -- in other words, I don't think it will," he told a recent event held by the Science Media Centre.</p><p>He nonetheless suggested that mundane tasks could be replaced -- putting him on the same page as Connock.</p><p><b>'Test the robots' </b></p><p>French journalists Jean Rognetta and Maurice de Rambuteau are digging further into the question of how ready AI is to take over from journalists.</p><p>They publish a newsletter called "Qant" written and illustrated using AI tools.</p><p>Last month, they showed off a 250-page report written by AI detailing the main trends of the CES technology show in Las Vegas.</p><p>Rognetta said they wanted to "test the robots, to push them to the limit".</p><p>They quickly found the limit.</p><p>The AI struggled to identify the main trends at CES and could not produce a summary worthy of a journalist. It also pilfered wholesale from Wikipedia.</p><p>The authors found that they needed to intervene constantly to keep the process on track, so while the programs helped save some time, they were not yet fit to replace real journalists.</p><p>Journalists are "afflicted with the syndrome of the great technological replacement, but I don't believe in it", Rognetta said.</p><p>"The robots alone are just not capable of producing articles. There is still a part of journalistic work that cannot be delegated."</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-43591486266711285402023-03-07T09:20:00.000-08:002023-03-07T09:22:06.983-08:00Brazil's Bolsonaro faces probes over $3.2M Saudi jewels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kOvn3DG7u91ZNrUDwxiw1NMR46qBsWm_gpOnc1QAv5v7IOntdDuT6NdmtAXv2B5HOWXzzImM2VkFla2dXzZqQH3fIDHFja91LPj54wHzBYGOZ7rDzDSuHKV9V7jFPeli8TNxczNhPWtZIMM7iOIo-6UMcEMJlGcK2GsRys6mKkAbMCCDLEn_svzpEw/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kOvn3DG7u91ZNrUDwxiw1NMR46qBsWm_gpOnc1QAv5v7IOntdDuT6NdmtAXv2B5HOWXzzImM2VkFla2dXzZqQH3fIDHFja91LPj54wHzBYGOZ7rDzDSuHKV9V7jFPeli8TNxczNhPWtZIMM7iOIo-6UMcEMJlGcK2GsRys6mKkAbMCCDLEn_svzpEw/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>BRASILIA - Brazil's justice minister asked federal police Monday to investigate reports ex-president Jair Bolsonaro tried to illegally import jewelry worth $3.2 million gifted by Saudi Arabia, as tax officials probe a second present of jewels.</p><p>The far-right former president has faced mounting questions over the jewels since newspaper Estado de Sao Paulo reported Friday that customs officers blocked an aide to his former mines and energy minister, Bento Albuquerque, from bringing them into Brazil without paying the required import duty after an official trip in October 2021.</p><p>According to the newspaper, Bolsonaro administration officials intervened at least eight times to try to convince customs officers to release the diamond jewels -- a necklace, a ring, a watch and a pair of earrings from Swiss luxury house Chopard -- that had been given to the president's wife.</p><p>Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing.</p><p>"They're accusing me over a gift I neither requested nor received. There was no illegality on my part," he told CNN Brasil on Saturday from the United States, where he has been living since two days before his leftist successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, took office on January 1.</p><p>The scandal deepened Monday when Brazil's tax agency said it had opened its own investigation over reports Albuquerque's delegation entered the country with a second, previously undetected set of jewels, also a gift from the Saudi government.</p><p>Albuquerque mentioned the second set of jewels -- a watch and a pen, also made by Chopard -- in an interview with Estado de Sao Paulo.</p><p>"The incident could constitute a violation of customs law for failure to declare goods and pay the required duties," the tax agency said in a statement, vowing to take "all necessary measures" to enforce the law.</p><p>Brazilian media reports said the second set of jewels had been handed over to the presidential palace's official collection on December 29, 2022.</p><p>Under Brazilian law, travelers entering the country with goods worth more than $1,000 are required to declare them.</p><p>The first family would then either have had to pay import duty on the jewels -- equal to half their value -- or give them to the presidential palace collection as official gifts to the nation.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-7550030380149412232022-12-08T04:59:00.000-08:002022-12-08T05:00:10.149-08:00TikTok hit by US lawsuits over child safety, security fears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRw_bDGDkPG3UDM51f4eAj_E1s9gRzFhNTXls88zquL4OLTYwuVNGYASD4Lru7QI_YIC1ZCbrUyQDzLC3J5VnwuHN5xCB-vWjBv7--L7pXiT6aVe0A-wxwuCvh4p-BueXOjJ4ilHLJ72ImoaUqRKJLdHaOkbgYUmW__UTGNuxTR-jDURqcpBiVuDGFYQ/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="950" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRw_bDGDkPG3UDM51f4eAj_E1s9gRzFhNTXls88zquL4OLTYwuVNGYASD4Lru7QI_YIC1ZCbrUyQDzLC3J5VnwuHN5xCB-vWjBv7--L7pXiT6aVe0A-wxwuCvh4p-BueXOjJ4ilHLJ72ImoaUqRKJLdHaOkbgYUmW__UTGNuxTR-jDURqcpBiVuDGFYQ/w400-h259/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>WASHINGTON — TikTok was hit Wednesday with a pair of lawsuits from the US state of Indiana, which accused it of making false claims about the Chinese-owned app's safety for children.</p><p>The legal salvo came as problems are mounting for TikTok in the United States, with multiple accusations that the extremely popular app is a national security threat and a conduit for spying by China.</p><p>"The TikTok app is a malicious and menacing threat unleashed on unsuspecting Indiana consumers by a Chinese company that knows full well the harms it inflicts on users," said Attorney General Todd Rokita in a statement.</p><p>The lawsuit said TikTok algorithms served up "abundant content depicting alcohol, tobacco, and drugs; sexual content, nudity, and suggestive themes" to users as young as 13.</p><p>The state also sued TikTok for allegedly deceiving customers into believing that "reams of highly sensitive data and personal information" were protected from the Chinese government.</p><p>In a statement, a TikTok spokesperson did not comment specifically on the case but said "the safety, privacy and security of our community is our top priority."</p><p>"We build youth well-being into our policies, limit features by age, empower parents with tools and resources, and continue to invest in new ways to enjoy content based on age-appropriateness or family comfort," the company said.</p><p>TikTok is facing a growing front of opposition in the United States, with several states and the US military banning its use on government devices.</p><p>Texas on Wednesday became the latest state to do so, calling for "aggressive action" against TikTok.</p><p>The highly popular app is often singled out for its alleged connections to the Beijing government with fears that China is able to use TikTok's data to track and coerce users around the world.</p><p>TikTok is currently in negotiations with the US government to resolve national security concerns, hoping to maintain operations in one of its biggest markets.</p><p>TikTok said it was "confident that we're on a path...to fully satisfy all reasonable US national security concerns."</p><p>The spectacular success of TikTok has seen rival sites such as Meta-owned Instagram or Snapchat struggle to keep up, with once soaring ad revenues taking a hit.</p><p>But Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers last month that he is "extremely concerned" about security risks linked to TikTok.</p><p>Agence France-Presse </p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-2473261435879706172022-11-28T04:52:00.001-08:002022-11-28T04:54:57.841-08:00Brexit compounded UK's shortage of doctors, says study<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsFj2DF79YqLRP5wVTR32KdWxFVvMSyAPX6XVJ5crLm31WafY1mxbqOIA4iIXUKMVyTKl7psk8kmiym9cGGwRFdTpeb2bMPAcrQfcsIEV9MlmVWOJ8dVVyqu-mGEHoVjOdsrxUFpdmCSoHt54ZCd3ya6aJCXMs91WZd5l3M-LrNwrmrRBfOQlBMnpHQ/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsFj2DF79YqLRP5wVTR32KdWxFVvMSyAPX6XVJ5crLm31WafY1mxbqOIA4iIXUKMVyTKl7psk8kmiym9cGGwRFdTpeb2bMPAcrQfcsIEV9MlmVWOJ8dVVyqu-mGEHoVjOdsrxUFpdmCSoHt54ZCd3ya6aJCXMs91WZd5l3M-LrNwrmrRBfOQlBMnpHQ/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>LONDON, United Kingdom - Brexit has compounded a shortage of doctors in Britain, with an estimated shortfall of 4,000 in major specialty areas from EU countries, a study published Sunday said.</p><p>It comes as the crisis-hit NHS state-funded health service struggles after years of underfinancing, with record waiting lists for some hospital care due to the Covid pandemic but also a lack of doctors and nurses.</p><p>The Nuffield Trust, an independent health think tank, focused on four fields of medicine -- anaesthesia, pediatrics, cardio-thoracic surgery and psychiatry -- where European doctors had been particularly relied upon before the UK left the European Union.</p><p>It found that in the four areas -- where recruitment was already challenging -- "the increase in EU and EFTA (European Free Trade Association) staff slowed down, falling below the projected increase".</p><p>If the trend seen before Brexit had continued, there should have been more than 41,000 doctors from the EU or EFTA (Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein) registered in 2021, or at least 4,000 more than the figures showed.</p><p>"The campaign and result of the EU referendum is the obvious reason for a change in trend around 2015 and 2016," the study, commissioned by The Guardian newspaper, said.</p><p>It highlighted initial uncertainty over new rules for the movement of people, followed by tighter visa rules and "deteriorating work conditions" in the health system.</p><p>"The findings suggest that stagnation in the number of EU doctors in these specialities has exacerbated existing shortages in areas where the NHS has not been able to find enough qualified staff elsewhere," it added.</p><p>The Royal College of Nursing last week announced that its members would next month hold their first strike action in the union's 106-year history in England and Wales, citing pay, conditions -- and chronic staff shortages.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-49810080698991506422022-10-26T12:33:00.000-07:002022-10-26T12:33:43.843-07:00NBA: Doncic dazzles in vain as Mavs downed by Pelicans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCd4-b3iYHZRpFai2bF6xL9ePo2MYyvasvgY8-Bid4FlGrlRM0yKWuJ2HadBOEiiBNlXuYbAkmy3xeWsLmfCLbOkNWLCQrndagdWA9TBtsLRB7LwhX49Zw6vqWPbCXkgQhHUwI-TkLdH93U7cQOCZNm3H8pAMBzbDgRSZXZWm9Kd77UpQ1m6s4Gjdlw/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCd4-b3iYHZRpFai2bF6xL9ePo2MYyvasvgY8-Bid4FlGrlRM0yKWuJ2HadBOEiiBNlXuYbAkmy3xeWsLmfCLbOkNWLCQrndagdWA9TBtsLRB7LwhX49Zw6vqWPbCXkgQhHUwI-TkLdH93U7cQOCZNm3H8pAMBzbDgRSZXZWm9Kd77UpQ1m6s4Gjdlw/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>LOS ANGELES -- Luka Doncic scored 37 points but it was not enough to stop the Dallas Mavericks from slipping to defeat against the depleted New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.</p><p>Slovenian star Doncic dragged the Mavs to within one point of the Pels with four seconds remaining after a driving lay-up made it 112-111.</p><p>The 23-year-old was left shaking his head in disappointment after a three-point effort on the buzzer that would have snatched victory bounced off the rim to hand New Orleans a 113-111 win.</p><p>Doncic finished with 11 rebounds and seven assists in addition to his 37-point haul, with Spencer Dinwiddie providing support with 24 points and Christian Wood 23 points.</p><p>But Dallas were ultimately pipped by a balanced New Orleans line-up that saw eight players finish in double figures.</p><p>The victory was made all the more impressive given injuries that deprived New Orleans of regular starters Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.</p><p>Trey Murphy III scored 22 points -- making 8-of-8 from the field -- while C.J. McCollum made 14 points with 11 assists.</p><p>McCollum later admitted he could barely watch as Doncic launched his last-gasp three-point attempt on the buzzer.</p><p>"When he shot it I just thought 'Please don't go in, please don't go in'," McCollum told an on-court interviewer.</p><p>"I didn't shoot the ball well but a lot of young guys stepped up tonight and that's what we're going to need all season long.</p><p>"We're a solid team. Guys work hard, get in early and stay late and they relish these kind of opportunities to come out and put on a show."</p><p>The Pelicans improved to 3-1 with a win to move into second in the Western Conference behind leaders Portland. Dallas fell to 1-2 with the loss.</p><p>In other games on Tuesday, the Washington Wizards took their season record to 3-1 with a 120-99 romp against the Detroit Pistons at home.</p><p>Kyle Kuzma led the Washington scorers with 25 points with Kristaps Porzingis adding 20. Will Barton added 16 from the bench, including four three-pointers.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-43458200668115363192022-10-09T06:00:00.000-07:002022-10-09T06:01:48.372-07:00Death toll from missiles on Ukraine town rises to 17<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rGcpeF3v1KDK7V-gyY_OrVqTaOBaVysRzN6KTNSttzRWkb2spmD_HRWUw-P7tmv2jrFa9_nszKS9Udp99UFpWH8Q-IsMhsC3LJgRphKwHQQPvlduvXYjPw1Wi7PlSvfYNUCbveO_H395ltrBhgWAs0FjZUwYKHgNLaRsqpoaOOoR-9jzA2yijVi6wg/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rGcpeF3v1KDK7V-gyY_OrVqTaOBaVysRzN6KTNSttzRWkb2spmD_HRWUw-P7tmv2jrFa9_nszKS9Udp99UFpWH8Q-IsMhsC3LJgRphKwHQQPvlduvXYjPw1Wi7PlSvfYNUCbveO_H395ltrBhgWAs0FjZUwYKHgNLaRsqpoaOOoR-9jzA2yijVi6wg/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine - At least 17 people including a child died when seven Russian missiles struck the industrial town of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, the Ukrainian authorities said Saturday.</p><p>The missiles struck before dawn on Thursday, with three landing in the town center, just 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the artillery battles of the southern front.</p><p>"In total, 17 people were killed," Ukraine's State Emergency Service said on Telegram, adding that one of them was a child.</p><p>The toll has repeatedly risen since an initial tally of one dead. Earlier on Saturday, it had stood at 14.</p><p>A five-storey residential building on the main street was almost razed to the ground.</p><p>President Volodymyr Zelensky lashed out on Telegram saying Zaporizhzhia "is subjected to massive rocket attacks every day... (it's a) deliberate crime".</p><p>The Ukrainian-controlled city is located in the eponymous Zaporizhzhia region, also home to the Russian-occupied nuclear plant that has been the site of heavy shelling.</p><p>Moscow claims to have annexed the region even though its forces do not control all of it.</p><p>Ukraine said at least 30 people were killed last week when a convoy of civilian cars in the Zaporizhzhia region was shelled in an attack Kyiv blamed on Moscow.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-25205844275570702742022-10-02T09:21:00.004-07:002022-10-02T09:22:35.266-07:00MLB: Ohtani signs record $30-M deal with Angels for 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAl0KDj7ZAt7YM5XNq7SOO2YJKIzI98dxr6OwR9JBogTjNY5Vs7m7pNaLCY4slq2l-5Frol0GGID9aQ9So65d4l9xv4HdbQgbntjeALz0FT4qte9louBDS0xmQLg3wIK9niJytkL-Kvt-bURceZwtxJOcJRbR8xQf5zcywDNC5Y4eryB7YduHb-R_vlw/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAl0KDj7ZAt7YM5XNq7SOO2YJKIzI98dxr6OwR9JBogTjNY5Vs7m7pNaLCY4slq2l-5Frol0GGID9aQ9So65d4l9xv4HdbQgbntjeALz0FT4qte9louBDS0xmQLg3wIK9niJytkL-Kvt-bURceZwtxJOcJRbR8xQf5zcywDNC5Y4eryB7YduHb-R_vlw/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>LOS ANGELES -- Japanese star pitcher and slugger Shohei Ohtani signed a one-year Major League Baseball deal worth $30 million to remain with the Los Angeles Angels for the 2023 season, the club announced Saturday.</p><p>The 28-year-old unique double threat inked the largest-ever MLB deal for a player eligible for arbitration, surpassing the $27 million given to Mookie Betts by the Boston Red Sox in 2020.</p><p>Reigning American League Most Valuable Player Ohtani's deal is fully guaranteed. He remains set to become a free agent after next season.</p><p>Ohtani has never gone through the arbitration process with the Angels, avoiding it this time as he did when he signed a two-year deal worth $8.5 million before the 2021 campaign.</p><p>Ohtani makes a hefty salary jump after making only $3 million last season and $5.5 million this year.</p><p>The battle for this year's AL MVP award figures to be between Ohtani and Aaron Judge, who has matched the AL one-season home run record by hitting 61 so far this season for the New York Yankees, matching the mark of 61 set 61 years ago by ex-Yankee Roger Maris.</p><p>On the mound as a right-handed pitcher, Ohtani is 15-8 with a 2.35 earned-run average and 213 strikeouts over 161 innings.</p><p>He was hurling a no-hitter into the eighth inning on Thursday against Oakland and is set to make his final start of the season in Oakland on Wednesday in the club's season finale.</p><p>With the bat, Ohtani is hitting .276 this season with 34 homers, 29 doubles, 11 stolen bases and 94 runs batted in over 152 games.</p><p>Ohtani entered the weekend with a 15-game hit streak, the longest active run in the major leagues.</p><p>He ranks in the top four in the AL in pitching wins, strikeouts, earned-run average and homers.</p><p>Despite Ohtrani's heroics, the Angels are days away from finishing off a seventh consecutive losing season. They haven't reached the MLB playoffs since 2014 and haven't won a playoff game since 2009.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-10515336264541279312022-09-29T05:52:00.001-07:002022-09-29T05:53:09.247-07:00MLB: Judge blasts 61st homer to equal Maris record<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24mCRkEZytL5ogIaGkIhcR-mJmnwIA_87rj9szHTPmmRifeMafdapjRHNH_xy9N9kEpKvJNy5phgcW-qOxtcfF7-L4H_Yiy4JiLSkuWWNyEGMq9qrEDWQYtY3xkBxi61GrPUdKWmPE10ZQsZD6dURp2tmmRExnz19h5wMnnhwFjdz_1uhYhu__AJpKA/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24mCRkEZytL5ogIaGkIhcR-mJmnwIA_87rj9szHTPmmRifeMafdapjRHNH_xy9N9kEpKvJNy5phgcW-qOxtcfF7-L4H_Yiy4JiLSkuWWNyEGMq9qrEDWQYtY3xkBxi61GrPUdKWmPE10ZQsZD6dURp2tmmRExnz19h5wMnnhwFjdz_1uhYhu__AJpKA/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>TORONTO, Canada -- New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge blasted his 61st home run of the season on Wednesday to equal the legendary Roger Maris's longstanding American League record.</p><p>Judge, who has been motoring towards Maris's record all season, had been stuck on 60 home runs after failing to homer in seven straight games and 33 at bats.</p><p>But the 30-year-old power-hitter ended his drought in spectacular fashion on Wednesday, crushing a 394-foot homer on a 3-2 count from Toronto pitcher Tim Mayza in the seventh inning to give New York a 5-3 lead.</p><p>Judge's record-equaling blast brought the Rogers Centre crowd to its feet for a rousing ovation as Yankees players gathered at home plate to congratulate the right fielder as he rounded the bases.</p><p>Yankees legend Maris -- whose son Roger Maris Jr. was on hand to witness Judge's homer -- set his single season American League record of 61 home runs in the 1961 season.</p><p>That record stood as the best single season home record tally for all of Major League Baseball before it was surpassed multiple times by Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire during baseball's steroid era in the late 1990s.</p><p>Barry Bonds, who was also heavily implicated in the infamous BALCO drug scandal, holds the outright single season record of 73 home runs set in 2001.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-38673825120921259762022-09-13T12:23:00.001-07:002022-09-13T12:24:33.730-07:00NFL: Russell Wilson booed and loses on Seahawks return<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4AMY_irF-hE4n681K2WjMw69Ei1dkMpqFEnkN4M2AOIj8vXUbJd8EDmd1FTqB-FDXnSfw5rm1USmO1MTO3EhO0uLIQaIcXFJr-ZL9vis1piDwoDpCVEXwNRydv_ojq1hQViQ46sJEGre-fhKrPFNmknKZZPSNIz9GunP4MMEDBh0_MQ4OXcGirHG0A/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4AMY_irF-hE4n681K2WjMw69Ei1dkMpqFEnkN4M2AOIj8vXUbJd8EDmd1FTqB-FDXnSfw5rm1USmO1MTO3EhO0uLIQaIcXFJr-ZL9vis1piDwoDpCVEXwNRydv_ojq1hQViQ46sJEGre-fhKrPFNmknKZZPSNIz9GunP4MMEDBh0_MQ4OXcGirHG0A/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>LOS ANGELES -- Denver quarterback Russell Wilson's return to Seattle started with hearty boos and finished with a 17-16 loss to Geno Smith and the Seahawks on Monday.</p><p>Wilson piloted the Seahawks to nine winning seasons, eight playoff appearances, two NFC championships and a Super Bowl title in his 10-year tenure in Seattle.</p><p>But his relationship with the team soured and he departed in March for the Broncos -- the team he and the Seahawks beat 43-8 in the 2014 Super Bowl.</p><p>Earlier this month he signed a five-year deal worth a reported $245 million with Denver and none of his prior achievements in Seattle mattered to Seahawks fans who jeered him all night, while joyously cheering his former backup Smith.</p><p>While the focus was on Wilson and his return to Seattle, it was also a huge moment for Smith, who beat out Drew Lock for the starting job -- the first time he starts a season as a team's top quarterback since he played for the New York Jets back in 2014.</p><p>Smith rose to the occasion by completing 23 of 28 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns.</p><p>Both touchdowns came in the first half, when Smith was ruthlessly efficient in completing 17 of 18 passes for 164 yards.</p><p>"They wrote me off," Smith said of his critics in a post-game television interview.</p><p>Seattle didn't score in the second half, but they held on with the help of a solid defensive effort and the Broncos' inability to take advantage of their opportunities.</p><p>Wilson completed 29 of 42 passes for 340 yards, hitting Jerry Jeudy with a 67-yard touchdown pass.</p><p>But Denver committed 12 penalties and gave up two second-half fumbles on the goal line.</p><p>After those disappointments, Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett opted against going for it on fourth down with just five yards needed to extend Denver's final drive.</p><p>Instead he brought in kicker Brandon McManus, who missed a 64-yard field goal attempt.</p><p>Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he was "surprised" the Broncos didn't let Wilson -- renowned for his fourth-quarter and overtime comebacks -- try to extend the drive.</p><p>But Wilson had no problem with the decision.</p><p>"I believe in coach Hackett," he said. "I believe in what we're doing here."</p><p>While it was the first time Wilson found himself on the wrong side of the notoriously noisy Seahawks crowd, he said the atmosphere didn't affect him.</p><p>"I couldn't have been more locked in," he said. "It just didn't go our way. But guess what? There's 16 more games to go."</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-6781130573925348492022-09-06T12:25:00.003-07:002022-09-06T12:26:48.488-07:00Russia pockets $158 billion in energy exports after war: report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePinKLqdS0Uf6ERNhezlC-PTotkwvYyqiY6aPGncqbVFeFNvGqv-fKl2c5T79YeUvJ5qkW3DqgRLWG9CyM3YfpvUcwoP1X8YfMTmy6xBa22nfdfsKwn_wn9ZilIS2Uc0sHEkUmf__FcXu2rBkRH9nhpat2vSiICbZX41bUh_EPO2BL5Ls_Ep8izCQgQ/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePinKLqdS0Uf6ERNhezlC-PTotkwvYyqiY6aPGncqbVFeFNvGqv-fKl2c5T79YeUvJ5qkW3DqgRLWG9CyM3YfpvUcwoP1X8YfMTmy6xBa22nfdfsKwn_wn9ZilIS2Uc0sHEkUmf__FcXu2rBkRH9nhpat2vSiICbZX41bUh_EPO2BL5Ls_Ep8izCQgQ/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>PARIS - Russia has raked in a whopping 158 billion euros ($158 billion) in energy exports in the 6 months following its invasion of Ukraine, with the EU accounting for more than half, a think tank said Tuesday.</p><p>The Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air called for more effective sanctions against Moscow after the invasion sent oil, gas and coal prices soaring.</p><p>"Surging fossil fuel prices mean that Russia's current revenue is far above previous years' level, despite the reductions in this year's export volumes," said the Finland-based organization.</p><p>Natural gas prices have recently soared to record levels in Europe as Russia chokes off supplies. Crude oil prices also jumped following the invasion, although they have since pulled back.</p><p>"Fossil fuel exports have contributed approximately 43 billion euros to Russia's federal budget since the start of the invasion, helping fund war crimes in Ukraine," said CREA.</p><p>The figures concern the six months following Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine.</p><p>During this period, the CREA estimated that the European Union was the top importer of Russian fossil fuel exporters, at 85.1 billion euros.</p><p>China followed at 34.9 billion euros and Turkey at 10.7 billion euros.</p><p>While the EU has stopped purchases of Russian coal, it is only progressively banning Russian oil and it has not adopted any limits on the imports of natural gas, upon which it is highly dependent.</p><p>The CREA said the EU ban on Russian coal imports has been effective.</p><p>After the ban went into effect Russian coal exports fell to their lowest levels since the war began.</p><p>"Russia failed to find other buyers to replace falling EU demand," said the CREA.</p><p>But it called for stronger rules and enforcement concerning Russian oil exports, urging the EU and the UK use their leverage in global shipping.</p><p>"The EU must ban the use of European-owned ships and European ports for shipping Russian oil to third countries, while the UK needs to stop allowing its insurance industry to participate in this trade," said the CREA.</p><p>The G7 countries, meanwhile, vowed Friday to push forward urgently to impose a price cap on Russian crude, a move that would deprive Russia of much of the revenue it now makes from its oil exports.</p><p>The United States has been arguing for the imposition of a price cap for months, arguing that Western bans on Russian energy products were contributing to the price hikes that helped Moscow finance its war effort.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-43618174737250866212022-09-01T10:41:00.000-07:002022-09-01T10:42:40.942-07:00High energy prices threaten UK hospital services<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kak4HTjqaWukfa9ofIFpZRhRbzs6vLgydDW_95YMGy3B3BFhpof3bU2pwaq9zeq_a66tZYhV8pao1ZbwYJYRkZMhHLGwuQp5p79_HtmzV72lurKUH_FnsYJ1e2spjIdAOFQ4SoplZWMZ-7FeXnniLNzQPr--sDCVmjUH4YmphPk20DURq-dDV1b4nw/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kak4HTjqaWukfa9ofIFpZRhRbzs6vLgydDW_95YMGy3B3BFhpof3bU2pwaq9zeq_a66tZYhV8pao1ZbwYJYRkZMhHLGwuQp5p79_HtmzV72lurKUH_FnsYJ1e2spjIdAOFQ4SoplZWMZ-7FeXnniLNzQPr--sDCVmjUH4YmphPk20DURq-dDV1b4nw/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>LONDON — UK hospitals bosses on Thursday warned that patient care may have to be cut to offset huge increases in energy bills over the winter months.</p><p>Most hospital groups contacted by medical journal the BMJ said they expected bills to at least double, as the price hikes kicked in.</p><p>The NHS Confederation, which represents health providers in the publicly funded National Health Service, said there would be a knock-on effect.</p><p>"The gap in funding from rising inflation will either have to be made up by fewer staff being employed, longer waiting times for care or other areas of patient care being cut back," the group's senior acute lead, Rory Deighton, told the BMJ.</p><p>"A failure to properly compensate the NHS for inflation will only heighten pressure on our health service as we move towards a winter that we know will be particularly challenging this year."</p><p>UK inflation is at a 40-year high of 10.1 percent with dire predictions that rates could climb to 18 percent or more next year.</p><p>Last week households were told that their gas and electricity bills would go up by 80 percent from October, with further rises set for next year.</p><p>But non-domestic customers are not covered by the energy price cap, making them more vulnerable to the surge in wholesale prices.</p><p>Businesses across the board have warned the huge increases could force many to close if the government does nothing to help.</p><p>The BMJ said bosses at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital in London told it that they expected an energy bill of about £650,000 a month in January and February next year.</p><p>At the same time last year, it was about £350,000.</p><p>Sheffield Children's Hospital in northern England has anticipated a rise of nearly 130 percent in its total bill for 2022-23.</p><p>But Nottingham University Hospital in central England has budgeted for a 214-percent rise in gas and electricity this year, it added.</p><p>NHS England set aside £1.5 billion to cover an expected £485-million increase in energy bills. But the estimate was made in May and prices have risen again, prompting concern it may not be enough.</p><p><b>'BREAKING POINT'</b></p><p>The situation only adds to a growing catalogue of problems faced by the publicly funded National Health Service.</p><p>The NHS, created in 1948 to provide free healthcare and paid out of general taxation, is a cherished British institution.</p><p>But the system, which costs £190 billion a year to run and employs some 1.2 million people in England alone, has long faced significant under-funding.</p><p>The NHS Confederation's Deighton said the UK's new prime minister, to be installed next week, needs to act immediately to offset cost of living increases.</p><p>"The NHS needs at least £3.4 billion to make up for inflation during this year alone, and that is before we face a winter of even higher wholesale energy prices," he added.</p><p>Deighton's boss, chief executive Matthew Taylor, told The Guardian this week that the NHS was "in its worst state in living memory".</p><p>Problems include chronic staff shortages, overcrowded accident and emergency departments, ambulance delays and lengthy waiting lists for treatment.</p><p>One experienced A&E doctor wrote on the UnHerd website this month that the service was "at breaking point", with patients at risk.</p><p>Health experts say the crisis is decades in the making but has been exacerbated by squeezed budgets over the last 12 years of Conservative government, Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic.</p><p>Nurses and junior doctors are currently being balloted for strike action as part of widespread industrial action over below-inflation pay offers.</p><p>NHS health and social care workers were hailed as heroes during the pandemic but in a sign of the crisis, some hospitals have set up food banks for staff struggling with the rising cost of living.</p><p>One NHS manager told LBC radio on Tuesday he was planning to convert spare hospital space into "warm rooms" for employees unable to afford winter heating at home.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-21929455032873519572022-08-29T05:43:00.005-07:002022-08-29T05:45:10.351-07:00Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift lead MTV Video Music Awards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKv4JQ1LXerL4d_7sj6d5TCx77A00nRZcj5gaSm1q769SL5zA7rqgmzCyd-GZKxx2OQAz-qLuqnWqof5RUjPnsP2YDWd7K5lZqWQbC0KpAK8KSCRmkz5THtnW74VeIrkAjpr1tCCG5C1D2u1a3L7y2ZHZUm_WJztKzSifyBu6H00Wsnw82DMxKDCFpQg/s960/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKv4JQ1LXerL4d_7sj6d5TCx77A00nRZcj5gaSm1q769SL5zA7rqgmzCyd-GZKxx2OQAz-qLuqnWqof5RUjPnsP2YDWd7K5lZqWQbC0KpAK8KSCRmkz5THtnW74VeIrkAjpr1tCCG5C1D2u1a3L7y2ZHZUm_WJztKzSifyBu6H00Wsnw82DMxKDCFpQg/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>NEW YORK, United States - Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton artist who's among the world's biggest stars, scored MTV's artist of the year award Sunday at the annual Video Music Awards.</p><p>But the performer was conspicuously absent from the show: he was busy with his own blockbuster tour, playing the second night of a sold out concert at Yankee Stadium that over the weekend drew some 100,000 fans.</p><p>Bad Bunny, wearing a satin pink suit and white sunglasses, accepted the award via video and also delivered a seismic performance of his smash "Titi Me Pregunto" from the baseball stadium in New York, where the song has soundtracked the streets for months.</p><p>"Thank you so much, New York," the 28-year-old said in Spanish to resounding applause.</p><p>"From the beginning I always believed that I could be great, that I could be one of the biggest stars in the world, without changing my culture, my language," he said. "I'm Benito Antonio Martinez from Puerto Rico -- for the whole world."</p><p>In a sure sign that pandemic-stymied touring was back in full swing, another of the year's biggest stars, Harry Styles, also couldn't make it to the VMAs -- which aired from New Jersey's Prudential Center -- due to his own show at Madison Square Garden.</p><p>The artist who dropped "Harry's House" this year also accepted his award for the year's best album via video, before heading back to his own global concert run.</p><p><b>SWIFT ALBUM ON THE WAY</b></p><p>Taylor Swift was also among the night's big winners, turning heads on the red carpet in a dress dripping with crystals before winning the night's top prize of music video of the year for her 10-minute-long film "All Too Well." </p><p>"I'm so proud of what we made," said the 32-year-old, who has been making good on her vow to re-record her first six albums so she can control the rights to them.</p><p>"We wouldn't have been able to make this short film if it weren't for you, the fans," Swift said onstage. "Because I wouldn't be able to re-record my albums if it weren't for you. You emboldened me to do that."</p><p>She then gave fans a gift in return, announcing that her new album will come out October 21.</p><p>Shortly after the broadcast's end, the megastar revealed the new project's name.</p><p>"Midnights, the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life, will be out October 21. Meet me at midnight," she wrote on social media.</p><p>Hip hop superstar Nicki Minaj reigned over the evening as the 2022 recipient of the prestigious Video Vanguard Award.</p><p>Wearing her signature pink wig, the hip-hop icon from Queens delivered a medley of her hits including "Super Bass" and her most recent single "Super Freaky Girl."</p><p>Brazil's Anitta also turned heads with a booty-popping performance before winning the award for best Latin video for "Envolver."</p><p>"I was born and raised in the ghetto of Brazil, and for whoever was born there, we would never think this was possible," she said when accepting the trophy.</p><p><b>JOHNNY DEPP APPEARS</b></p><p>Iconic stoner comedy duo Cheech and Chong awarded the Red Hot Chili Peppers with the Global Icon Award, before the California rockers performed and also paid tribute to Taylor Hawkins, the late Foo Fighters drummer.</p><p>Eminem and Snoop Dogg opened their performance sitting on a couch as Snoop smoked a giant -- albeit fake -- blunt, before the pair headed to the metaverse for a trippy, animated performance of their latest collaboration "From the D 2 the LBC."</p><p>Marshmello and Khalid performed "Numb" with neon, disorienting visuals that created a brief but heady rave effect, while South Korea's Blackpink gave their first show at a US awards night ever.</p><p>Lizzo also performed before scoring the Video For Good award -- which honors videos with social or political messages -- for her song "About Damn Time."</p><p>Wearing a cone-bra corseted dress that recalled Madonna, the superstar thanked fans for voting for her to receive the award before nodding to US politics.</p><p>"Vote to change some of these laws that are oppressing us," the star urged.</p><p>And at the awards show that's historically far better known for its antics than actual prizes, Johnny Depp -- fresh off his controversial defamation trial against his ex-partner Amber Heard -- appeared as the MTV Moonman, his head digitally superimposed on the flying astronaut.</p><p>"You know what? I needed the work," said the 59-year-old actor.</p><p>Agence France Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-33390568353353654692022-08-27T06:05:00.000-07:002022-08-27T06:05:58.490-07:00White House blasts 'radical' Republican abortion bans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjof49V5hbRIEQfAP8pVIa9an_WeMa5zk37wEOICW8wvjFpW8vORkeKqlp8bydJ-GTIM1s9dXgxwY9DOwtuGFzEuFdMfxGgaL6Tz_pnZx8eWiGkFwe4HBLe1PONI5iHqmf5kABeyMqahbU73qKCNgJv6T0vpY7ROWsfMLoab2jO7ReO1SWfLpi-7_viQ/s320/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjof49V5hbRIEQfAP8pVIa9an_WeMa5zk37wEOICW8wvjFpW8vORkeKqlp8bydJ-GTIM1s9dXgxwY9DOwtuGFzEuFdMfxGgaL6Tz_pnZx8eWiGkFwe4HBLe1PONI5iHqmf5kABeyMqahbU73qKCNgJv6T0vpY7ROWsfMLoab2jO7ReO1SWfLpi-7_viQ/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The White House on Friday blasted the latest set of "radical" abortion restrictions in four more states run by Republicans, signaling President Joe Biden's determination to lean on the issue ahead of tight November congressional elections.</p><p>There are now full-scale abortion bans in 12 Republican-controlled states, which had prepared so-called trigger laws ready to be activated when the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision ensuring automatic rights to abortion access nationwide.</p><p>"Today marks the latest attack against the fundamental rights of Americans as new abortion bans go into effect in Idaho, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.</p><p>"These near-total abortion bans are part of a growing effort by Republican legislators to roll back the freedoms Americans have relied on for nearly half a century. Today's radical steps take away women's reproductive rights and put personal health care decisions in the hands of politicians instead of women and their doctors," she said.</p><p>The Supreme Court ruling two months ago put jurisdiction over abortion access in the hands of individual state legislatures, immediately turning swaths of the country into areas where getting the procedure has become all but impossible.</p><p>Jean-Pierre echoed Biden's frequent demand for Congress to pass a new law enshrining nationwide abortion rights and urged "people across the country to make their voices heard" ahead of the November midterm elections, which will decide whether Democrats retain their narrow hold on the legislature.</p><p>Republicans have fought for decades to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and finally achieved their goal in a Supreme Court that tilted sharply to conservative interpretations of the constitution after Donald Trump filled three vacancies during his one-term presidency.</p><p>Polls show the court's ruling was unpopular with a majority of Americans, however, and Democrats hope the issue will help them fend off a previously predicted sweep by Republicans in the midterms. </p><p>"I think the American people realize this is just beyond the pale, it goes too far," Biden told reporters at the White House.</p><p>Meanwhile, the White House is trying to help women who want to circumvent the bans by supporting their travel to states that do allow abortions.</p><p>The health department on Friday announced increased federal funding for states where the authorities want to help such women.</p><p>"We have seen the gut-wrenching stories of women suffering and not getting the care they need because of newly-enacted laws that restrict abortion care," Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said.</p><p>The new federal assistance will "protect women's access to reproductive care, including abortion," he said.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-67891063941716082782022-08-24T11:53:00.002-07:002022-08-24T11:54:20.092-07:00NBA: Durant set to stay with Nets after management talks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaGhLz8VU9avYh1YiW4yIZ38hQAQgmGJd2hGztuaUI7uNi6Cp_T2jZfk9-bILyDuJbxDNV_EIcFMcuqNgF6jF37ZAwIor-CVXew5uogj3oDCs9jqdt2yQEPR3kxwKuj6Q_FQcuhPQV83TxTMkohFNoMz_f82XC9bgycfbr_M3tyI-YJ8oCN-Crgq8fA/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaGhLz8VU9avYh1YiW4yIZ38hQAQgmGJd2hGztuaUI7uNi6Cp_T2jZfk9-bILyDuJbxDNV_EIcFMcuqNgF6jF37ZAwIor-CVXew5uogj3oDCs9jqdt2yQEPR3kxwKuj6Q_FQcuhPQV83TxTMkohFNoMz_f82XC9bgycfbr_M3tyI-YJ8oCN-Crgq8fA/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>NEW YORK -- Kevin Durant looks set to remain with the Brooklyn Nets after holding talks with the club's management team, the Nets said in a statement on Tuesday.</p><p>Durant, who requested a trade from the club on June 30, met Nets chiefs in Los Angeles on Monday to discuss his future.</p><p>A statement from Nets manager Sean Marks on Tuesday indicated that the 33-year-old 12-time NBA All-Star would remain a Brooklyn player.</p><p>"(Head coach) Steve Nash and I, together with (owners) Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday," Marks said.</p><p>"We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn."</p><p>The statement appears to draw a line under the frenzy of speculation surrounding Durant's future.</p><p>A slew of teams had reportedly been interested in restructuring their rosters in an effort to accommodate the superstar.</p><p>Earlier this month, multiple US reports said Durant had issued an ultimatum to Nets owner Tsai -- telling him to either fire Marks and Nash or grant his request for a trade.</p><p>Durant's trade demand in June came less than a year after he signed a four-year $198 million contract extension with Brooklyn.</p><p>However the 33-year-old has grown increasingly frustrated with the direction of the franchise according to reports, and was eager for a change of scenery.</p><p>The Nets had hoped to build a super-team around Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. </p><p>However the trio of stars were unable to turn Brooklyn into championship contenders and were swept in the first round of this year's playoffs by the Boston Celtics.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-88790235553424750592022-08-15T10:34:00.004-07:002022-08-15T10:36:50.262-07:00'Bullet Train' locked and loaded atop N.America box office<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vhFcekU_myjPtRSKmB06kq4bPJQXF1EUWdIjdYu-Qb6kQ0t6l8KIW8QtLFsyrKTj8dD5YLShh1xvBq7SO74sPktT8rz9Q9A4rCV3ybc77dJs2AnzhgQXYMId1b7BCV1Qj9vHAfVOWIM_nQkn0NKVl_itlhTvz8cv3pkecPRid7W68wphUE7k2r2-mQ/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vhFcekU_myjPtRSKmB06kq4bPJQXF1EUWdIjdYu-Qb6kQ0t6l8KIW8QtLFsyrKTj8dD5YLShh1xvBq7SO74sPktT8rz9Q9A4rCV3ybc77dJs2AnzhgQXYMId1b7BCV1Qj9vHAfVOWIM_nQkn0NKVl_itlhTvz8cv3pkecPRid7W68wphUE7k2r2-mQ/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>LOS ANGELES, United States - Sony's "Bullet Train" held the top spot for the second week running in the North American box office, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations estimated Sunday during a relatively flat mid-August period of moviegoing.</p><p>As the last major studio release of the summer, the action thriller starring Brad Pitt pulled in $13.4 million, less than half its take the previous week but still nearly doubling up on its closest competitor.</p><p>Pitt, who plays a professional assassin on a Japanese train seemingly loaded with them, heads a cast that includes Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Latin music star Bad Bunny, as well as Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in bit roles.</p><p>Holding second spot was former number one "DC League of Super-Pets," Warner Bros.' animated film which pairs the likes of Superman and other action heroes with furry partners. It earned $7.2 million.</p><p>Jumping back up three spots to third was "Top Gun: Maverick," Paramount's long-awaited -- and extremely popular -- Tom Cruise sequel. It pulled in $7.1 million, for an eye-popping $674 million in North American ticket sales over the past 12 weeks.</p><p>Fourth spot went to Disney's action comedy "Thor: Love and Thunder," at $5.3 million. It stars Chris Hemsworth as the uber-muscular space Viking, who pines for his ex-girlfriend (Natalie Portman). It has now eclipsed $325 million over six weeks.</p><p>Following closely in fifth was Universal's "Nope," also at $5.3 million. The sci-fi/horror flick, boosted by the involvement of popular writer/director Jordan Peele, stars Daniel Kaluuya.</p><p>Overall, domestic releases are gradually getting back on track since the coronavirus pandemic hammered the industry, but the schedule remains relatively "thin," according to Franchise Entertainment Research's box office newsletter.</p><p>"There's no question, the total box office would be bigger with more studio releases," it said.</p><p>Rounding out the weekend's top 10 were:</p><p>"Minions: The Rise of Gru" ($4.9 million)</p><p>"Where the Crawdads Sing" ($4 million)</p><p>"Bodies Bodies Bodies" ($3.3 million)</p><p>"Elvis" ($2.6 million)</p><p>"Fall" ($2.5 million)</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-91789126690634662292022-08-11T09:08:00.000-07:002022-08-11T09:08:47.952-07:00Tennis: Kyrgios defeats top-ranked Medvedev at Montreal Masters, Alcaraz ousted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGK7ituT-15vhhfTEK_cfrRpzz8R7ehWCyWb8gJGHy63S7-YrsJq-j4U9kYH5xfo94MUAGmZpic59X29vPo3po04eBwaFrHqkOS4MxdT4s9yhZySkfc7Y86vCvK2Ptbphc1rX3mvQlUk8ygJGxVOYY36q6Jq-EOLAnIuotrXTqQHllT-V9MV5MCBV9UA/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGK7ituT-15vhhfTEK_cfrRpzz8R7ehWCyWb8gJGHy63S7-YrsJq-j4U9kYH5xfo94MUAGmZpic59X29vPo3po04eBwaFrHqkOS4MxdT4s9yhZySkfc7Y86vCvK2Ptbphc1rX3mvQlUk8ygJGxVOYY36q6Jq-EOLAnIuotrXTqQHllT-V9MV5MCBV9UA/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>MONTREAL, Canada -- Nick Kyrgios broke twice in the final set as he rallied to topple world number one Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the ATP Montreal Masters on Wednesday.</p><p>Australia's Wimbledon finalist beat Medvedev 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 6-2 to produce his second career upset of a reigning number one after ambushing Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2014.</p><p>Kyrgios produced his usual on-court antics, complaining about a high bounce, hitting a ball into the stands to draw a warning and bickering with his player box in moments of tension.</p><p>But after gathering his formidable resources, the 27-year-old ranked 37th finished off the match in exactly two hours.</p><p>"This is our fourth meeting and we know each other well," Kyrgios said. "I don't go in looking at the rankings, just the guy in front of me.</p><p>"I had a clean objective today -- play a lot of serve and volley and execute better.</p><p>"Hopefully I can keep this rolling and keep on winning. Medvedev is a machine -- he's number one for a reason."</p><p>Both players were coming off weekend title wins, Kyrgios at the Washington 500 on Sunday and Medvedev at Los Cabos, Mexico, on Saturday.</p><p>Kyrgios has won 14 of his last 15 matches to improve to 29-7 for 2022.</p><p>Medvedev lost for the 11th time in 2022, but by reaching the final at Los Cabos -- where he lifted his first trophy of the season -- he is assured of taking the number one ranking into his US Open title defense later this month.</p><p>He was barred from Wimbledon as the tournament excluded Russian and Belarussian players over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.</p><p>Second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz, who like Medvedev enjoyed a first-round bye, fared no better in his opening match.</p><p>American Tommy Paul spoiled the Spaniard's Canadian debut with a 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 victory.</p><p>The unseeded American converted his fifth match point to seal the second-round victory in three hours and 20 minutes.</p><p>Alcaraz came into the event with two prestige Masters 1000 titles from Miami and Madrid and holding a 42-7 record this season.</p><p>But the 34th-ranked Paul claimed victory on a volley winner after holding off the Spaniard's charge from 5-2 down in the third set. The American stayed in the match as he rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the second set to start his comeback surge.</p><p><b>- Comfortable tennis -</b></p><p>"It was nice to finish this match at the net," said Paul, who fired 36 winners to Alcaraz's 33. "I did a lot of things well today.</p><p>"I played a good level of tennis, comfortable tennis. I'm happy to get through and now have to recover for tomorrow."</p><p>Fourth seed Casper Ruud backed up his defeat earlier this season of Alex Molcan, beating the Slovakian 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in just under two hours.</p><p>The Norwegian with three trophies so far in 2022 had to work to win the opening set after dropping serve as he tried to close it out leading 5-4. </p><p>It eventually took a tiebreaker for Ruud to prevail. He sealed his third-round place in straight sets for his 36th win of the season. </p><p>"It's always a tough fight against him," Ruud said.</p><p>"He's very fast and can give everyone problems," he added of the player coached by Novak Djokovic's former mentor Marian Vajda.</p><p>Elsewhere, Italian Jannik Sinner needed three sets to get past Adrian Mannarino 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 while Alex de Minaur lined up an all-Aussie Thursday match against Kyrgios by defeating Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (7/4), 7-5.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-60845150753840075152022-08-03T06:18:00.000-07:002022-08-03T06:19:36.282-07:00Apple TV+ counts its 'Luck' as fallen 'Toy Story' exec makes comeback<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK39v12ANGOkLtc7ZOX_ltiJJFSuK3SJpbG7A0c0e97ybtl5aPvSzK3_ZCEDGxGjjfptd5Id9P-8cMj6WBJC18gA-hj0BBoD0sIL4iExX1P-3l1eHcXScudIvIEovTsZcZrfQIrVmZ8yHxgbmzx16ZGNOShabf_6ByR_pXnAWxhHmlQrsYAwo_e8-Yzg/s1920/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK39v12ANGOkLtc7ZOX_ltiJJFSuK3SJpbG7A0c0e97ybtl5aPvSzK3_ZCEDGxGjjfptd5Id9P-8cMj6WBJC18gA-hj0BBoD0sIL4iExX1P-3l1eHcXScudIvIEovTsZcZrfQIrVmZ8yHxgbmzx16ZGNOShabf_6ByR_pXnAWxhHmlQrsYAwo_e8-Yzg/w400-h225/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>LOS ANGELES, United States - Like all good animated family movies, "Luck" has a thoroughly optimistic premise: that no matter how hopeless or dire your circumstances may seem, something good will eventually come of it.</p><p>Apple TV+ will be hoping the same is true for John Lasseter, the former Pixar guru who resigned under a cloud of #MeToo harassment claims, and later became head of the new Skydance Animation.</p><p>"Luck" is that studio's first film, available to stream Friday, which follows 18-year-old girl Sam and a talking black cat called Bob on their adventures in the fantastical Land of Luck.</p><p>In this land of perfect fortune, all the world's good and bad luck is produced by magical creatures including leprechauns, dragons, unicorns and goblins, who then funnel it down to Earth.</p><p>The movie features a voice cast of Simon Pegg, Whoopi Goldberg and Jane Fonda, along with Broadway star Eva Noblezada in the lead role of Sam, the world's unluckiest girl.</p><p>The cast could have been even starrier, had Emma Thompson not very publicly withdrawn in 2019 over the hiring of Lasseter, publishing her resignation letter in the Los Angeles Times.</p><p>It was a decision that other cast members have mulled over, with Pegg telling AFP he "initially" had qualms before deciding to proceed.</p><p>"It's a dangerous thing to just write people off immediately, I think, if there's some accountability, if there's some acknowledgement and acceptance," he told AFP.</p><p>- 'Complicated' -</p><p>Lasseter, who transformed Pixar from a small Lucasfilm graphics department into the world's most successful animation studio with hits including "Toy Story," was accused of misconduct at the 2017 height of the #MeToo movement.</p><p>The powerful studio president apologized to "anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug," and for "falling short" in ensuring a culture of "trust and respect." </p><p>The following year, he resigned, acknowledging in an internal memo that he had made staff feel "disrespected or uncomfortable."</p><p>Multiple sources alleged that Lasseter was a heavy drinker at company social events who would try to kiss women, place his hands on their thighs and hug them in meetings. </p><p>In her letter, Thompson said the case of Lasseter was "complicated."</p><p>Upon his hiring by Skydance, Thompson wrote that "any Skydance employees who don't want to give him a second chance have to stay and be uncomfortable or lose their jobs."</p><p>For Pegg, it was important that Lasseter had "admitted accountability for the things that had been aimed at him."</p><p>"We're all doomed if we are banished for stuff that we regret and apologize for, and mean that apology. That's the most important thing."</p><p>Goldberg had a more succinct take: "Everybody steps in it sometime," she told AFP.</p><p>- 'Real-world stakes' -</p><p>In the film, Sam -- an orphan who has reached adulthood without finding a permanent foster home -- follows Bob the cat (Pegg) into the Land of Luck in order to find a lucky penny.</p><p>She hopes this magical coin can help her young friend Hazel find the "forever family" she never had.</p><p>Of course, getting her hands on it is anything but straightforward, taking Sam on a physical journey through the realm's whirring Rube Goldberg machines and glittering waterfalls -- and an emotional one.</p><p>"I really love that element. It's a film which is the most outrageous environments and concepts but paired with genuine real-world stakes about friendship," said Pegg.</p><p>"Sometimes what appears to be bad luck can end up being good luck. Not least for Sam, who apparently lives an entire life of bad luck, only to go on this adventure and find exactly what she's looking for."</p><p>For the filmmakers, the withdrawal of Thompson led to the hiring of Oscar-winner and social campaigner Jane Fonda, playing an elegant dragon who is the CEO of the luck-making operation. </p><p>"When Jane joined the cast, I looked to her as being such a legendary activist and feminist," said Pegg.</p><p>"I felt like she was a great person to take the lead from. And it was her involvement in the film that cemented my decision to do it."</p><p>Agence France Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-34199937037265212792022-07-28T12:03:00.002-07:002022-07-28T12:05:24.948-07:00Bacteria behind rare disease found in US soil and water samples<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KCcaBTqERKfnvfDYiVV74aT0d9FCyeyzndSjVpVW48ehcz3LjQo8fgWKjJr09ItUnAu7hsO9Kbfv4RrX2Db7jdXHYwut2ObTDsdmuuhALcuSAnWB95yNz0-R7LFAg4R9rMFlhGMaHfrQT1QctBeb3zSpd0x2XpKakV40rYsdblGxyICPMcDZEzu88w/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KCcaBTqERKfnvfDYiVV74aT0d9FCyeyzndSjVpVW48ehcz3LjQo8fgWKjJr09ItUnAu7hsO9Kbfv4RrX2Db7jdXHYwut2ObTDsdmuuhALcuSAnWB95yNz0-R7LFAg4R9rMFlhGMaHfrQT1QctBeb3zSpd0x2XpKakV40rYsdblGxyICPMcDZEzu88w/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>WASHINGTON, United States - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday issued a health advisory to clinicians after discovering the bacteria behind a rare but serious disease for the first time in the continental United States. </p><p>Burkholderia pseudomallei (B. pseudomallei) was detected in soil and puddle water samples in the Gulf Coast region of southern Mississippi during an investigation of two human melioidosis cases.</p><p>The two unrelated people lived in close geographic proximity and became sick with the disease two years apart -- in 2020 and in 2022 -- prompting health authorities to investigate household products and the environment around their homes.</p><p>Melioidosis causes nonspecific symptoms such as fever, joint pain, and headaches, but can also cause pneumonia, abscess formation, and blood infections. </p><p>There are about 12 cases in the US per year on average, mostly related to travel to tropical and subtropical regions, where the bacteria is endemic.</p><p>A 2021 cluster that included four people across four states was linked to imported contaminated aromatherapy spray.</p><p>Most healthy people who come into contact with the bacteria do not develop melioidosis, but the global death rate for those who do is 10-50 percent.</p><p>The CDC said people in southern Mississippi who have underlying conditions such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, or excessive alcohol use, should take extra precautions.</p><p>These include avoiding contact with soil and muddy water, protecting open wounds with dressing, and wearing waterproof boots and gloves while gardening.</p><p>"Given the very small number of cases of melioidosis identified historically in the United States, CDC believes the risk of melioidosis for the general population continues to be very low," the agency said.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-60140764309887054332022-07-25T12:32:00.004-07:002022-07-25T12:34:17.056-07:00MLB: Iconic Red Sox slugger Ortiz enters Baseball Hall of Fame<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchBp-WZP_5EMIBT24EOoO9AjNYC4Kri2BKLnXRcZ4hFxhQDQ2JFfV1MYUFebQaQ6XsslnUBfWrKa9ViFF3ty3m1MnqBCETzXKkcSlnIsu1RluIZCxWadJn38d1jdYK-O2J8LLUA9VgD9g2PWVruKqiERQrzdDbdKlH8hM_okOSIU_IGXvm9_MhQevzA/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchBp-WZP_5EMIBT24EOoO9AjNYC4Kri2BKLnXRcZ4hFxhQDQ2JFfV1MYUFebQaQ6XsslnUBfWrKa9ViFF3ty3m1MnqBCETzXKkcSlnIsu1RluIZCxWadJn38d1jdYK-O2J8LLUA9VgD9g2PWVruKqiERQrzdDbdKlH8hM_okOSIU_IGXvm9_MhQevzA/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>NEW YORK -- Former Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, whose batting helped spark the club to three Major League Baseball titles, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.</p><p>The ceremony was staged near the museum and baseball showplace at Cooperstown, New York.</p><p>The 46-year-old Dominican nicknamed "Big Papi" was part of the team that ended Boston's 86-year title drought by winning the 2004 World Series and added crowns in 2007 and 2013, when he was named the World Series Most Valuable Player.</p><p>"My teammates were always there for me and that's something I'm always going to appreciate," Ortiz said of his Red Sox years.</p><p>"Teammates are your second family. I'm going to love you guys forever... I'm going to thank you guys for the rest of my life. I don't think I would have made it without all of you."</p><p>Ortiz thanked dozens of people who helped guide his path to stardom, including Dominican Republic and United States youth coaches for developing his skills and work ethic.</p><p>"I knew once I got my shot I was going to work hard and never let it go until I played my last game," Ortiz said.</p><p>Ortiz was a first baseman and designated hitter in his 20 MLB seasons, finishing his career with a .286 batting average, 541 home runs and 1,768 runs batted in.</p><p>"When they told me, 'I don't want you to move them over, I want you to bring them in,' the rest is history," Ortiz said. "When you believe in someone, you can change the world."</p><p>The left-hander was originally signed by the Seattle Mariners in 1992 but traded to Minnesota in 1996 before making his MLB debut with the Twins in 1997.</p><p>Ortiz was released by Minnesota in 2003 and signed with the Red Sox, playing for them through 2016. He was a 10-time MLB All-Star in 14 seasons with Boston, setting a Red Sox season record with 54 homers in 2006.</p><p>The Red Sox retired Ortiz's jersey number, 34, in 2017.</p><p>Ortiz noted how Boston recovered from the bombing at the 2013 Boston Marathon and how much love he felt from city fans.</p><p>"I've never seen a community reunite and bounce back like Boston," Ortiz said, adding, "I'll always be there for you Boston. I love you Boston."</p><p>Ortiz was the only player voted into the Hall in 2022 by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, being named on 77.9% of ballots in his first year of eligibility.</p><p>Also entering the Hall of Fame on Sunday were "Golden Days Committee" electees Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva and Minnie Minoso plus "Early Era Committee" electees Bud Fowler and Buck O'Neil.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-536763165042940422022-07-24T10:32:00.006-07:002022-07-24T10:33:58.221-07:00Philippine bakeries shrink 'poor man's bread' as inflation bites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3abHn2GF2IpBe3DsZ0zO-YSm9JxWY6Sw5YsNLabp_FWMoTzNSP2QuclLIlzUXFY-wPk9uJWtxLVpvatvMW5f8vJRZLwASHoeXdPsHpPjOowjD3_1eXc7zZ3TcyoWigPG8G-1-qvSnf_cGHEVyJBD-A6rUxzJZ2jMhSLQFSA8hahBXhKSwDYi30r_jQ/s1670/n1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1670" data-original-width="1530" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3abHn2GF2IpBe3DsZ0zO-YSm9JxWY6Sw5YsNLabp_FWMoTzNSP2QuclLIlzUXFY-wPk9uJWtxLVpvatvMW5f8vJRZLwASHoeXdPsHpPjOowjD3_1eXc7zZ3TcyoWigPG8G-1-qvSnf_cGHEVyJBD-A6rUxzJZ2jMhSLQFSA8hahBXhKSwDYi30r_jQ/w366-h400/n1.jpg" width="366" /></a></div><p>MANILA - As the war in Ukraine pushes up wheat prices and a weaker peso raises the cost of imported edible oil, many Philippine bakers are shrinking the size of a popular breakfast roll to cope with higher inflation.</p><p>The slightly sweet and pillowy soft "pandesal", which Filipinos often dunk in coffee or stuff with cheese, used to weigh 35 grams at Matimyas Bakery, a breadmaker in suburban Manila.</p><p>But as the cost of local and imported ingredients soared in recent months, co-owner Jam Mauleon gradually reduced the size of the roll -- known as the "poor man's bread" because it is cheap -- to around 25 grams to avoid raising the 2.50 peso (about $0.04) price.</p><p>She feared that even a slight increase would send cash-strapped customers in her neighborhood to a rival bakery five blocks away.</p><p>"We had to reduce the serving size to survive," Mauleon told AFP, as children, workers and retirees arrived early to buy rolls baked in a brick oven that morning.</p><p>As the Philippines lifted Covid-19 restrictions and schoolchildren began returning to the classroom this year, Mauleon had hoped economic conditions for the bakery would improve. </p><p>But since December, as wheat and fuel prices surged, the price of flour has increased by more than 30 percent, while sugar is up 25 percent and salt costs 40 percent more, she said.</p><p>The bakery survives day to day and does not make enough money to buy ingredients in bulk, leaving it vulnerable to changing prices in domestic and international markets.</p><p>After reducing the number of employees and absorbing higher costs, Mauleon was forced this week to raise the price of a pandesal by 20 percent to three pesos. </p><p>Shrinking the size of the roll any further would affect its quality, she said.</p><p>"We will try it out if people will still buy it," Mauleon said.</p><p>"Pandesal is very important in the lives of Filipinos."</p><p>For mother-of-five Laarni Guarino, the price hike means her family now eats fewer rolls for breakfast. </p><p>"We will have to redo our budget. From five pieces each, my children will have to eat just three to four," Guarino, 35, told AFP. </p><p>"Fifty centavos is a big thing for poor people like us."</p><p><b>'SHRINKFLATION'</b></p><p>Lucito Chavez, president of an association representing local bakeries, said thousands of breadmakers were reeling from the higher cost for raw materials, most of which are imported. </p><p>"All of us are struggling, not to make profit, but to survive," Chavez told AFP. </p><p>"We have to protect the pandesal industry."</p><p>Inflation in the Philippines hit 6.1 percent in June, the highest level in nearly four years, as steep fuel price hikes pushed up food and transport costs. </p><p>Lawmaker and economist Joey Salceda said bread would be hardest hit by "shrinkflation", where the size of a product gets smaller but the price stays the same.</p><p>"Wheat prices have increased by 165 percent," he told reporters recently, urging bakeries to fortify their products with vitamins and minerals.</p><p> Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-87084322167006462612022-07-21T09:18:00.004-07:002022-07-21T09:20:25.288-07:00Alleged shooter of Lady Gaga’s dog walker freed by mistake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARErBIEaCo2WWDXf6BO3Mx4jD_GFf_BFpyDqo28xUszOiDC20tMUYqH5q4YdC0V0ugH7HQ0oLndypUY7WkeeuhNAV0vDll03fNy6AFJtnvk4CIG4RDZ_PPUKDMxvLOHWLjwh7e8QyjeFqFtTQPE_BzSx8K7SoNIRyeT8xouVTXY2eCLxVUaKmeo3drw/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARErBIEaCo2WWDXf6BO3Mx4jD_GFf_BFpyDqo28xUszOiDC20tMUYqH5q4YdC0V0ugH7HQ0oLndypUY7WkeeuhNAV0vDll03fNy6AFJtnvk4CIG4RDZ_PPUKDMxvLOHWLjwh7e8QyjeFqFtTQPE_BzSx8K7SoNIRyeT8xouVTXY2eCLxVUaKmeo3drw/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>US authorities were on Wednesday searching for the suspect accused of shooting Lady Gaga's dog walker in 2021, months after he was accidentally released from custody.</p><p>James Howard Jackson, 19, is charged with shooting Ryan Fischer with a handgun near Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles during an attempted kidnapping of the star's valuable French bulldogs.</p><p>Jackson was released in April due to a "clerical error," the US Marshals Service admitted, describing him as armed and dangerous.</p><p>It offered $5,000 for information about Jackson, one of three men charged with attempted murder and robbery over the attack.</p><p>Two of the suspects got out of a vehicle and demanded Fischer hand over the pets at gunpoint. Fisher was shot in a struggle before the men fled with two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav.</p><p>A third dog, Miss Asia, ran away during the encounter before returning to the badly-wounded Fischer.</p><p>Police said they don't believe the suspects targeted the dogs because of their famous owner, but because they are a coveted breed that can sell for thousands of dollars.</p><p>A 50-year-old woman turned the two missing pets over to police two days after the theft.</p><p>At the time, the three were described by Los Angeles police as "documented gang members." Lady Gaga had offered a $500,000 reward for their safe return.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9184052842918200019.post-38293578295641879112022-07-21T09:14:00.000-07:002022-07-21T09:15:53.357-07:00US, allies agree to work to improve supply chains<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcK0V8bpH1zLiS64p7_Qsemy_jywz4H-E2EFAPi72SBqaZFC_5J_FlkgxyeYiaG9Woz79pQA0SOmTbCZKtHnBzbUHyU399V0wZo_HTuWVwb77oGVO12rPTDoxc-1-V6oPtC8YGXKeKZRF6NR84jPUOYUp4M3w_WYGLzc87Pb4lH2zqhcgT4mTLBw-1Mw/s950/eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcK0V8bpH1zLiS64p7_Qsemy_jywz4H-E2EFAPi72SBqaZFC_5J_FlkgxyeYiaG9Woz79pQA0SOmTbCZKtHnBzbUHyU399V0wZo_HTuWVwb77oGVO12rPTDoxc-1-V6oPtC8YGXKeKZRF6NR84jPUOYUp4M3w_WYGLzc87Pb4lH2zqhcgT4mTLBw-1Mw/w400-h266/eo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The United States and 17 allies have agreed to work together to improve and diversify global supply chains to avoid the shortages that plagued the economy during the pandemic, officials said Wednesday.</p><p>US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo co-hosted the Supply Chain Ministerial Forum on Tuesday and Wednesday. </p><p>China was not a part of the meeting, and US officials have said they aim to increase "friend-shoring" to move production of key supplies to allied nations.</p><p>"The shocks to global supply chains from pandemics, wars and conflicts, extreme climate impacts, and natural disasters have put in stark relief the urgent need to further strengthen supply chains, to work to reduce and end near-term disruptions, and to build long-term resilience," the participants said in a joint statement at the conclusion of the virtual event.</p><p>Supply chain snarls that began during the pandemic have been exacerbated by Russia's war in Ukraine and stringent COVID-19 restrictions in China.</p><p>COVID-19 lockdowns in China has led to shortages of key components, particularly of microchips and auto parts, that have caused global inflation to skyrocket to record highs.</p><p>Forum attendees agreed to collaborate on solutions to short-term issues including transportation and "supply chain disruptions and bottlenecks," as well as long-term challenges "that make our supply chains vulnerable and cause spillover effects for consumers, large and small businesses, workers, and families," the statement said.</p><p>Goals include increasing transparency of trade information, diversifying sources, and increasing the security and sustainability of supply chains.</p><p>Officials from Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore, Spain and the United Kingdom participated in the meeting.</p><p>Agence France-Presse</p>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343649530263765961noreply@blogger.com