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Retirement Strategies for the Sandwich Generation

Diane A. Wade
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Retirement Strategies for the Sandwich Generation
Image by rwalsh623 from Pixabay

To the first-time reader who doesn’t know better, a term like “sandwich generation” brings up a pleasant image of being comfortably nestled between two warm slices of Americana. Guess again. Think vise grip, not bakery goods. That’s how much pressure is involved.

The term describes a state of being where an individual or couple is raising children and taking care of aging parents at the same time, while still trying to plan for retirement. It’s a tough situation. Doing it all successfully requires careful planning and financial discipline.

Let’s put ourselves into the sandwich for a few moments—you know what they say: Don’t judges someone until you’ve walked a mile in their sandwich. Or perhaps you’re already there. Maybe you’re on your way there and wondering if you need a personal loan to manage it. Either way, we’re going to cover some strategies that could make your life easier.

Make your retirement savings a priority

After you’re seated on an airplane and the doors have closed, a flight attendant stands up and does a short presentation about emergency exits and breathing masks that drop from the ceiling. They say, “Please put on your own mask before attempting to help someone else.”

It’s good advice in all areas of life. For those in the sandwich generation, make your retirement savings a priority. If you spend it all taking care of aging parents, your children will have to do the same for you. Do you really want to perpetuate that cycle? And do you trust them enough to put your golden years in their hands?

Even if your faithful brood does have the ways, means, and desire to care for you as you age, you’ll still be robbing them of generational wealth that could be accumulating interest or capital gains. Max out your retirement accounts. Everything else should come later.

Life insurance is a necessity

Don’t look at this as putting a price on your own head, even though it is. Life insurance is absolutely necessary when you have multiple individuals counting on you for financial support. What happens if you get hit by a truck or killed in the Zombie Apocalypse?

It’s not necessary to spend a lot on insurance. Term life is cheap, and you can set the benefit amount. Whole or universal life is more expensive, but it could be a good choice if you’re young and have small children. That cash value could come in handy later on.

As for other insurances, try to keep deductibles low so emergencies don’t empty your bank account. Take out life insurance policies on your parents, if that’s who you’re taking care of. Make sure you have disability insurance, just in case injuries prevent you from working.

Spend your parents’ money first

They’ll be eligible for Social Security at a certain age, but Medicare won’t kick in until they’re broke—so spend your parents’ money first. Get their assets down to zero as quickly as possible so the government can start paying its fair share.

Think of this as using existing wealth to help build new wealth. By slowly liquidating your parents’ assets to take care of them, you’re better able to properly care for and save money for your children. While you’re at it, spend a few dollars on yourself. You deserve it. #TREATYOSELF

Amended Complaints: A Brief Overview

Clyde K. Valle
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Amended Complaints: A Brief Overview

You likely know what it means to complain about something. You can complain if Wendy’s screws up your drive-through order or if the government fails to deliver your stimulus check. But if you use the term “complaint” in a legal setting, it means something very specific.

In this article, we’ll talk about what a legal complaint is and what happens when you make one. We’ll also speak about amended complaints, another legal term about which it’s good for you to know.

What is a Complaint?

In legal terms, a complaint occurs when you start an action against someone, either an individual or a company, that has harmed you. The complaint to the court gets your case started. By the time you register a complaint, you have probably already hired a lawyer to help you with the various legal hurdles with which you’ll have to contend.

A complaint amendment spreads out the legal blame. In other words, you’re amending the original complaint because you’ve realized that not just one person or company harmed you.

You can add as many defendants to a complaint as you want, assuming you’re not including them baselessly. You and your lawyer must prove your assertion that all of these entities harmed you, so you can’t frivolously add people or businesses just because you feel like it. Doing so will probably hurt your case and make victory less likely.

When Can You Amend a Complaint?

If you want to amend your original legal complaint, there are two likely reasons why you would do that. The first is because the original defendant’s lawyer might file a motion to dismiss. You can block that by claiming that more individuals or entities than you first named caused your injuries or hardship.

The second reason is that you find out additional information after you file the first complaint. For example, maybe a pharmaceutical company harmed you. You ingested one of their drugs over the years and contracted cancer because of it.

You can sue the manufacturing company because they failed to test the drug for side effects. However, you might later find that there was an independent body that did some testing, but it wasn’t sufficient. You can name the testing company in the amended complaint.

Can You Do That at Any Time?

It would be nice if, as the injured party, you could add to the complaint at any time. You can’t, though. There are certain protections in place to prevent you from amending the complaint with impunity.

You can only add to the complaint for a certain designated period. That period usually changes depending on what state you’re in when you file the complaint. You typically have a few weeks to do it.

If the allotted time has elapsed, and you still want to amend the original complaint, you need to ask the court for permission to do that. It’s up to the court to decide whether to allow you to do so.

If the court feels like you’re not treating the defendants fairly, then it could deny that request. If so, you’ll have to move forward with the original complaint as it stands.  

Are There Additional Fees or Summons When You Amend a Complaint?

You have to pay a modest fee when you file a complaint as part of the legal process. If you amend the complaint, then generally, you don’t have to pay the court any additional money. You don’t need to issue the defendant another summons, either, unless the new complaint names a completely new individual or entity who must now appear to defend themselves.

All you have to do is file a new complaint. In this new one, you’ll name any additional people or entities who you feel harmed you.

How Long Do the Defendants Have to Respond?

The defendants have to respond to the complaint as part of the legal process that could lead to a courtroom showdown between the defendant’s lawyer and your own. That’s assuming you couldn’t settle out of court.

How long the defendants have to respond depends on what state you’re in and whether the court accepted a newly amended complaint version. Generally, the court will not give the defendant longer than a few weeks to answer. In their response, they will indicate whether they plan to try to settle with you or continue on to a courtroom appearance.

Now, you know a little bit about complaints and amended versions if you ever elect to sue someone.  

Bill and Melinda Gates to Divorce After 27 Years of Marriage

Lisa.Felice
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Bill and Melinda Gates to Divorce After 27 Years of Marriage
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Billionaire couple Bill and Melinda Gates have announced their divorce after 27 years of marriage, saying “we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple”.

The pair tweeted: “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage.”

They first met in the 1980s when Melinda joined Bill’s Microsoft firm.

Bill and Melinda Gates have three children and jointly run the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The foundation has spent billions fighting causes such as infectious diseases and encouraging vaccinations in children.

The Gates – along with investor Warren Buffett – are behind the Giving Pledge, which calls on billionaires to commit to giving away the majority of their wealth to good causes.

Bill Gates is the fourth wealthiest person in the world, according to Forbes, and is worth $124 billion.

He made his money through the company he co-founded in the 1970s, Microsoft, the world’s biggest software company.

Bill and Melinda both posted the statement announcing their divorce on Twitter.

“Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives,” the statement read.

“We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in the next phase of our lives.

“We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.”

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Melinda Gates, now 56, joined Bill’s Microsoft as a product manager in 1987, and the two sat together at a business dinner that year in New York.

They began dating, but as Bill Gates told a Netflix documentary: “We cared a lot for each other and there were only two possibilities: either, we were going to break up or we were going to get married.”

Melinda said she found Bill Gates – methodical it seems even in matters of the heart – writing a list on a whiteboard with the “pros and the cons of getting married”.

Bill and Melinda Gates got married in 1994 on the Hawaiian island of Lanai, reportedly hiring all the local helicopters to stop unwanted guests flying over.

Bill Gates, 65, stepped down from Microsoft’s board last year to focus on his philanthropic activities.

Suspected Smuggling Boat Capsizes Off San Diego Killing Three

Diane A. Wade
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Suspected Smuggling Boat Capsizes Off San Diego Killing Three
Image source: Twitter SDFD

Three people have been killed and some two dozen injured after a boat got into trouble off the coast of San Diego in a suspected smuggling operation.

The overcrowded 40-foot cabin cruiser broke up on a reef near Point Loma on May 2, tipping some 30 people into the water, officials said.

A major rescue operation was launched to help the injured on shore and retrieve seven people from the sea.

Officials said the boat captain was in custody on suspicion of smuggling.

Jeff Stephenson, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent, said: “Every indication from our perspective is that this was a smuggling vessel used to smuggle migrants into the United States illegally.

“We haven’t confirmed the nationality of the people involved, but our agents are with many of them at the hospital and the man who we believe was the operator… The investigation’s still unfolding.”

Rescuers were alerted to the incident near the Cabrillo National Monument, at about 10:30 local time.

Rick Romero, of the San Diego Fire Rescue Lifeguard, said first reports indicated three or four people needed help but they quickly realized it was “going to be a bigger situation with more people”.

“Once we arrived on scene, the boat had basically been broken apart,” he said.

“Conditions were pretty rough: five to six feet of surf, windy, cold.”

He said people were in the water being taken out to sea by the rip current, while people on shore were needing CPR and treatment for hypothermia and other injuries.

Asian Boat Crisis: Myanmar Rescues First Migrant Boats

New migrant boat capsizes off Lampedusa

Footage from the scene showed large pieces of debris washing up on the beach. Jet skis, three more rescue boats and cliff-top equipment were brought in to help with the rescue.

At the same news conference, Jeff Stephenson said it was not yet known where the boat had come from but many smuggling boats come from Mexico’s Baja coastline.

“The smugglers, they don’t care about the people they’re exploiting. All they care about is profit to them,” he said.

“These people are just commodities. So you can see that in the way they treat them, inadequate safety equipment, really poorly equipped vessels and giving them minimal.”

Jeff Stephenson said there had been a 92% increase in the number of apprehensions linked to smuggling by sea in 2020, compared with the previous year.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had announced on April 30 that it was beefing up its patrols of the coastline over the weekend to try and deter smugglers.

Border patrol agents detained 21 people – 15 men and six women – found on a small open boat, a panga, off the coast of San Diego on April 29. They were Mexican nationals with no legal status to enter the US, the CBP said. Two suspected smugglers who were on board the boat will face federal charges.

Tips for Choosing a Research Paper Topic

James J. Williams
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Tips for Choosing a Research Paper Topic

Choosing the right research paper topic can be tedious and time-consuming. In the worst-case scenario, you can choose the topic, start doing your research on it, and then it can get rejected by your tutor. So, how do you make sure it won’t happen like that while writing your research papers?

For this reason, we’ve created a list of actionable tips on how you can pick the appropriate research paper topic without any hassle. Alternatively, you can pay someone online to write your research paper for you.  For example, you can ask savvy research paper experts from the DoMyEssay service “Please, do my research paper for me”.

No matter what way of doing your research paper you choose, picking the right research paper topic is the first and probably most important step that you need to make. However, no worries! Here are the tips that are going to help you nail the process.

Brainstorm Ideas for Your Research Paper Topic

This is a no brainer, right? However, many students ignore this step. As a result, they choose the topic that is not good, relevant, or of no scientific value. Make sure you devote enough time to brainstorm the ideas for your research paper topic. The more ideas you have, the better as you’ll have a wider choice of topics to choose from.

While brainstorming your ideas for a research paper, keep in mind that  your research paper topic should be

  • of scientific value
  • arguable
  • match your area of interest

We’ll discuss each of these key points in detail below.

Spark Your Imagination: Have a Look at Research Paper Samples

Brainstorming is not that easy for everyone as it may seem to be. If you feel stuck with generating engaging and appropriate topics for your research paper, don’t fall into panic. Instead, feel free to have a look at the samples of research papers that were written by other students. It may give you an idea and angle for coming up with the right ideas for your own research paper.

You can find a lot of research paper examples online. Just do the search on Google and you’ll get dozens of sites with research paper samples. Look through as many research paper examples as possible. You may also want to look through their contents as it may give you ideas for your own research paper topic as well.

Filter Your Ideas and Choose the Best Ones

Now, give yourself a break. The next step is going to be filtering all the ideas. You need to have a fresh mind for this. That’s why we suggest you have a break after looking through dozens of research paper samples. Don’t go for a topic just because you like it and you think it sounds good. It can be a false belief that will lead you nowhere.

Take your time to check if your research paper topics are of scientific value. How many sources can you use while developing this or that topic? Are they relevant and up-to-date? Use scholarship search engines to check this out. If you have a list of 15-20 ideas, you need to eliminate most of them. So at the end of the day, you should have 3-5 strong reach paper topics that are good to go.

Your Topic Should Be of Scientific Value

Now, it’s time to dig even deeper. How many people have already written research papers on the same topic? Is your research paper going to have any scientific value? That’s where we highly recommend you to double-check it with your tutor and get their opinion on your reach paper topics. In this way, you can save tons of time and hassle before you make the next steps and start writing your research paper.

Pick the Topic That is Arguable

This is another vital criterion while choosing your research paper topic. Make sure it’s not obvious and it can provoke a decent discussion. It’s always good to present both sides: the pros and cons in your research paper.

Don’t forget to back up all pros and cons with appropriate arguments. You can’t just claim something without showing the actual evidence otherwise it won’t match the set high standards of academic writing. On the contrary, if you manage to provide strong arguments for the pros and cons, your reach paper will be engaging and provoke discussion. Tutors like that.

Your Research Paper Topic Should Match Your Area of Interest

Of course, your research paper topic should evoke your interest otherwise if you choose a topic that looks boring for you, you won’t be motivated to write up a winning paper. It’s really that simple. That’s why you need to make sure the topic of your reach paper matches the area of your interest.

This one tip can make or break your reach paper. So don’t ignore it if you want to come up with a decent reach paper that deserves an A or A+.

Get Approval for Your Research Paper Topic from Your Tutor 

Finally, don’t forget to show all the topics to your tutor and get their approval for the one that you want to go for. Here’s the biggest mistake that students can make. They start doing reach on the topic. They start writing their research paper. And then, at some point, it turns out their reach paper topic is not appropriate and is rejected by their tutor.

Don’t make the same mistake. Bring clarity into this matter before you start working on your paper.

Answers to the Biggest Questions about Your Emergency Fund

Dana R
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Answers to the Biggest Questions about Your Emergency Fund

Save your money: this piece of financial advice is universal. It doesn’t matter who you ask, everyone knows that having an emergency fund is essential. What’s less obvious is how you build it or where to put it all. That’s where asking the right questions can come in handy. Below, you’ll find the answers to five important questions about your emergency fund.

1. How Much Should I Save?

A prevailing rule of thumb for emergency savings is to squirrel away enough to cover three to six months of living expenses.

But how much you need to feel safe in an emergency is subjective. It depends on a lot of factors, like your risk tolerance, support system, and the emergency itself.

2. What if an Emergency Arrives Before I’ve Saved Enough?

Emergencies don’t follow a strict schedule like your rent payments or utilities. They arrive sporadically throughout the year, usually when you’re least prepared to handle them.

If you don’t have adequate savings for an unexpected emergency repair or medical expense, you might need to borrow money. There are personal loans like an online installment loan or line of credit that can be your safety net when your savings fall short.  

3. Should I Save or Pay off Debt?

It can be challenging to juggle both of these goals simultaneously. If you’re on a tight budget, you might have to choose one or the other.

In that case, it’s essential you make any minimum payment on installment loans and line of credit personal loans. This will protect you from late fines, extra interest charges, and potential damage to your credit.

If you have any leftover cash, put it toward a small emergency fund, aiming for something like $1,000 rather than the usual six months of expenses. Savings win over debt here because it’ll help you avoid adding to your debt.

Once you feel secure, start using your expendable cash on debt payments. Choose between the avalanche and snowball methods to find out which debt you should target first.

Stack of coins with emergency text. Premium Photo
Credit: andranik.h90 via FreePik

4. What Can I Use it On?

Use your emergency fund on unpredictable, essential expenses that you didn’t think to include in your budget. Think medical expenses not covered by insurance or auto or household repairs that you can’t ignore.

If you still aren’t sure, it’s helpful treating your fund like it’s an installment loan.

  1. Necessity: Due to their cost, you would only ever take out an installment loan online if you couldn’t wait to pay a bill or repair. Installment loans are designed to help with unavoidable, unexpected emergencies that you can’t delay. So is your emergency fund.
  2. Repayment: An essential part of the borrowing process is paying back your installment loan. The same goes for your emergency fund. You should pay back whatever you take so that you’re prepared for the next unexpected expense.

5. Am I Making the Most out of My Savings?

Consider where you keep your emergency fund. A stack of cash under the mattress isn’t just old-fashioned. It’s also not using your money to its full potential because you won’t earn interest on this cash.

Interest is a two-way street. It’s something you pay whenever you borrow money, but it’s something you earn when you save it.

Shop around for savings accounts with a high interest rate without penalizing you for taking out your money out of the blue.

Did this answer your most burning questions about saving? If not, keep asking until you build out savings that can handle any emergency.

US to Share 60 Million Doses of AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine with Other Countries

Kathryn R. Bown
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US to Share 60 Million Doses of AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine with Other Countries
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

The United States will share up to 60 million doses of its AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries as they become available, the White House has announced.

The doses will be able to be exported in the coming months after a federal safety review.

The US has a stockpile of the vaccine even though its regulators have not yet authorized it for public use.

Critics have accused the government of hoarding the vaccine, while other countries are in desperate need.

Last month President Joe Biden pledged to share about 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with Mexico and Canada – both of which have approved the vaccine.

The crisis in India has also piled pressure on the Biden administration to share US health resources.

On April 26, the White House said it expected that about 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine could be released when the FDA finishes its review in the coming weeks.

It said that another 50 million doses were in various stages of production.

At a news briefing, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said FDA officials would carry out quality checks on doses before they were exported.

She added: “Our team will share more details about our planning and who will be receiving offers from here, but we’re in the planning process at this point in time.”

Denmark Halts AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine Rollout

Germany Suspends AstraZeneca Vaccine Use Under-60s

Sputnik V Becomes Third Covid Vaccine Approved in India

The US has already announced that it will provide raw materials for Indian vaccine manufacturers as the country battles a devastating surge in cases.

In a “warm and positive” phone call with Indian PM Narendra Modi on April 26, President Biden promised more emergency assistance “including oxygen-related supplies, vaccine materials and therapeutics”, a White House statement said.

Washington is also looking at supplying oxygen, Covid tests, personal protective equipment (PPE) and the antiviral drug remdesivir to India’s health service.

The FDA has so far authorized three vaccines against Covid- 19: Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen). Experts say it looks likely that these will provide all the country’s needs and the AstraZeneca jab may not be needed.

According to the latest figures, more than 53% of adults in the US have so far received at least one dose of vaccine.

Fans Show Unity to Crush European Super League

Clyde K. Valle
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Fans Show Unity to Crush European Super League

It will be remembered as a flash in the pan, but the recently proposed European Super League rocked soccer and, indeed, world sports to its foundations. It was an attempted power grab by the money men involved in the once beautiful game but one that was crushed by fans across the world.

With the teams confirmed, announcing their plans to break away and create a European Super League it looked like a done deal. It seemed so certain experts working on sports betting in Las Vegas were even making moves to accept bets on the competition’s first winners.

Cue a vicious backlash from supporters who said it went against everything the sport stood for. They rolled up their sleeves and, strengthened by the teams not invited to join the ESL; football supporters made their feelings clear. The competition wasn’t wanted, they would never support it, and it was a non-starter.

European Super League explained

What exactly is all the fuss about, and what is the European Super League? It was a football competition proposed to replace the UEFA Champions League. It was to consist of two leagues of teams with a round-robin format. The three highest finishing sides would progress to the knockout stages with a selection of others involved in a playoff to join them. The play would then start to whittle down the teams until left with two who met in the final.

Sounds exciting. What was the problem? The main problem for most football fans was the Super League was a closed shop, reserved for the wealthiest sides to get even richer. The 18 to 20 teams would rake in a massive income for their involvement, leaving everyone else on the outside looking in. No relegation sits well with the business heads behind the idea, but it wasn’t something that appealed to the average fan who viewed it as a robbery of all they held dear in sport.

Protests in England made government act

Six English Premier League clubs – Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool and Man City – were involved in the ESL, making the shock announcement last week. It was a plan that must’ve been going on behind the scenes for quite some time, but the news seemed to catch most sports lovers off-guard. Added to the heightened tensions of the coronavirus lockdown that has seen supporters locked out of stadiums for more than a year in some parts of Europe, it was a recipe for disaster. This became obvious very quickly.

Hundreds of English football followers broke covid laws to gather in protest. They took their opposition to the streets, their team’s home arena, and even the training field. They acted swiftly, making worldwide news and causing panic. Police and club security were drafted in to help control the protests, which caught the eye of the UK government in London. British prime minister Boris Johnson became one of the most high profile names to break cover and condemn the English sides for their involvement in the Super League.

Clubs back down with some even apologising

Manchester City was the first club to announce their withdrawal, quickly followed by fellow English team Chelsea who informed the media of their sudden change of heart. Later that evening, the remaining Premier League teams pulled out.

The co-owner of Manchester United, Joel Glazer, penned an open letter to fans of the Red Devils in which he apologized for the club’s involvement in the European Super League and said they aimed to rebuild trust with fans. Across the city and Manchester City’s CEO, Ferran Soriano, wrote to fans and apologized for the mistake made and for the anguish it has caused during the fallout.

Liverpool John Henry was forced into a climb-down after he withdrew the Reds from the competition just 48 hours after signing up for it. An embarrassing episode for all concerned but not one a simple apology will fix. Fans and pundits are out for blood, and we could see heads roll. In the coming weeks, it’s possible those involved in the process of signing clubs up to the ESL scheme could lose their job or be shamed into selling up and moving on. The Super League is dead in the water, but we’ve not heard the last of this.

Oscars 2021: Full List of Winners

Sonia Pantiss
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Oscars 2021: Full List of Winners

Here is the full list of the winners of the 93rd Academy Awards held on April 25th at Union Station:

Best picture

  • Winner: Nomadland
  • The Father
  • Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Mank
  • Minari
  • Promising Young Woman
  • Sound of Metal
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best actress

  • Winner: Frances McDormand – Nomadland
  • Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Andra Day – The United States vs Billie Holiday
  • Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman
  • Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman

Best actor

  • Winner: Anthony Hopkins – The Father
  • Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal
  • Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Gary Oldman – Mank
  • Steven Yeun – Minari

Best supporting actress

  • Winner: Yuh-Jung Youn – Minari
  • Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
  • Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy
  • Olivia Colman – The Father
  • Amanda Seyfried – Mank

Best supporting actor

  • Winner: Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7
  • Leslie Odom Jr – One Night in Miami
  • Paul Raci – Sound of Metal
  • Lakeith Stanfield – Judas and the Black Messiah

Best director

  • Winner: Nomadland – Chloe Zhao
  • Another Round – Thomas Vinterberg
  • Mank – David Fincher
  • Minari – Lee Isaac Chung
  • Promising Young Woman – Emerald Fennell

Best original screenplay

  • Winner: Promising Young Woman – Emerald Fennell
  • Judas and the Black Messiah – Will Berson, Shaka King, Will Berson, Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas
  • Minari – Lee Isaac Chung
  • Sound of Metal – Darius Marder, Abraham Marder, Derek Cianfrance
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Aaron Sorkin

Best adapted screenplay

  • Winner: The Father – Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller
  • Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman and Lee Kern
  • Nomadland – Chloé Zhao
  • One Night in Miami – Kemp Powers
  • The White Tiger – Ramin Bahrani

Best animated feature

  • Winner: Soul
  • Onward
  • Over the Moon
  • A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
  • Wolfwalkers

Best documentary feature

  • Winner: My Octopus Teacher – Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster
  • Collective – Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana
  • Crip Camp – Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder
  • The Mole Agent – Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez
  • Time – Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino and Kellen Quinn

Best international feature

  • Winner: Another Round (Denmark)
  • Better Days (Hong Kong)
  • Collective (Romania)
  • The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia)
  • Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Best original song

  • Winner: Fight For You – Judas and the Black Messiah (H.E.R., Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas)
  • Hear my Voice – The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite)
  • Husavik – Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson)
  • Io Si (Seen) – The Life Ahead [La Vita Davanti a Se] (Diane Warren and Laura Pausini)
  • Speak Now – One Night in Miami… (Leslie Odom, Jr and Sam Ashworth)

Best original score

  • Winner: Soul – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste
  • Da 5 Bloods – Terence Blanchard
  • Mank – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
  • Minari – Emile Mosseri
  • News of the World – James Newton Howard

Best cinematography

  • Winner: Mank – Erik Messerschmidt
  • Judas and the Black Messiah – Sean Bobbitt
  • News of the World – Dariusz Wolski
  • Nomadland – Joshua James Richards
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Phedon Papamichael

Best visual effects

  • Winner: Tenet – Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher
  • Love and Monsters – Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox
  • The Midnight Sky – Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins
  • Mulan – Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram
  • The One and Only Ivan – Santiago Colomo Martinez, Nick Davis, Greg Fisher

Best film editing

  • Winner: Sound of Metal – Mikkel EG Nielsen
  • The Father – Yorgos Lamprinos
  • Nomadland – Chloé Zhao
  • Promising Young Woman – Frédéric Thoraval
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Alan Baumgarten

Best costume design

  • Winner: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Ann Roth
  • Emma – Alexandra Byrne
  • Mank – Trish Summerville
  • Mulan – Bina Daigeler
  • Pinocchio – Massimo Cantini Parrini

Best sound

  • Winner: Sound of Metal – Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh
  • Greyhound – Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman
  • Mank – Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin
  • News of the World – Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett
  • Soul – Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker

Best production design

  • Winner: Mank – Donald Graham Burt and Jan Pascale
  • The Father – Peter Francis and Cathy Featherstone
  • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Mark Ricker, Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton
  • News of the World – David Crank and Elizabeth Keenan
  • Tenet – Nathan Crowley and Kathy Lucas

Best make-up and hairstyling

  • Winner: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson
  • Emma – Marese Langan, Laura Allen and Claudia Stolze
  • Hillbilly Elegy – Eryn Krueger Mekash, Matthew Mungle and Patricia Dehaney
  • Mank – Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri and Colleen LaBaff
  • Pinocchio – Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli and Francesco Pegoretti

Best live action short

  • Winner: Two Distant Strangers – Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe
  • Feeling Through – Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski
  • The Letter Room – Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan
  • The Present – Farah Nabulsi
  • White Eye – Tomer Shushan and Shira Hochman

Best animated short

  • Winner: If Anything Happens I Love You – Will McCormack and Michael Govier
  • Burrow – Madeline Sharafian and Michael Capbarat
  • Genius Loci – Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise
  • Opera – Erick Oh
  • Yes-People – Gísli Darri Halldórsson and Arnar Gunnarsson

Best documentary short

  • Winner: Colette – Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard
  • A Concerto is a Conversation – Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
  • Do Not Split – Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook
  • Hunger Ward – Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman
  • A Love Song for Latasha – Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan

Oscars 2021: Nomadland Wins Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress

Sonia Pantiss
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Oscars 2021: Nomadland Wins Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress

Nomadland has scooped three Oscars including best picture, while Anthony Hopkins and Daniel Kaluuya have won acting awards.

Nomadland’s Chloe Zhao made history as the first woman of color and second woman to win best director.

Anthony Hopkins, 83, is the oldest winner of best actor, while Daniel Kaluuya is the first black British actor to win an Oscar – for the best supporting award.

British actress-turned-writer/director Emerald Fennell won a screenplay award.

She won best original screenplay for Promising Young Woman, which she also directed.

Frances McDormand won best actress for her role in Nomadland, while veteran South Korean actress Yuh-Jung Youn won best supporting actress for Minari.

The awards were handed out in one of the grand halls at Los Angeles’s stylish Union Station to allow for a Covid-safe ceremony, while many UK-based nominees were at a venue in London – although Anthony Hopkins was at neither.

Anthony Hopkins won best actor for his masterful performance as a man suffering with dementia in The Father, 29 years after he won his first Oscar for The Silence of the Lambs.

The actor’s victory was the biggest surprise of the night. The award had been tipped to go to the late Chadwick Boseman, who died at the age of 43 last August, for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

It was perhaps a surprise to Sir Anthony himself, who was neither in LA nor at the British Film Institute in London, the ceremony’s UK venue.

Anthony Hopkins was thought to be in his native Wales, and there was not an option to appear via Zoom, meaning he did not appear on screen or in person.

The Father also won best adapted screenplay for Sir Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller, who called Sir Anthony “the greatest living actor”.

Golden Globes 2021: Full List of Winners

Nomadland, the slow-burning drama about a woman living in her van in the American West after the financial crash, won the top prize for best film, plus best director and best actress.

Frances McDormand, who now has three best actress Oscars, is one of the only professional performers in the film. Most of the rest of the cast is made up of real people playing fictionalized versions of themselves.

In her acceptance speech, Chloe Zhao thanked the real-life nomads “for teaching us the power of resilience and hope”.

Before Chloe Zhao, the only woman to have won the directing prize in the Oscars’ 92-year history was Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2010.

Meanwhile, black-and-white film Mank, which led the nominations with 10, picked up two awards, as did Sound of Metal, Judas and the Black Messiah, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Soul.

Oscars 2021 big winners:

  • Nomadland – 3
  • The Father – 2
  • Judas and the Black Messiah – 2
  • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – 2
  • Mank – 2
  • Soul – 2
  • Sound of Metal – 2

Caitlyn Jenner Running for California Governor

Lisa.Felice
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Caitlyn Jenner Running for California Governor
Photo Instagram

Caitlyn Jenner has announced she is running for California governor.

The former Olympic athlete and reality TV star will run as a Republican in the Democratic stronghold state.

A recall election in California could be confirmed this month after a petition against current governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, reached the number required to trigger a vote.

Voters would be asked if they want Gavin Newsom to stay or another candidate.

According to the Axios news site, Caitlyn Jenner has put together a team that includes some of former President Donald Trump’s advisers.

“Californians want better and deserve better from the governor,” a statement from Caitlyn Jenner said, confirming the news on her Twitter account on April 23.

“For too long, career politicians have over-promised and under-delivered. We need a leader with the vision and resolve to see it through,” she added.

Caitlyn Jenner promised that her campaign will be one of “solutions” and provide a “roadmap back to prosperity to turn this state around”.

She added that she will formally launch her campaign at a later date.

Should the recall election go ahead, it would be the fourth governor recall in US history.

Gavin Newsom has faced criticism for his handling of the pandemic. As infections started to fall, he came under criticism from business owners for still enforcing restrictions.

Caitlyn Jenner described herself as a “proven winner” in her statement, adding that she is the “only outsider who can put an end to Gavin Newsom’s disastrous time as a governor”.

The former athlete, previously known as Bruce Jenner, has been described as the highest-profile American to come out as transgender.

Bruce Jenner came out as transgender in 2015 in an interview with broadcaster Diane Sawyer on ABC, and said the star said she had been wrestling with her gender since childhood.

The former athlete won a gold medal at the Montreal Games in 1976.

Before transitioning, Bruce Jenner was married to Kris Jenner and the pair had two daughters, Kendall and Kylie. The family were stars of the hit reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Caitlyn Jenner said her step-daughter Kim Kardashian had been a big supporter of her transitioning.

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California is not a stranger to celebrities running for governor.

Arnold Schwarzenegger won the 2003 recall election, beating Mary Carey and former child actor Gary Coleman.

If she won, Caitlyn Jenner would be one of a small group of transgender Americans to hold such a high-profile role.

In 2020, Sarah McBride became the first transgender state senator in the US after she won her race in Delaware during the 2020 elections. And she was not the only transgender candidate to make history during last year’s election.

Vermont’s Taylor Small, 26, was elected to the House of Representatives, while, in Kansas. Stephanie Byers became the first trans person of color to be elected to a state legislature.

Alexei Navalny Ends Hunger Strike After 24 Days

Diane A. Wade
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Alexei Navalny Ends Hunger Strike After 24 Days
Image source Wikimedia

Russian detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny has announced he is ending his hunger strike after 24 days of refusing food in jail.

Hours earlier Navalny’s private doctors had appealed to him to take food to preserve his life and health.

Alexei Navalny began refusing food on March 31 to demand better medical care.

He said he had twice been seen by civilian doctors and “given the progress and circumstances, I am ending my hunger strike”.

The process would be gradual, Navalny added in an Instagram post.

His doctors had warned at the weekend he could die “at any minute”. On April 22, they warned him that “further starvation” could significantly harm him and lead to his death.

Alexei Navalny was detained as soon as he returned to Russia in January, after receiving treatment in Berlin for a nerve-gas attack in Siberia that left him in coma and fighting for his life. Russian authorities denied being behind the attack, but last December Navalny tricked an FSB agent into revealing that a Novichok agent had been placed in his underpants.

He was sent to a penal colony in February for over two and a half years, after a court ruled he had broken the terms of a suspended jail term, even though he had been in a coma. Russia rejected a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights that he should be freed because his life was at risk.

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Thousands of Navalny supporters took to the streets of Russian cities on April 21 and more than 1,700 were arrested.

Alexei Navalny has complained of numbness and back pain and said he had not been given proper treatment by prison doctors.

In his message from the penal colony in Vladimir, east of Moscow, Alexei Navalny said he was still determined to be seen by a doctor of his choice.

“I am losing feeling in areas of my arms and legs, and I want to understand what it is and how to treat it,” he said.

Chad President Idriss Déby Killed During Frontline Visit

Roy Siemens
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Chad President Idriss Déby Killed During Frontline Visit
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Chad’s President Idriss Déby has died of his injuries following clashes with rebels in the north of the country at the weekend, the army has announced.

The announcement came a day after provisional election results projected he would win a sixth term in office.

The government and parliament have been dissolved. A curfew has also been imposed and the borders have been shut.

Idriss Déby, 68, spent more than three decades in power and was one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.

An army officer by training, he came to power in 1990 through an armed uprising. He was a long-time ally of France and other Western powers in the battle against jihadist groups in the Sahel region of Africa.

Idriss Déby “breathed his last defending the sovereign nation on the battlefield”, an army general said on state TV on April 20.

He had gone to the front line, several hundred miles north of the capital N’Djamena, at the weekend to visit troops battling rebels belonging to a group calling itself FACT (the Front for Change and Concord in Chad).

A military council led by Idriss Déby’s son, a 37-year-old four star general, will govern for the next 18 months.

Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno will lead the council but “free and democratic” elections will be held once the transition period is over, the army said in its statement.

Chad closes schools and universities after deadly helmet protests

Ahead of the election on April 11, Idriss Déby campaigned on a platform of bringing peace and security to the region.

But there has been growing unhappiness over his government’s management of Chad’s oil resources.

Founded in 2016 by disillusioned former army officers, the rebel Fact group accuses President Déby of repression in the run-up to the election.

They built up their base in Libya in the Tibesti mountains, which straddle northern Chad and part of southern Libya.

On Election Day the group mounted an attack on a border post and gradually advanced on N’Djamena.

The latest clashes began on April 17. An army general told Reuters that 300 insurgents were killed and 150 were captured. Five government soldiers were killed and 36 were injured, he said. The figures could not immediately be verified.

Some foreign embassies in the capital have urged their staff to leave.

N’Djamena has come under rebel attack before and there was panic in the city on April 19, with parents taking their children home from school, when tanks were deployed along the main roads.

Do Not Travel List: State Dept. Urges Americans to Avoid 80% of Countries Worldwide

Diane A. Wade
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Do Not Travel List: State Dept. Urges Americans to Avoid 80% of Countries Worldwide

Americans are advised to avoid 80% of countries worldwide because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a note to the media about the US state department’s updated travel guidance, it said the pandemic continued to “pose unprecedented risks to travelers”.

The current US “Do Not Travel” advisory covers 34 out of 200 countries.

Covid-19 has now claimed more than three million lives worldwide – more than half a million of them in the US.

The WHO warned the world was “approaching the highest rate of infection” so far, despite the global rollout of vaccination programs.

The state department said its decision to update its travel advisories was to bring it more in line with those from the CDC and “does not imply a reassessment of the current health situation in a given country”.

However, it said the move would “result in a significant increase in the number of countries at Level 4: Do Not Travel, to approximately 80% of countries worldwide”. Anyone planning to travel to a country in the remaining 20% is advised to reconsider before proceeding.

The state department has not revealed which countries will be added to Level 4 – the highest of its four risk levels. Guidance will be issued individually for each country in the next few days.

Currently, only three places in the world are assessed at the lowest tier – Level 1, which advises “Exercise normal precautions”. They are Macau, Taiwan and New Zealand.

Even Antarctica is at Level 2 – “Exercise increased caution”, an extra warning to exercise caution because of the risk of terrorism.

The UK is at Level 3: “Reconsider travel”.

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The CDC currently recommends all Americans refrain from travelling domestically until they have been fully vaccinated and warns that international travel “poses additional risks” even for those vaccinated.

In addition, all air passengers coming to the US, including US citizens, must have a negative Covid test result or documentation of recovery from the virus before they board a flight.

While more than 860 million doses of coronavirus vaccine have been administered in 165 countries worldwide, many countries are still struggling to contain the virus.

Brazil has recorded the third-highest number of cases and, at 368,749, the second-highest number of deaths in the world.

Canada has also reported a recent rise in cases and Papua New Guinea has been highlighted as a cause for concern.

While some countries – such as Israel and the UK – have secured and delivered doses to a large proportion of their population, many more countries are still waiting for their first shipments to arrive.

Global Covid-19 Death Toll Passes Three Million

Kathryn R. Bown
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Global Covid-19 Death Toll Passes Three Million

According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of people who have died worldwide in the Covid-19 pandemic has surpassed three million.

The milestone comes the day after WHO chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the world was “approaching the highest rate of infection” so far.

India – experiencing a second wave – recorded more than 230,000 new cases on April 17 alone.

Almost 140 million cases have been recorded since the pandemic began.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on April 16 that “cases and deaths are continuing to increase at worrying rates”.

He added that “globally, the number of new cases per week has nearly doubled over the past two months”.

The US, India and Brazil – the countries with the most recorded infections – have accounted for more than a million deaths between them, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Last week saw an average of 12,000 deaths a day reported around the world, according to AFP.

However, official figures worldwide may not fully reflect the true number in many countries.

Up until a few weeks ago, India appeared to have the pandemic relatively under control. Cases had been below 20,000 a day for much of January and February – a low figure in a country of more than a 1.3 billion people.

But then infections began to rise rapidly: April 17 saw a record set for the third day in a row, with more than 234,000 cases reported.

Hospitals are running low on beds and oxygen. Sick people are being turned away, and some families are turning to the black market to get the drugs they need.

The capital Delhi has gone into lockdown over the weekend, with restrictions put in place in several other states, as officials try to stem the tide.

Brazil – which has recorded the third highest number of cases and, at 368,749, the second highest number of deaths – is still struggling to control the outbreak.

On April 16, the health ministry announced more than 85,000 new cases over the previous 24 hours and 3,305 deaths.

Canada has also reported a recent rise, registering more cases per million than the US over the last week – the first time this has happened since the pandemic began.

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Papua New Guinea has also been highlighted as a cause for concern. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noted “the potential for a much larger epidemic” in the Pacific nation following a sharp increase in cases.

He added that Papua New Guinea – which has received 140,000 vaccine doses through Australia and the Covax scheme – is a “perfect example of why vaccine equity is so important”.

More than 860 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered, in 165 countries worldwide.

However, the WHO chief told UN officials on April 16: “Vaccine equity is the challenge of our time – and we are failing.”

Some countries have secured and delivered doses to a large proportion of their population.

Those with high vaccinations rates, such as the UK and Israel, have seen their numbers of new infections drop sharply.

While Israel has distributed 119 doses per 100 people, just 2.81 doses per 100 have been given in the Palestinian territories, recent data from Our World in Data at Oxford University showed.

However, many more countries are still waiting for their first shipments to arrive.

That is leading to warnings about growing “vaccine inequity”.

Dr. Tedros pointed out that in high-income countries, one in four people have received a vaccine, compared with only one in 400 in poorer countries.

The WHO is working on a global scheme, Covax, to get rich countries to share their vaccine with lower income countries. Covax plans to deliver about two billion vaccine doses globally by the end of the year, but many vaccines require two doses per person.

Indianapolis Shooting: Eight Killed at FedEx Facility

Diane A. Wade
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Indianapolis Shooting: Eight Killed at FedEx Facility

Eight people have been killed and seven injured in a shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, police say.

According to police, the gunman began shooting “randomly” almost immediately after exiting his car.

The gunman apparently killed himself minutes before police arrived, officials say. They have not confirmed the identities of the victims or the gunman.

This is the latest incident in a recent uptick of mass shootings across the US.

The attack began around 23:00 local time on April 15 in Indianapolis, Indiana – the state capital and its largest city.

In a news conference on April 16, city officials said no motive had been established yet, and noted that one may never be determined.

“We’ll never really know all the ins and outs of why this occurred, but we’ll try our best,” said police chief Randal Taylor.

Craig McCartt, the deputy chief of criminal investigations, said that the gunman began firing as soon as he arrived at the building.

“This suspect came to the facility and when he came there, he got out of his car and pretty quickly started some random shooting outside the facility,” he said.

“No confrontation or argument, he just appeared to randomly start shooting,” he added.

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Four people were found dead outside the building, and another four inside.

The attacker, who appeared to have shot himself “minutes” before police arrived, was also found inside the facility.

“When officers arrived they found a very chaotic and active crime scene,” Craig McCartt said, adding that they believe the gunman used a rifle during the attack.

Mayor Joe Hogsett paid condolences to the victims and called for Americans to tackle the “scourge of gun violence that has killed far too many in our community and in our country”.

He also called for people to fight against “the assumption that this is how it must be and we might as well get used to it”.

The FBI, which is assisting in the investigation, has been searching a residence in the area, officials said, but they refused to answer whether it was the suspect’s home.

A FedEx statement said the company was aware of the shooting and co-operating with the authorities.

“Safety is our top priority, and our thoughts are with all those who are affected,” the statement said.

This is the third mass shooting in Indianapolis this year. Five were killed, including a pregnant woman, in a shooting in January. In March, three adults and one child were killed after an argument broke out over a coronavirus stimulus cheque.

Last week, President Joe Biden announced his first steps since taking office to tighten gun controls following a series of mass shootings.

It includes efforts to set rules for certain guns, bolster background checks and support local violence prevention.

How Can You Prepare for the Future of Technology?

Dana R
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How Can You Prepare for the Future of Technology?

In 2021, technology is already a big part of everyday life, and the expansion of technology into every aspect of our lives is only set to increase as we head into the future. However, many people are not ready to welcome this new technology into their lives and careers and find that they are being left behind by the new developments that are taking place. To make sure that you can prepare for the future of technology and the world that it will create, here are some top steps that you can take to make sure that you are ready in terms of your career, your workplace, and your home life.

Take an Online Degree

The best step that you can take to prepare for the rise of technology is to take a relevant degree course. Not only will these courses teach you everything there is to know about emerging technologies and the possibilities that they could present in the future, but they can also set you up for jobs in the modern workplace, including in the tech sector. For instance, at Kettering Global, their online Master of data science can help prepare you for the future of technology by giving you grounding in the technical skills and knowledge of emerging technical science that may help you secure a job within any industry in the future career landscape. This is because data science is set to become an integral part of every business’s operations in the near future. Having a degree in this will allow you to take advantage of opportunities as they are presented to you.

21 Future Jobs the Robots Are Actually Creating
Getty Images

Prepare for Future Careers

Rather than using all of your resources to prepare for the types of available jobs in your industry, you should be looking at prepping yourself for the careers of the future that might not even exist yet. Being ahead of the curve when it comes to employment can be beneficial in many ways. Many of these future careers will be influenced by technology and will come directly out of the technological revolution. Then, you should consider preparing for jobs that don’t yet exist by brushing up your knowledge of STEM subjects and developing soft as well as hard skills, such as critical thinking and innovation. You should also make sure that you continue to learn even after you have obtained a Master’s degree, such as by reading newspapers and by conducting your own research projects. This will ensure that you are always able to remain ahead.

Have the Right Infrastructure

Whether at work or at home, you can also prepare for the future of tech by having the right infrastructure, such as gadgets that are ready to support new software as it is developed. This will allow you to instantly make use of new technology as it is produced and avoid being left behind by others who are more prepared than you and who can access and put the new technology in question to good use.

Follow Emerging Technologies

Although the technologies that are currently in use are fascinating and engaging, you must always keep looking toward those technologies which are currently in development and which are starting to emerge as we speak. These include the Internet of Things and biometrics. Even though these emerging technologies currently have practical applications, more uses for them are currently being developed, meaning that they will soon start to take on greater significance within industries and your life. For instance, while VR technology was once only used for video games, it is now used to give training to employees and even create immersive advertising campaigns.

Stay Flexible

The most important step that you can take to prepare for the future of technology, though, and yet the one that people discuss the least, is to stay flexible. Flexibility is vital in both the world of work and beyond. For instance, you should make sure that you are open to changes within the workplace, such as working remotely or from home, and that you are happy to experiment with using different technologies as they come to the forefront of the tech world. You should also be ready for the fact that your job role might begin to change over time, with many of the jobs that are currently in existence having extremely different responsibilities in a couple of years as technology and automation starts to take over some of the roles that were previously required to be performed by humans.

Daunte Wright Shooting: Ex-Officer Kim Potter Charged with Second-Degree Manslaughter

Diane A. Wade
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Daunte Wright Shooting: Ex-Officer Kim Potter Charged with Second-Degree Manslaughter
Image source: Wright Family

Former officer Kim Potter who shot dead 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Minnesota has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, prosecutors say.

Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, was taken into custody about 11:30 AM at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) in St. Paul, officials said.

She says she shot Daunte Wright accidentally, having mistakenly drawn her gun instead of her Taser.

Daunte Wright, who is African-American, died of a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, which classified the manner of death as a homicide.

Responding to the charges, the Wright family’s lawyer Ben Crump said the killing was an “intentional, deliberate, and unlawful use of force”.

Both Kim Potter and Police Chief Tim Gannon have quit the Brooklyn Center force. The killing has sparked three nights of clashes between police and protesters.

It happened in a suburb of Minneapolis, a city already on edge amid the trial of a white ex-police officer accused of murdering African American George Floyd.

Minnesota’s BCA said Kim Potter had been arrested on April 14 at the BCA in St Paul and would be booked into Hennepin County Jail on probable cause second-degree manslaughter.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. Prosecutors must show that Kim Potter was “culpably negligent” and took an “unreasonable risk” in her actions, Reuters reported.

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In a statement, Ben Crump said “no conviction can give the Wright family their loved one back”.

“A 26-year veteran of the force knows the difference between a Taser and a firearm. Kim Potter executed Daunte for what amounts to no more than a minor traffic infraction and a misdemeanor warrant,” he said.

After the charge against Kim Potter was announced, Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott tweeted: “Daunte Wright like many other black and brown members of our community should be alive and at home with his family today.”

Derrick Johnson, president of civil rights group the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), said “justice must prevail” after Mr. Wright’s death.

“A badge should never be a shield to accountability,” he tweeted.

On April 13, bottles and other projectiles were thrown at the Brooklyn Center police headquarters and officers responded by firing tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets.

On April 12, Police Chief Gannon said the shooting of Daunte Wright – who had a one-year-old son – appeared to be an “accidental discharge” after Kim Potter mistook her service pistol for a stun gun.

But the families have rejected the explanation.

Daunte Wright’s aunt Naisha said: “I watched that video like everybody else watched that video. That woman held that gun in front of her a long damn time.”

Daunte Wright was pulled over for an expired tag on his car license plate. Family members and advocates say he was racially profiled.

Badycam footage showed Daunte Wright fleeing from officers after they told him he was being arrested for an outstanding warrant.

As Daunte Wright re-enters his car, Officer Potter is heard shouting “Taser” several times before firing a shot.

Daunte Wright’s mother Katie told reporters her son had called her after he was pulled over and that she had offered to give insurance details to police over the phone.

She said she heard police order him to get out of the vehicle. There was a scuffling sound and an officer told him to hang up the phone.

When she was eventually able to call back, Daunte Wright’s girlfriend answered and told her he had been shot.

Denmark Halts AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine Rollout

Kathryn R. Bown
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Denmark Halts AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine Rollout
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Denmark has decided to completely stop the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine rollout amid concerns about rare cases of blood clots, the first European country to do so fully.

The move is expected to delay Denmark’s vaccination program by several weeks.

Drug watchdog the European Medicines Agency (EMA) last week announced a possible link with clots but said the risk of dying of Covid-19 was much greater.

Several European countries had previously briefly suspended the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Most have now resumed vaccinations with AstraZeneca, but often with limits to older age groups.

On April 13, the US, Canada and the EU paused the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for similar reasons over clotting.

South Africa has also paused its use, despite the Johnson & Johnson being its preferred vaccine because of its effectiveness against the South African variant.

For both AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, the blood clot side effects are extremely rare.

The EU’s vaccine rollout has been criticized by the WHO for being too slow, and there are concerns this latest delay could throw it into further turmoil.

Both vaccines work by a similar method, known as adenoviral vectors.

Danish officials said that all 2.4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine would be withdrawn until further notice.

The Danish Health Authority said studies had shown a higher than expected frequency of blood clots following doses, affecting about one in 40,000 people.

It comes after two cases of thrombosis in Denmark were linked to vaccinations, AFP reported. One of the cases, in a 60-year-old woman, was fatal.

Director General Soren Brostrom said it had been a “difficult decision” but Denmark had other vaccines available and the epidemic there was currently under control.

However, the authority said it could not rule out using it again at another time.

During the press conference the head of Denmark’s Medicines Agency, Tanja Erichsen, fainted and was taken to hospital as a precaution. The agency later tweeted that she had recovered.

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Almost one million people in Denmark have been vaccinated, with approximately 150,000 of them receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are also in use.

Adenoviruses are found in humans and other animals. Scientists use a modified version of one of these adenoviruses, known as a vector, to deliver important instructions to cells, according to the CDC.

They work by entering cells and using the cell’s machinery to produce a harmless piece of the virus that causes Covid-19, known as a spike protein. The cell then recognizes that the spike protein does not belong there and this triggers the immune system to fight back against what it thinks is an infection.

This process allows our bodies to learn how to protect us against Covid-19, according to the CDC.

Regulators are now investigating whether an unusual immune response to the adenovirus vaccines is causing the rare but severe incidences of blood clotting.

An official from the FDA told Reuters it was “plainly obvious” that the cases of blood clots linked to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine were “very similar” to those linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The US paused rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after six women under 50 developed rare blood clots after getting the shot. In the UK 30 people had developed unusual blood clots and seven of them had died after getting the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, out of a total of 18 million vaccinated.

Some European countries have limited the use of adenovirus vaccines to older people, who have been less affected by the rare blood clotting condition.

After the Danish announcement, France said it viewed the AstraZeneca vaccine as an “essential tool”.

France will also go ahead with plans to give the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to those aged over 55, the spokesman said. The country has already received 200,000 doses. Belgium will also give the doses it has received, while Greece and Italy will not.

Meanwhile the Czech Deputy PM Jan Hamacek said he had instructed the Czech ambassador in Denmark to try to buy the 2.4 million AstraZeneca vaccines doses that the Danes would no longer be using.

Jan Hamacek said he would also travel to Moscow to arrange deliveries of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine – another adenovirus vaccine – once its use is approved by the EMA.

Denmark was the first country to postpone use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in March. It was followed by numerous other European countries.

In a separate development, the European Commission said Pfizer-BioNTech would deliver an extra 50 million doses to the EU in the next few weeks.

Bernie Madoff Dies in Prison Aged 82

Clyde K. Valle
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Bernie Madoff Dies in Prison Aged 82
Bernard Madoff has been returned to jail after being hospitalized for a heart attack last month

Disgraced Wall Street financier Bernie Madoff has died in prison at age 82.

Bernie Madoff admitted to one of the biggest frauds in US financial history.

His death was announced by the Bureau of Prisons.

Bernie Madoff had been serving a 150-year sentence after he pleaded guilty in 2009 to running a Ponzi scheme, which paid investors with money from new clients rather than actual profits.

It collapsed during the 2008 financial crisis.

Bernie Madoff,the son of European immigrants who grew up in New York, set up his eponymous firm Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities in 1960.

The company became one of the largest market-makers – matching buyers and sellers of stocks – and Bernie Madoff served as chairman of the NASDAQ stock exchange.

His company was investigated eight times by the Securities and Exchange Commission because it made exceptional returns.

But it was the global recession which effectively prompted Bernie Madoff’s demise as investors, hit by the downturn, tried to withdraw about $7 billion from his funds and he could not find the money to cover it.

He confessed the problem to his sons, who went to the authorities.

The list of those scammed included actor Kevin Bacon, Hall of Fame baseball player Sandy Koufax and film director Steven Spielberg’s charitable foundation, Wunderkinder.

UK banks were also among those who lost money, with HSBC Holdings saying it had exposure of around $1 billion. Other corporate victims were Royal Bank of Scotland and Man Group and Japan’s Nomura Holdings.

But it was not just the elite and large firms who were victims of the fraud.

School teachers, farmers, mechanics and many others also lost money.

“We thought he was God. We trusted everything in his hands,” Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, whose foundation lost $15.2 million, said in 2009.

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Andrew Madoff was under investigation until he died

In court, Bernie Madoff said that when he started the scheme in the 1990s, he hoped it would only be for a limited time.

The scam involved an estimated $65 billion, a figure that included gains Bernie Madoff’s clients believed they had made due to fake account statements.

Of the more than $17 billion in cash losses, more than $14 billion has been recovered.

In 2020, Bernie Madoff requested early release from prison citing health problems, including kidney disease. In an interview with The Washington Post he said he had “made a terrible mistake.”

“I’m terminally ill,” he said.

“There’s no cure for my type of disease. So, you know, I’ve served. I’ve served 11 years already, and, quite frankly, I’ve suffered through it.”

Judge Denny Chin denied Bernie Madoff’s request, noting many victims were still suffering due to their financial losses.

“I also believe that Mr. Madoff was never truly remorseful, and that he was only sorry that his life as he knew it was collapsing around him,” the judge wrote.

At least two investors with Bernie Madoff committed suicide after their losses. His son Mark also killed himself on the second anniversary of his father’s arrest. His other son, Andrew, died of cancer in 2014.

Bernie Madoff is survived by his wife, Ruth Madoff, who maintained she was unaware of the scheme and was never charged. Prosecutors let her keep $2.5 milllion from the $825 million fortune the couple once possessed.

Sputnik V Becomes Third Covid Vaccine Approved in India

Kathryn R. Bown
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Sputnik V Becomes Third Covid Vaccine Approved in India
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Russia’s Sputnik V is the third coronavirus vaccine approved for use in India amid a deadly second wave of infections.

The Russian vaccine has been deemed to be safe, and works in a way similar to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine which is being made in India as Covishield.

Sputnik V gives around 92% protection against Covid-19, late stage trial results published in The Lancet reveal.

India has so far given more than 100 million doses of two approved vaccines – Covishield and Covaxin.

Sputnik V’s approval came on a day when India overtook Brazil to become the country with the second-highest number of cases globally.

With the total case tally of more than 13.5 million cases, India is now only behind the US which has reported more than 31 million cases. With 13.4 million cases, Brazil is now at number three.

The Indian government aims to vaccinate 250 million “priority people” by the end of July. But experts say that the pace of vaccination has been slow and unless the drive is scaled up, the target could be missed.

Sputnik V, developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, initially generated some controversy after being rolled out before the final trial data had been released.

But scientists say its benefits have now been demonstrated.

The vaccine uses a cold-type virus, engineered to be harmless, as a carrier to deliver a small fragment of the coronavirus to the body.

Safely exposing the body to a part of the virus’s genetic code in this way allows it to recognize the threat and learn to fight it off, without the risk of becoming ill.

After being vaccinated, the body starts to produce antibodies especially tailored to the coronavirus.

This means that the immune system is primed to fight coronavirus when it encounters it for real.

Sputnik V can be stored at temperatures of between 2 and 8C degrees (a standard fridge is roughly 3-5C degrees) making it easier to transport and store.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is marketing the vaccine, has signed deals to produce more than 750 million doses of Sputnik V in India with six domestic vaccine makers, according to reports.

Unlike other similar vaccines, the Sputnik shot uses two slightly different versions of the vaccine for the first and the second dose – given 21 days apart.

They both target the coronavirus’s distinctive “spike”, but use different vectors – the neutralized virus that carries the spike to the body.

The idea is that using two different formulas boosts the immune system even more than using the same version twice – and may give longer-lasting protection.

As well as proving effective, it was also safe with no serious reactions linked to the vaccine during the trial.

Some side-effects to a vaccine are expected, but these are usually mild, including a sore arm, tiredness and a bit of a temperature. There were no deaths or serious illnesses in the vaccinated group linked to the jab.

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As well as Russia, Sputnik V is being used in a number of other places, including Argentina, Palestinian territories, Venezuela, Hungary, UAE and Iran.

It will be weeks before Sputnik will be rolled out in India and until then, the country has to make do with Covaxin and Covishield.

Covaxin is an inactivated vaccine which means that it is made up of killed coronaviruses, making it safe to be injected into the body.

Bharat Biotech, a 24-year-old vaccine maker with a portfolio of 16 vaccines and exports to 123 countries, used a sample of the coronavirus, isolated by India’s National Institute of Virology.

When administered, immune cells can still recognize the dead virus, prompting the immune system to make antibodies against the pandemic virus.

The two doses are given four weeks apart. The vaccine can be stored at 2C to 8C.

The vaccine has an efficacy rate of 81%, preliminary data from its phase 3 trial shows.

India’s regulators gave the vaccine an emergency approval in January while the third phase of the trial was still underway, sparking skepticism and questions from experts.

Bharat Biotech says it has a stockpile of 20 million doses of Covaxin, and is aiming to make 700 million doses out of its four facilities in two cities by the end of the year.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is being manufactured locally by the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer. It says it is producing more than 60 million doses a month.

The vaccine is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (known as an adenovirus) from chimpanzees. It has been modified to look more like coronavirus – although it can’t cause illness.

When the vaccine is injected into a patient, it prompts the immune system to start making antibodies and primes it to attack any coronavirus infection.

The shot is administered in two doses given between four and 12 weeks apart. It can be safely stored at temperatures of 2C to 8C and can easily be delivered in existing health care settings such as doctors’ surgeries.

The vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, which is currently being administered in several countries, must be stored at -70C and can only be moved a limited number of times – a particular challenge in India, where summer temperatures can reach 50C.

International clinical trials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine showed that when people were given a half dose and then a full dose, effectiveness hit 90%.

But there was not enough clear data to approve the half-dose, full-dose idea.

However, unpublished data suggests that leaving a longer gap between the first and second doses increases the overall effectiveness of the jab – in a sub-group given the vaccine this way it was found to be 70% effective after the first dose.

India Becomes Fastest Country to Administer 100 Million Covid Vaccine Doses

Kathryn R. Bown
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India Becomes Fastest Country to Administer 100 Million Covid Vaccine Doses
Image source: indiatvnews.com

India has become the “fastest country in the world” to administer more than 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, amid a deadly second wave of infections.

The country achieved the feat in 85 days, whereas the US took 89 days and China 102 days, the Indian health ministry said.

However, India reported a record daily increase of over 150,000 cases – and more than 800 new deaths – on April 11.

There are reports the vast vaccination drive itself is struggling.

This week, half a dozen states reported a shortage of doses even as the federal government insisted that it had 40 million doses in stock and that the “allegations” of vaccine scarcity were “utterly baseless”.

The inoculation drive aims to cover 250 million people by July, but experts say the pace needs to pick up further to meet the target.

Everyone aged over 45 is now eligible for immunization at vaccination centers and hospitals. Most doses have so far been given to frontline workers and the over-60s.

The third phase – which began on April 1 – opened amid a sharp uptick in Covid-19 cases. India has been reporting an average of more than 90,000 cases every day since then.

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On April 4, India became the second country after the US to report 100,000 new cases in a single day. More than half of those were confirmed in Maharashtra, which has India’s largest city Mumbai as its capital.

The country’s caseload had dropped sharply by the time it began vaccinating people early this year. It was adding under 15,000 infections daily. But cases began to spike again in March, largely driven by poor test-and-trace and lax safety protocols.

Experts say India’s second wave is being fuelled by people being less cautious – and mixed messaging by the government.

Since the pandemic began, India has confirmed more than 12 million cases and over 167,000 deaths. It’s the third-highest number of Covid-19 infections in the world after the US and Brazil.

India launched its vaccination program on January 16, but it was limited to healthcare workers and frontline staff – a sanitation worker became the first Indian to receive the vaccine.

From March 1, the eligibility criteria was expanded to include people over 60 and those aged between 45 and 59 with other illnesses.

The third phase included everyone above the age of 45.

India’s drugs regulator has given the green light to two vaccines – one developed by AstraZeneca with Oxford University (Covishield) and one by Indian firm Bharat Biotech (Covaxin). Several other candidates are at different stages of trials.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Dies Aged 99

Lisa.Felice
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0
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Dies Aged 99
Image source Wikimedia

Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband for 73 years, has died at the age of 99, Buckingham Palace has announced.

A statement issued by the palace just after midday spoke of the Queen’s “deep sorrow” following his death at Windsor Castle on April 9.

“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband,” the palace said.

“The Royal Family joins with people around the world in mourning his loss.”

The Duke of Edinburgh, who was the longest-serving consort in British history, had returned to Windsor on March 16 after a month in hospital.

PM Boris Johnson said he “inspired the lives of countless young people”.

Speaking at Downing Street, Boris Johnson said that Prince Philip had “earned the affection of generations here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth, and around the world”.

Meanwhile, Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said he “consistently put the interests of others ahead of his own and, in so doing, provided an outstanding example of Christian service”.

The flag at Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-mast and a notice was posted on the gates following the announcement of Prince Philip’s death.

Bunches of daffodils, tulips, roses and lilies were among floral tributes placed by people outside the palace, while crowds began to gather at Windsor Castle.

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Prince Philip married Princess Elizabeth in 1947, five years before she became Queen.

The duke and the Queen had four children, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Their first son, the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, was born in 1948, followed by his sister, the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, in 1950, the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, in 1960 and the Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, in 1964.

Prince Philip was born on the Greek island of Corfu on June, 10, 1921.

His father was Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, a younger son of King George I of the Hellenes.

His mother, Princess Alice, was a daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg and a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

In March, the duke left King Edward VII’s hospital in central London after a month-long stay for treatment.

Prince Philip underwent a procedure for a pre-existing heart condition at another London hospital – St Bartholomew’s.

Kim Kardashian Joins Forbes’ World’s Billionaires List

Lisa.Felice
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0
Kim Kardashian Joins Forbes’ World’s Billionaires List
Photo Twitter

Kim Kardashian has joined the elite club of the super-rich by achieving billionaire status.

The reality star’s net worth reached $1 billion thanks to her cosmetics and clothing interests as well as income from TV, endorsement deals and investments, Forbes business magazine says.

Kim Kardashian, 40, is now one of the 2,755 figures on Forbes’ World’s Billionaires List.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos leads the pack with a net worth of $177 billion.

Other Americans added over the past year include Bumble dating app founder Whitney Wolfe Herd ($1.3 billion), filmmaker Tyler Perry ($1 billion) and Miriam Adelson ($38.2 billion), widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.

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Kim Kardashian’s estranged husband Kanye West is already on the list ($1.8 billion) but her half-sister, Kylie Jenner, was removed last May by Forbes. The magazine alleged her family had inflated the value of her cosmetics business.

Forbes calculated that Kim Kardashian’s worth had risen to $1 billion from $780 million in October 2020 thanks especially to her stakes in the KKW Beauty cosmetics business and the Skims shapewear company.

KKW Beauty was launched in 2017 and Skims just two years ago after the initial brand name Kimono was dropped following accusations of cultural appropriation.

Kim Kardashian sold 20% of KKW Beauty to cosmetics giant Coty last year for $200 million, in a deal valuing the business at $1 billion.

Her most recent project Skims offers underwear and loungewear in the founder’s signature minimalist style, and has proven successful during the work-from-home era.

Kim Kardashian has used her huge social media presence (213 million followers on Instagram; 69.7 million followers on Twitter) during the coronavirus lockdowns to promote Skims loungewear.

North Korea Pulls Out of Tokyo Olympic Games over Covid-19 Fears

Clyde K. Valle
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0
North Korea Pulls Out of Tokyo Olympic Games over Covid-19 Fears
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

North Korea has announced it will skip the Tokyo Olympics this year, saying the decision is to protect its athletes from Covid-19.

Pyongyang’s decision puts an end to South Korea’s hopes of using the Games to engage with the North amid stalled cross-border talks.

In 2018, North and South Korea entered a joint team at the Winter Olympics which led to a series of historic summits.

North Korea says it has no cases of the virus but experts say this is unlikely.

The announcement makes North Korea the first major country to skip the delayed 2020 Games because of the pandemic. The event is due to begin on 23 July.

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This will be the first time North Korea has missed a Summer Olympics since 1988, when it boycotted the Seoul Games during the Cold War.

According to a report by the state-run site Sports in the DPRK, the decision was made at an Olympic committee meeting on March 25.

North Korea has taken stringent measures against the coronavirus since it broke out last year.

It shut its borders in late January and later quarantined hundreds of foreigners in its capital.

Since early 2020, trains and wagons have been forbidden to enter or leave North Korea, with most international passenger flights stopped as well.

There were hopes from South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in that the Games could be a catalyst for progress between both Koreas.

That had been the case in 2018, when North Korea sent 22 athletes to the Winter Olympics in South Korea, along with government officials, journalists and a 230-member cheering group.

Among the contingent was North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong – a move which helped it initiate diplomacy with South Korea and the US.

The talks that followed led to a series of historic, high-profile meetings between Kim Jong-un and former President Donald Trump.

There were hopes for improved relations after the meetings, but nothing materialized and the atmosphere has since deteriorated.

Meanwhile, in Japan, an Olympic preparatory event was canceled after Covid infections broke out at a training camp for the Japanese water polo team – with seven people testing positive for the virus.

It follows the announcement that the Osaka leg of the Olympic torch relay will be canceled after infections in the city hit record highs.

There have been growing concerns in Japan that more infectious strains of the virus could be driving a potential fourth Covid-19 wave in the country.

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