Sonceria “, the first African-American and eighth woman to serve as Secretary of the US Senate, has been sworn in.
“We begin this week on a joyful note welcoming an upstanding individual to serve as the new Secretary of the Senate,” Xinhua news agency quoted Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer as saying after Berry was sworn in on Monday.
Schumer added that Berry’s elevation to the position was a “testament to her outstanding career as a public servant of the highest calibre over her 40 years in Washington”.
Berry has worked as a staffer in the Senate for four decades and served as deputy chief of staff for Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy before holding the appointed position.
As the Senate Secretary, Berry is responsible for a wide array of legislative, financial and administrative functions in support of the upper chamber’s day-to-day operations.
The post of the Secretary of the Senate has existed since 1789, when Congress was still in its infancy
Michael Ryan (R), executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, speaks at a press conference after the WHO emergency committee's meeting on the novel coronavirus in China at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland
Experts have expressed hope that vaccination could bring an end to the acute phase of pandemic.
As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in some countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines….reports Asian Lite News
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that it is “unrealistic” to expect the Covid-19 pandemic to be over by the end of 2021.
“I think it will be very premature, and I think unrealistic, to think that we’re going to finish with this virus by the end of the year,” Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, said at a press conference here on Monday.
“But I think what we can, if we’re smart, finish with the hospitalizations, the deaths and the tragedy associated with this pandemic,” he said.
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist of the WHO, added that “the goal of COVAX is to bring an end to the acute phase of the pandemic by the end of 2021.”
A woman receives a COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination campaign for healthcare professionals in Nice
Covax
COVAX is a program led by the WHO, Gavi (the Vaccine Alliance) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) aiming at distributing Covid-19 vaccines around the world.
“We still face a huge challenge in rolling out vaccines equitably and fairly to those who most need them around the world,” Ryan said.
“We’re in a much better position than we were. But nothing is guaranteed,” he added.
As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in some countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.
Meanwhile, 256 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide — 74 of them in clinical trials — in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the United States, according to information released by the WHO on February 26.
While Biden did not mention Amazon, the reference was clear when he mentioned “workers in Alabama” in a video produced by the White House…reports Asian Lite News
US President Joe Biden has offered his support to unionisation efforts of workers, as employees of Amazon in an Alabama warehouse vote on whether to unionise.
While Biden did not mention Amazon, the reference was clear when he mentioned “workers in Alabama” in a video produced by the White House. He defended the workers’ right to decide whether to form a union without intimidation by employers.
“Workers in Alabama — and all across America – are voting on whether to organize a union in their workplace. It’s a vitally important choice — one that should be made without intimidation or threats by employers,” the US President said in tweet introducing the video late on Sunday.
Workers in Alabama – and all across America – are voting on whether to organize a union in their workplace. It’s a vitally important choice – one that should be made without intimidation or threats by employers.
Amazon workers at the Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse started voting by mail starting February 8.
Nearly 6,000 workers are to mail back their ballots by March 29 on whether to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
“Unions lift up workers, both union and non-union, but especially Black and Brown workers,” Biden said in the video.
“There should be no intimidation, no coercion, no threats, no anti-union propaganda. No supervisor should confront employees about their union preferences.”
He said that unions put power in the hands of workers and that they level the playing field.
“They give you a strong voice for your health, your safety, higher wages, protection from racial discrimination and sexual harassment,” Biden said.
Amazon’s bid to postpone a union vote at a warehouse in Alabama was earlier rejected by the country’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Amazon appealed in January to prevent a mail-in vote by the warehouse workers on whether to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.
The NLRB, in its ruling, said that Amazon’s appeal raised “no substantial issues warranting review,” CNBC reported.
The voting is being closely watched as it is the first major unionisation effort within Amazon since 2014 when similar efforts by repair technicians at a warehouse in Delaware failed as they could not get enough votes required for joining a union.
In what appears to be a bid to discourage the union drive, Amazon set up a website reminding workers that joining a union will cost them money in the form of membership dues.
“Why pay almost $500 in dues? We’ve got you covered* with high wages, health care, vision, and dental benefits, as well as a safety committee and an appeals process. There’s so much MORE you can do for your career and your family without paying dues,” said the website doitwithoutdues.com in its appeal to Bessemer employees.
Millions of train passengers in England and Wales will be hit by higher fares from Monday onwards as fares are expected to rise above inflation for the first time in eight years.
Ticket prices will increase by around 2.6 per cent, leading to accusations that the UK government is “pricing the railways out of existence”, Xinhua news agency quoted the Evening Standard newspaper as saying in a report.
The price hike represents the Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation from July 2020, plus 1 percentage point, according to the newspaper.
Increases in around half of fares, including season tickets on most commuter routes, are regulated by the British, Scottish and Welsh governments, media reports said.
Passengers in Wales face a similar increase, whereas the Scottish government is implementing smaller rises of 1.6 per cent and 0.6 per cent for peak and off-peak travel respectively, the report said.
Examples of the potential fare hikes include a Brighton-London annual season ticket going up by 129 pounds ($180) to 5,109 pounds ($7,154) and a Manchester-Glasgow off-peak return increasing by 2.30 pounds ($3) to 90.60 pounds ($126), said the Evening Standard newspaper.
Fare hikes in England have mirrored RPI since January 2014, but the Department for Transport (DfT) axed the policy due to the “unprecedented taxpayer support” handed to the rail industry during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The British, Scottish and Welsh governments took over rail franchise agreements from train operators in March 2020, following the collapse in demand for travel caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is expected to cost the government alone around 10 billion pounds by mid-2021, said the newspaper.
Fares usually become more expensive on the first working day of every year, but the 2021 rise was deferred due to the pandemic, said the newspaper.
The pandemic has affected tourists’ attitudes and behaviours in unforeseen ways, often subconsciously, said a new study.
The study, published in the journal Annals of Tourism Research, indicated that post-pandemic tourism could curb our motivation for new adventures.
“We found that a Covid-19 threat also made people overestimate the crowdedness of public spaces and feeling uncomfortable in crowded places like restaurants or shopping malls,” said researcher Florian Kock from Copenhagen Business School.
“Understanding the long-term psychological impact of the pandemic will be a crucial success factor for businesses during and long after the Covid-19 era,” Kock added.
For the study, the team implemented two survey-based studies at the start of the pandemic with 960 travellers to understand the deep-rooted changes of travel attitude and behaviour, gathering empirical insights.
They found that feeling vulnerable to Covid-19 activates a so-called ‘behavioural immune system’ that in turn makes people engage in various behaviours that helped our ancestors survive when facing a disease.
In the first study, the authors measured the degree to which individuals perceive a higher infection risk of Covid-19.
They found that those who fear Covid-19 are more prone to being nationalistic and xenophobic, meaning that they favour those who are like themselves and avoid foreigners.
In the second study, they found that those tourists who perceive Covid-19 as a big threat, subconsciously engage in behaviours in order to lower their travel-related risk perceptions.
As such, tourists found strategies to mitigate the travel risk by, for example, travelling in groups, buying travel insurance, and visiting the places they had visited before, thereby increasing destination loyalty.
People wearing face masks walk on a road in Rawalpindi of Pakistan's Punjab province
National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Covid relaxed most of the restrictions on commercial activities, schools, offices and other workplaces, allowing them to function at full strength on February 24…reports Asian Lite News
Health experts have sounded alarm over a third wave of the pandemic if there was a resurgence of fresh cases due to the easing of most of the coronavirus restrictions across Pakistan.
On Sunday, the country registered 1,176 new Covid-19 cases, which increased the overall tally to 581,365. The death toll currently stood at 12,896.
On February 24, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Covid relaxed most of the restrictions on commercial activities, schools, offices and other workplaces, allowing them to function at full strength.
Speaking to Dawn news on Sunday, Secretary General of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Qaisar Sajjad said: “We are living in a society where people do not follow the SOPs. They even laugh at those wearing face masks. We have already observed the results of lifting of restrictions in September last year when 100 to 200 daily cases were being reported, and within a month the government had to declare a second wave of coronavirus.”
He also said that the country’s response to Covid-19 vaccination was “very slow” and blamed the government for it.
Economic growth vs Health
Javaid Usman, a microbiologist, told Dawn news that the government was looking at the pandemic issue “with mere focus on country’s economic growth rather than public health”.
“Possibility of a third wave cannot be ruled out. We are giving another opportunity to virus to bounce back. We should not forget that now there are more than one variants of virus in Pakistan and they are more infectious and transmissible.
“It is not a good decision to lift restrictions as cases are continuously fluctuating and we have been observing sudden spikes.”
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiative Asad Umar has also warned of a third wave if the general public did not strictly adhere to the SOPs.
The White House’s response came after Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said earlier on Sunday that the time was “not appropriate” for Tehran to hold an informal meeting with European countries and the US….reports Asian Lite News
The White House said that it was disappointed that Tehran had rejected an offer to hold informal talks with European countries and the US over the Iran nuclear issue.
“While we are disappointed at Iran’s response, we remain ready to re-engage in meaningful diplomacy to achieve a mutual return to compliance with Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) commitments,” a White House spokesperson said on Sunday.
“We will be consulting with our P5+1 partners on the best way forward,” said spokesperson.
The White House’s response came after Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said earlier on Sunday that the time was “not appropriate” for Tehran to hold an informal meeting with European countries and the US.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
“Considering the recent positions and actions of the US and three European countries, the Islamic Republic of Iran does not consider the time to be appropriate for an informal meeting proposed by the European coordinator of the JCPOA,” he said.
The road ahead is very clear, the spokesman said, adding that the US should end its “illegal” and unilateral sanctions and return to its JCPOA commitments.
Last week, the European Union offered to attend an informal meeting between Iran and other parties to the JCPOA, which refers to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, with the US also attending as a guest.
In December 2020, the country’s Parliament passed the law of “Iran’s Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions” which obliges the government to further reduce the obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal unless the US lifts sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
As a result of the US’ unilateral 2018 exit from the nuclear agreement, Iran has surpassed JCPOA-stipulated limits on its uranium enrichment level and on its stockpiles of heavy water and low-enriched uranium.
The Islamic Republic has also lifted JCPOA limitations on its nuclear research and development activities.
One can always trust Perry to make a statement with fashion choices. Here the singer makes boho chic look effortless as wears a tie and dye kaftan dress in blue and orange with fringes…writes Puja Gupta.
Period of pregnancy always far away from fashion and glamour. But the present day fashion and trends have welcomes this period also with wonderful explorations. Maternity clothes should be oversized, baggy and loose? Myth! Fashion while you’re pregnant can be fun, experimental and chic, there’s no rule which says you can’t be glamorous. Raising the fashion bar and nailing maternity fashion, these celebs lead the way forward and inspire you to look fashionably pregnant.
Kareena Kapoor Khan
It was during Kareena’s first pregnancy that she inspired a generation of women to proudly flaunt their baby bump. Now, second time around, Kareena is making sure women stay fit and healthy as she poses in sports gear and talks about how women should maintain their exercise routine while expecting. “Practicing mind-body wellness, especially while you are pregnant is extremely essential. Yoga has helped me develop heightened awareness of my body and to be honest, I just feel so much better when I do yoga,” she told in an interview.
Khan’s recent looks for an ad in which she donned a pair of yoga tights, a sportswear and a jacket went viral. The pink monochrome look a light pink coloured had everyone talking.
Anushka Sharma
Anushka’s photoshoot for a fashion glossy made headlines. Of the many looks she donned, an olive dress with fringes at the bottom was a great example of comfort chic.
Anushka, recently gave birth to a girl, and revealed her current favourite accessory is a burp cloth.
Actress Amrita Rao flaunts her bump in a white shift dress, seeing that summer has come early this year, this looks shows you how to dress for the summer while expecting.
Rooney Mara
Sometimes all you need is a pair of sweatpants and a good old fashion T-shirt, and if you’re Rooney Mara, even this looks fab! Often choosing comfort over glamour Rooney’s look makes all of us feel better about being laid-back and chill.
Gigi Hadid
The supermodel and beau Zayn Malik gave birth to a baby girl recently; Gigi sports a sheer gown for a maternity photo shoot. Follow her Instagram handle to get inspirations for glamorous styles to dungarees, whether it’s the girl next door or a red carpet diva, there’s plenty of looks to learn from.
Sophie Turner
Keeping it real, Sophie reminds you to get a good dose of Vitamin D and have some fun while you soak up the sun. As they say happy girls are the prettiest!
Nicki Minaj
Nicki has always made heads turn with her fashion choices. For the more is more trend, follow her style code, at a recent maternity shoot through which she announced her pregnancy, the singer wore a studded floral mesh string bikini and silver platform high heels with yellow hair. She heavily accesorised the look with layered neckpiece, rings and bracelets.
Katy Perry
One can always trust Perry to make a statement with fashion choices. Here the singer makes boho chic look effortless as wears a tie and dye kaftan dress in blue and orange with fringes. Gazing out to the desert she looks forward to a new phase in life. A neat pony tail, and completed the brown flats is all she needs as she moves forward.
Michelle Williams
Michelle’s elegant off-shoulder orange dress at the Golden Globe Awards is a great choice when it comes to occasion-wear for all moms-to-be. Instead of the silhouette let the colour make the statement.
Meghan Markle
If you want to always be camera ready then try The Duchess of Sussex’s style which is both feminine and sophisticated. Feminine dresses, flirty patterns and classic silhouettes are her go to options.
Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi (C) arrives for the plenary session of the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 2, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei/IANS)
Protesters gathered across the streets again after the bloodiest violence.
Since her detention, the former State Counsellor has been under house arrest in an undisclosed location..reports Asian Lite News
Myanmar’s former de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday appeared in court here via video link, marking her first public appearance since her detention and the sebsequent military coup on February 1.
Since her detention, the former State Counsellor has been under house arrest in an undisclosed location.
The report quoted Suu Kyi’s lawyers as saying that she appeared to be in “good health” and asked to see her legal team.
According to the report, she originally faced two charges of illegally importing walkie talkies and violating the South Asian nation’s natural disaster law.
Myanmar’s State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi (R, front) lays a wreath during a ceremony to mark the 72nd Martyrs’ Day in Yangon, Myanmar. (Xinhua/U Aung/IANS)
However, additional charges were added on Monday, including breaching Covid-19 restrictions during the last year’s election campaign and for causing “fear and alarm”.
The case has been adjourned till March 15 and it was not immediately known of the punishments the new charges carry.
Citing the Myanmar Now news agency, the BBC report said that former President U Win Myint, who was also detained along with Suu Kyi on February 1, has been charged for incitement.
In response to the coup, Myanmar has witnessed continued protests demanding the release of Suu Kyi and the other senior officials of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party and also the restoration of the democratically elected government.
On Sunday, 18 protesters lost their lives, making the deadliest day of the demonstrations.
Protests were staged on Monday, despite the military and police raming up its response against the agitating crowds, the BBC reported.
Myanmar protesters
The military staged the coup on February 1 and declared a year-long state of emergency.
It handed all state power over to Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services General Min Aung Hlaing.
The military seized power after it had demanded the postponement of new parliamentary sessions, citing massive voting fraud in the November 8, 2020 general elections, which saw the NLD win a majority of seats in both houses of parliament.
Myanmar’s Union Election Commission dismissed the allegation.
