po Government fails to hit Matt Hancock's 100,000 testing target for seventh day in a row By www.standard.co.uk Published On :: 2020-05-09T14:25:00Z Full Article
po UK coronavirus LIVE: Boris Johnson's lockdown easing 'will be in line with Wales' as official death toll rises above 31,500 By www.standard.co.uk Published On :: 2020-05-09T14:33:00Z Full Article
po UK Border Force 'intercept record number of migrants crossing English Channel' By www.standard.co.uk Published On :: 2020-05-09T11:44:00Z Some 140 people were found making their way to Britain by the Border Force and brought ashore at Dover, according to Sky News. Full Article
po Police 'fighting losing battle' over lockdown as 'hundreds' gather for picnics in east London sunshine By www.standard.co.uk Published On :: 2020-05-09T13:49:00Z Police say they are "fighting a losing battle" over enforcing the lockdown after "hundreds" turned out in parks across east London to enjoy picnics in the sunshine. Full Article
po 'Pot calling kettle BLACK!' JD Rucker TORCHES CNN and Oliver Darcy over their petty piece trashing OAN in spectacular thread By twitchy.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 11:55:04 Z Full Article <![CDATA[CNN]]> <![CDATA[Trump]]> <![CDATA[Oliver Darcy]]> <![CDATA[OAN]]> <![CDATA[JD Rucker]]>
po 'Are you kidding me?' Jimmy Kimmel offers the biggest non-apology in the history of non-apologies after getting busted peddling BS about Pence By twitchy.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 14:25:53 Z Full Article <![CDATA[Jimmy Kimmel]]> <![CDATA[Mike Pence]]>
po ‘EVIL’: Ben Shapiro shines damning spotlight on how media’s partisan selective outrage has impacted DeSantis vs. Cuomo in the polls By twitchy.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 14:42:03 Z Full Article <![CDATA[Ben Shapiro]]> <![CDATA[Florida]]> <![CDATA[media]]> <![CDATA[New York]]> <![CDATA[COVID]]>
po 'Getting nervous'? House Dems demand IG investigate Bill Barr's 'improper political interference' into the improper political interference that was designed to take down Trump By twitchy.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 16:20:20 Z Full Article <![CDATA[Donald Trump]]> <![CDATA[House Judiciary Committee]]> <![CDATA[Robert Mueller]]> <![CDATA[Russia investigation]]> <![CDATA[Bill Barr]]>
po Vice President Pence press secretary Katie Miller tests positive for coronavirus By twitchy.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:42:21 Z Full Article <![CDATA[Mike Pence]]> <![CDATA[coronavirus]]> <![CDATA[Katie Miller]]>
po MUST-READ THREAD: Stanford prof. UNLOADS on Hillary hack Jennifer Palmieri over her 'complex discomfort' supporting Joe Biden By twitchy.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 22:18:17 Z Full Article <![CDATA[Joe Biden]]> <![CDATA[Tara Reade]]>
po Washington Post: Hey, maybe President Trump isn't a Florida resident after all? By twitchy.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 06:46:58 Z Full Article <![CDATA[Washington Post]]> <![CDATA[Mar-a-Lago]]>
po Why Fake Video, Audio May Not Be As Powerful In Spreading Disinformation As Feared By www.npr.org Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 05:00:25 -0400 "Deepfakes" have received a lot of attention as a way to potentially spread misleading or false information and influence public opinion. But two specialists say that might not be a huge concern. Full Article
po Maati Baani: ‘Music is A Powerful Medium for Peace’ By rollingstoneindia.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 19:31:57 +0000 The world music duo on reinventing their 2011 track ‘Karpur Gauram’ with 17 musicians from nine countries The post Maati Baani: ‘Music is A Powerful Medium for Peace’ appeared first on My Site. Full Article News & Updates Adriano Piccioni Akshat Parikh Alisa Sadikova Amit Mishra Anaar Desai Stephens Argentina collaboration concerts covid-19 Devang Rachh Franco Prosperi gigs Govind Gawli india Ismel Leal Pich Israel italy Jess Townsend Jiro Yoshioka Joel Eisenkramer Karpur Gauram Kartik Shah Ligal Soffer Lockdown Maati Baani Madhav Haridas Max Fellermann NGO Nirali Kartik peace remote production Russia Spain streaming Switzerland Tao Issaro trends U.K. U.S.A.
po Nagaland Pop-Rockers Trance Effect Release Smashing EP ‘Clowns’ By rollingstoneindia.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 09:04:42 +0000 The record is filled with soaring vocals, melodic guitar work, stomping grooves and more The post Nagaland Pop-Rockers Trance Effect Release Smashing EP ‘Clowns’ appeared first on My Site. Full Article Artists Home Flashbox Music New Music News & Updates Videos Clowns Dimapur Nagaland pop rock Trance Effect
po Trump admin’s botched pandemic response detailed in whistleblower complaint By arstechnica.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 20:25:09 +0000 Ex-official alleges cronyism, says warnings about supply shortages were ignored. Full Article Features Policy Science coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic rick bright Trump whistleblower complaint
po Twitter failing to curb misinformation “superspreaders,” report warns By arstechnica.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 16:47:28 +0000 Posts from high-profile accounts tout questionable virus therapies and cures. Full Article Policy Science COVID-19 misinformation Twitter
po Incredible video shows Hayabusa2 pogo-bouncing off asteroid By arstechnica.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 20:20:46 +0000 A new paper analyzes what we know about the sample the probe grabbed last year. Full Article Science asteroids Hayabusa Hayabusa2
po Rocket Report: Military space plane returns to pad, SLS engine costs soar By arstechnica.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 11:00:53 +0000 LauncherOne to cap eight years of development with upcoming flight. Full Article Science
po Fifty Shades of Sligo: Normal People poses a challenge for Irish tourism By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-08T13:31:19Z The travel industry has sifted through the BBC show’s many sex scenes to showcase shots of Ireland’s landscapePromoting Ireland as a tourism destination used to be straightforward – just showcase the bucolic landscape and put a slogan on the end – but that was before Normal People turned a chunk of the Atlantic coast into Fifty Shades of Sligo.The television adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel features beautiful shots of Sligo’s beaches and mountains, plus Trinity College Dublin, but there is also sex. Lots of sex. Continue reading... Full Article Ireland Sally Rooney Books Europe Culture World news Television Television & radio
po 'Alien comet' visitor has weird composition By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 05:43:07 -0400 The first known comet to visit us from another star system has an unusual make-up. Full Article
po Nature crisis: 'Insect apocalypse' more complicated than thought By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Thu, 23 Apr 2020 15:10:59 -0400 The health of insect populations globally is far more varied than previous research suggested. Full Article
po ICESat-2 laser-scanning satellite tracks how billions of tons of polar ice are lost By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 20:21:28 -0400 A satellite mission that bounces laser light off the ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland has found that hundreds of billions of tons' worth of ice are being lost every year due to Earth's changing climate. Scientists involved in NASA's ICESat-2 project report in the journal Science that the net loss of ice from those regions has been responsible for 0.55 inches of sea level rise since 2003. That's slightly less than a third of the total amount of sea level rise observed in the world's oceans over that time. To track how the ice sheets are changing, the ICESat-2… Read More Full Article
po A breakthrough approaches for solar power By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 04:57:33 -0400 Scientists are working on better solar cells that will turn more of the sun's rays into electricity. Full Article
po Scientists explain magnetic pole's wanderings By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 04:49:11 -0400 The North Magnetic Pole has been racing across the top of the world, from Canada towards Siberia. Full Article
po Study spotlights the Allen Institute’s latest 3-D reference atlas of the mouse brain By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 00:19:40 -0400 The third time's the charm for the Allen Institute for Brain Science's 3-D atlas of the mouse brain. Version 3 of the atlas, known as the Allen Mouse Brain Common Coordinate Framework or CCFv3, is the subject of a research paper published today in the journal Cell. It builds on a partial brain map that focused on the mouse cortex and was released in 2016. Previous versions of the atlas were rendered with lower-resolution 3-D maps. The latest high-resolution maps are fine enough to pinpoint the locations of individual brain cells — which is crucial for interpreting datasets that contain thousands… Read More Full Article
po Restoration work inside Pompeii's House of Lovers – in pictures By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-02-18T18:15:00Z The ancient Roman city’s House of the Lovers has reopened to the public 40 years after it was severely damaged in 1980 by an earthquake Pompeii’s House of Lovers reopens to public Continue reading... Full Article Archaeology Italy News photography Photography World news Culture
po Covid-19: what role might air pollution play? – podcast By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-04-28T04:00:57Z After a string of studies that highlight the possible link between air pollution and Covid-19 deaths, Ian Sample hears from Prof Anna Hansell about the complicated relationship between pollution, health and infection with Sars-CoV-2 Continue reading... Full Article Coronavirus outbreak Air pollution Infectious diseases Science Microbiology Medical research Biology Environment
po Covid-19: why are women less likely to die? – podcast By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-04-29T04:00:05Z Hannah Devlin speaks to Prof Sabra Klein about why women are much less likely to become seriously ill or die from Covid-19, and what the implications of this knowledge for future treatments might be Continue reading... Full Article Coronavirus outbreak Infectious diseases Medical research Science Women Men Microbiology
po Covid-19: will my allergies make a difference? – podcast By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-06T04:00:01Z As hay fever season approaches, Nicola Davis asks Prof Stephen Durham about the differences between the immune response to an allergen, such as pollen, and a pathogen, like Sars-CoV-2. Should those with allergies should be concerned about Covid-19? Continue reading... Full Article Allergies Coronavirus outbreak Science Hay fever Infectious diseases Medical research Society
po Uncovering the mysteries of the 'crazy beast' – Science Weekly podcast By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-07T09:56:53Z As the coronavirus outbreak continues to be our focus on Science Weekly, we also want to try look at other science stories. In this episode, Nicola Davis speaks to Dave Krause about the 66-million-year-old fossil of a cat-sized mammal dubbed ‘crazy beast’. A giant in its day, we hear how this now extinct branch of mammals – known as Gondwanatherians – offers new insights into what could have been Continue reading... Full Article Science Evolution Mammals Palaeontology Biology
po Lethbridge stormtrooper takedown now to be investigated by external police force By www.cbc.ca Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 12:59:44 EDT Lethbridge police are being investigated by an outside force after handcuffing a woman in a stormtrooper costume outside a Star Wars-themed business earlier this week. But still the force faces accusations that not enough is being done to investigate what happened. Full Article News/Canada/Calgary
po COVID-19 outbreak linked to Canada Post main plant in Calgary, health officials say By www.cbc.ca Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 18:14:31 EDT There is now an outbreak of COVID-19 linked to Canada Post's main plant in Calgary, according to Alberta Health Services. Full Article News/Canada/Calgary
po Poll: Most in US back curbing in-person worship amid virus By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 11:00:11 -0400 While the White House looks ahead to reopening houses of worship, most Americans think in-person religious services should be barred or allowed only with limits during the coronavirus pandemic — and only about a third say that prohibiting in-person services violates religious freedom, a new poll finds. States have taken different approaches to resuming gatherings as the coronavirus continues to spread, raising tough questions for religious leaders and the faithful about the appropriate time to return. Among that group is 54-year-old Andre Harris of Chicago, a onetime Sunday school teacher who has shifted his routine from physical worship to the conference calls his church is holding during the pandemic. Full Article
po Smart Education And Learning Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Age, By Component, By Learning Mode, By End User, By Region And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027 By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 11:30:00 -0400 Smart Education And Learning Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Age, By Component (Hardware, Software, Service), By Learning Mode, By End User, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05891723/?utm_source=PRN The global smart education and learning market size is expected to reach USD 680.1 billion by 2027. The market is anticipated to witness a CAGR of 17.9% from 2020 to 2027. Demand for smart education and learning solutions is increasing among the growing population in corporate and academic sectors, owing to benefits such as improved education quality and easy access to educational content. Increasing adoption of consumer electronics, such as smartphones, e-readers, laptops, and e-learning applications, has altered conventional education methodology and has enhanced the efficiency of an individual to learn. Additionally, there are enormous opportunities for advancements in the market, owing to improved internet accessibility.Also, the COVID - 19 outbreak has emerged an opportunity for the market with an increasing number of states and countries closing educational institutes. For instance, over 90.0% of the world's students are not attending their schools due to this pandemic, as mentioned by UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). Commonwealth of Learning (COL), an intergovernmental organization of The Commonwealth (Canada), has supported educational institutions and governments in building robust distance education solutions for quality e-learning practices. However, lack of awareness among end-users about the latest technologies and inadequate amount of resources for delivering quality education in developing regions is anticipated to hinder market growth.The simulation-based learning segment is anticipated to exhibit the highest CAGR because this mode enables corporate professional and educational institutions to create a realistic experience in a controlled environment.It also allows professionals and learners to practice, navigate, explore, and obtain more information through a virtual medium before they start working on real-life tasks.Growing awareness among people and the rising popularity of smart education are encouraging solution providers to invest in research and development for creating more reliable, better, and cost-effective solutions. Manufacturers are making substantial investments in developing new products for enhancing the user experience.Smart education and learning market report highlights:• Growing demand for smart educational practices can be accredited to factors, such as reducing expenses of online training, curbing geographic challenges in physically attending classes, and time constraints faced by aspirants• Increasing penetration of the Internet of Things (IoT), enhanced internet accessibility, and rapid adoption of mobile technology have encouraged users to adopt smart education and learning solutions• Innovative techniques, such as gamification, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), microlearning, and adaptive learning, which improve the overall educational process, are expected to drive the market over the projected period• North America accounted for the largest market share in 2019 owing to its large consumer base for e-learning methodsRead the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05891723/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 Full Article
po The importance of the coronavirus R rate in other countries across the globe By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 12:27:25 -0400 In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel has been praised for her realism and flexibility when it comes to using her country's reproduction rate to inform lockdown policies. During a press conference on April 16 she explained: "The whole evolution (of the rate) is based on the fact that we assume that we have an infection figure that we can monitor, that we can track and that we have more protection concepts and that, thanks to those, we can loosen restrictions. "But it is thin ice," as Mr Tschentscher (the Hamburg Mayor) said, "or a fragile situation, or really a situation where caution is the order of the day and not overconfidence". The Robert Koch Institute, the government’s health agency, provides regular updates on the country’s rate. On May 5, it stood at 0.71, slightly declining two days later to 0.65. Mrs Merkel’s caution is reflected across the border in France, where the R has fluctuated as the country began easing lockdown measures. On May 1, Jerome Salomon, France's public health chief, said it had risen to between 0.6 and 0.7 on average from 0.5, due to the “progressive return to activity”. But officials are not solely relying on the R, instead reviewing several indicators to decide when to loosen restrictions. At the end of April Spanish authorities said almost all areas of the country had a reproduction number below one, but that they would not consider easing restrictions unless this continues. Full Article
po COVID-19 expected to peak in world's poorest countries soon, UN says By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 12:28:04 -0400 The United Nations said a "smart strategy" is to contain coronavirus in the world's most vulnerable countries to stem a "further phase of the pandemic." Full Article
po VP Pence's press secretary tests positive for coronavirus By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 12:35:06 -0400 Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary has the coronavirus, the White House said Friday, making her the second person who works at the White House complex known to test positive for the virus this week. President Donald Trump, who publicly identified the affected Pence aide, said he was “not worried” about the virus spreading in the White House. Pence spokeswoman Katie Miller, who tested positive Friday, had been in recent contact with Pence but not with the president. Full Article
po Amid pandemic, Pompeo to visit Israel for annexation talks By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 12:58:33 -0400 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Israel next week for a brief visit amid the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, a trip that’s expected to focus on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to annex portions of the West Bank, the State Department said Friday. Pompeo will make the lightning trip to Jerusalem to see Netanyahu and his new coalition partner Benny Gantz on Wednesday as the Trump administration tries to return to business as normal by resuming governmental travel and reopening an economy devastated by the COVID-19 outbreak. Full Article
po Police drop investigation into Brexit campaigners accused of breaching spending rules By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 13:49:30 -0400 Police have dropped an investigation into two prominent Brexit campaigners accused of breaching spending rules during the referendum campaign. In 2018 the Electoral commission said that Alan Halsall, of Vote Leave, and Darren Grimes, founder of pro-Brexit youth group BeLeave, failed to declare a payment related to the campaign. The watchdog said that BeLeave "spent more than £675,000 with (Canadian data firm) Aggregate IQ under a common plan with Vote Leave". This spending took Vote Leave over its £7 million legal spending limit by almost £500,000. Vote Leave paid a £61,000 fine, but denied wrongdoing, while Mr Grimes won an appeal against his £20,000 fine in July. The Commission also referred the pair to the Metropolitan Police but on Friday it was revealed that the investigations had now been dropped. A spokesman for the Leave campaigners said: "The Metropolitan Police has written to Vote Leave board member Alan Halsall and BeLeave founder Darren Grimes to confirm that it will not be acting on allegations made against them by the Electoral Commission and various Remain campaigners. "This marks the end of a two-year ordeal for both individuals." Mr Grimes, 26, said the development called into question whether the Electoral Commission was "fit for purpose". He had insisted since the allegations were first made that he was "completely innocent" of making false declarations in relation to the £680,000 donation. In a statement, Mr Grimes, a former fashion student originally from County Durham, said: "The Metropolitan Police has found, after investigation and consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, that there is no case to be answered. "Once again the Electoral Commission has been found to be part of the mob, a quango out of control that isn't policing elections so much as punishing Leavers who have the temerity to win them. "My ordeal at the hands of the kangaroo court that is the Electoral Commission is now over, but questions must now be asked of whether that body is fit for purpose." Mr Halsall, the responsible person for Vote Leave, said he was "delighted to have been exonerated" and thanked the police for their "professional" investigation. "I was very disappointed that my colleagues at Vote Leave and myself were never given the opportunity of making our case in person to the Electoral Commission before being fined and reported to the police," he added. "It seems a rather unusual way of conducting an inquiry into such matters that only the so-called whistleblowers who made these allegations are interviewed by the regulator." A spokesman for the Met said an investigation into the Electoral Commission's allegations against Vote Leave and BeLeave, submitted on July 17 2018, was handed over in October to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). "On Tuesday, March 3 preliminary advice was received from the CPS," said the force spokesman. "This advice has now been duly considered and no further action will be taken." Full Article
po Virus restrictions reimposed amid patchwork re-openings By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 14:36:21 -0400 As coronavirus-induced economic pain grew around the world, some U.S. states moved forward Friday with plans to reopen their economies, while European countries held muted commemorations to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II on the continent. Around the U.K., residents were encouraged to stand on their doorsteps and sing together while socially distanced to commemorate the Allies' victory over Nazi Germany. Meanwhile, South Korea, seen as a model for containing COVID-19, ordered nightclubs closed for a month and considered delaying a school restart after an uptick in coronavirus cases. Full Article
po Senate Fails To Override President Trump Veto Of Iran War Powers By www.newsy.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 16:54:00 -0400 The Senate failed to override President Trump's veto of legislation that would have prevented him from taking military action in Iran without congressional approval. On Thursday, the Senate voted 49-44 in favor of the override, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for it to be approved. Both chambers of Congress passed the bipartisan resolution earlier this year. Full Article
po Senate Fails to Override Trump's Veto of Iran War Powers By www.newsy.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 16:54:00 -0400 The Senate failed to override President Trump's veto of legislation that would have prevented him from taking military action in Iran without congressional approval. On Thursday, the Senate voted 49-44 in favor of the override, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for it to be approved. Both chambers of Congress passed the bipartisan resolution earlier this year. Full Article
po AP Exclusive: Docs show top WH officials buried CDC report By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 18:17:39 -0400 The decision to shelve detailed advice from the nation’s top disease control experts for reopening communities during the coronavirus pandemic came from the highest levels of the White House, according to internal government emails obtained by The Associated Press. The files also show that after the AP reported Thursday that the guidance document had been buried, the Trump administration ordered key parts of it to be fast-tracked for approval. It included detailed “decision trees,” or flow charts aimed at helping local leaders navigate the difficult decision of whether to reopen or remain closed. Full Article
po U.S. lawmakers urge support for Taiwan at WHO, amid COVID-19 fight -sources By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 20:55:47 -0400 Full Article
po Egypt’s president expands powers, citing virus outbreak By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 01:53:15 -0400 Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has approved amendments to the country's state of emergency that grant him and security agencies additional powers, which the government says are needed to combat the coronavirus outbreak. An international rights group condemned the amendments, saying the government has used the global pandemic to “expand, not reform, Egypt’s abusive Emergency Law.” The new amendments allow the president to to take measures to contain the virus, such as suspending classes at schools and universities and quarantining those returning from abroad. Full Article
po Iran reports more than 1,500 new virus cases By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 07:05:43 -0400 Iran warned Saturday that coronavirus infections were rising in the southwest despite falls in other regions, as it announced more than 1,500 new confirmed cases. "All provinces are showing a gradual drop in new infections... except for Khuzestan, where the situation is still concerning," health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in televised remarks. The health ministry stopped publishing provincial figures for the coronavirus last month. Full Article
po Union Garment Workers Fear 'an Opportunity to Get Rid of Us' By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 10:46:45 -0400 Myan Mode, a garment factory on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar, produces men's jackets, women's blazers and coats for Western fashion companies like Mango and Zara. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, it has seen a decrease in orders from international retailers.That was why it let go almost half of its 1,274 workers in late March, the factory's managing director said in response to protesters who arrived at the factory's doors to denounce the dismissals.Three fired sewing operators, however, said the factory was taking an opportunity to punish workers engaged in union activity. In an interview, the operators -- Maung Moe, Ye Yint and Ohnmar Myint -- said that of the 571 who had been dismissed, 520 had belonged to the factory's union, one of 20 that make up the Federation of Garment Workers Myanmar. About 700 workers who did not belong to the union kept their jobs, they said.Myan Mode's South Korean-based owner did not respond to requests for comment, and did not provide details about the firings.Moe, 27, was the factory union's president and had organized several strikes. Yint, 30, was the union's secretary, while Myint, 34, had been a union member since its founding in June 2018."The bosses used COVID as an opportunity to get rid of us because they hated our union," Moe said. He said he and other union members had been in discussions with the factory managers before the firings, demanding personal protective equipment and that workers be farther apart on the factory floor. "They thought we caused them constant headaches by fighting for our rights and those of our fellow workers."Union-busting -- practices undertaken to prevent or disrupt the formation of trade unions or attempts to expand membership -- has been a serious problem across the fashion supply chain for decades. But with the global spread of COVID-19 placing fresh pressures on the industry, it is a particular issue in South Asia, where about 40 million garment workers have long grappled with poor working conditions and wages."Union-busting is not a COVID-specific issue for the garment industry -- it happens all the time," said Luke Smitham of the sustainability consultancy Kumi Consulting.Zara's parent company, Inditex, which is supplied by Myan Mode, said its code of conduct for manufacturers expressly prohibited any discrimination against worker representatives. The company said in an email that it was "actively following the situation" at Myan Mode, and would "try to achieve the best possible solution for workers."Mango, which has started to reopen its stores in Europe, said in an emailed statement that it "understood the need to ensure that the human rights of factory workers are respected." The company added that it was maintaining "a continuous" dialogue with suppliers.Roughly 2% of garment workers in Myanmar, where the minimum wage is roughly $3.50 a day, and 0.5% of garment workers in Bangladesh belong to a union, according to affiliate data estimates collected by the global trade union IndustriALL. While Cambodia's workforce is more unionized than others in the region -- around 80% -- the unions there are fragmented, meaning successful collective bargaining negotiations can be difficult.Tear gas, water cannons, police brutality and imprisonment were some of the tools used by the governments of Bangladesh, Cambodia, India and Myanmar to punish striking garment workers and union members last year, according to the International Trade Union Confederation, an umbrella group for unions around the world. It noted that many workers in those countries who tried to form a union were dismissed from jobs or blacklisted by factories. And the number of countries that exclude workers from the right to establish or join a trade union increased to 107 in 2019 from 92 in 2018.Andrew Tillett-Saks, a labor organizer in Yangon, said he had seen a surge in unionizing by garment workers in Myanmar over the last 18 months -- and a reaction from factory owners. Before the pandemic, he said, some garment factories with fledgling unions were abruptly closing and firing union members, then reopening weeks later to supply the same brands under a slightly different name with a new group of nonunionized workers.Tillett-Saks said that much of the focus had been on whether brands would pay wages for workers during the pandemic, or for orders that had already been produced. But factory owners "taking this as an opportunity to break down labor movements in the supply chain could be an even bigger issue."Some brands, like H&M, have tried to facilitate union activity in supplier factories by signing ACT, an agreement brokered by IndustriALL and designed to secure fair wages for workers through collective bargaining and building guarantees of labor rights into purchasing agreements. But there are still hurdles. Before the International Labor Organization, a U.N. agency, can take action, allegations of mistreatment must be sent in writing from a national or international trade union organization and then reviewed internally by the agency -- a complicated process even before the pandemic."We have heard allegations of anti-union discrimination in recent weeks," said John Ritchotte, a specialist in social dialogue and labor administration in Asia for the International Labor Organization. "However, it is currently more difficult than usual for us to verify those allegations through our usual procedures because of travel restrictions and local lockdowns."In the weeks since the Myan Mode layoffs, around 15,000 jobs in the textile industry have been lost and about 40 factories closed across Asia, said Khaing Zar Aung, president of Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar.Moe said the fired Myan Mode workers had protested outside the factory for weeks, watching as daily wage workers entered and scores of exhausted former colleagues left at midnight after overtime shifts. Eventually, management offered severance but not re-employment to the 571 fired workers, plus 49 employees who had walked out in solidarity. All but 79 eventually took the severance pay.The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia said about 60% of its factories -- where union members have also been targeted -- had been severely affected by canceled orders of ready-made garment exports because of the pandemic.On March 31, several dozen union workers at the Superl leatherwear factory on the outskirts of Phnom Penh -- which produces handbags for brands like Michael Kors, Tory Burch and Kate Spade -- were told they were being let go. One was a woman who was six months pregnant.Soy Sros, a factory shop steward and the local president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers, wrote about the company's actions on Facebook, stating it violated a March 6 appeal from the Cambodian government saying COVID should not be used as a chance to discriminate against union members.Twenty-four hours later, Sros was forced by factory management to take down her post and make a thumbprint on a warning letter accusing her of defamation. On April 2, she was removed from the factory floor by the police and charged with posting fake information on social media. She is now in jail.Superl, which is headquartered in Hong Kong, did not respond to requests for comment, nor did Michael Kors and Tory Burch, who regularly place orders at the factory. Another customer, Tapestry, the owner of Kate Spade, declined to comment.In Myanmar, Moe, Yint and Myint all said they did not regret joining the union despite the difficulties they had faced. They said the loss of jobs was proof that worker representation was needed."I worry for the future of garment workers here without representatives," Myint said, referring to both the firings at Myan Mode and other factories across Asia. "But for now, I worry about providing for my family and getting food on the table."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company Full Article
po Comcast waives data cap until at least June 30 in response to pandemic By arstechnica.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 21:54:33 +0000 Comcast hasn't enforced data cap since March 13 because of pandemic. Full Article Biz & IT Comcast data cap pandemic
po “Chickens**t” whistleblower firings are “poison,” resigning Amazon VP says By arstechnica.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 15:27:05 +0000 Firings highlight “toxicity running through the company culture,” Bray said. Full Article Biz & IT Policy Amazon labor tim bray
po Comcast resists call to open home Wi-Fi hotspots, cites potential congestion By arstechnica.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 19:08:45 +0000 "Comcast's excuse simply does not add up," three US senators say. Full Article Biz & IT Policy Comcast Ron Wyden