New Delhi (Sputnik): As many as 12 people lost their lives and several others were hospitalised due to a hazardous styrene gas leak at a South Korean factory in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday. ......

Nanjing University life science faculty's discovery of the anti-tumor mechanisms of high-salt diet was recently reported by Nature Communication and hailed by colleagues as a disruptive step of progress. Professors Zhang Junfeng and Dong Lei's team at the State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology of School of Life Sciences published in the online journal on April 7, 2020, the paper 'High-salt diet inhibits tumor growth in mice via regulating myeloid-derived suppressor cell differentiation' (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15524-1). The publication drew widespread interest from at home and abroad. The Nature Research Cancer...

BEIJING - Amid the further containment of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), China is powering ahead in returning to work and resuming business and production. The following are the latest facts and figures: - China is set to orderly open up public places and entertainment venues, according to a guideline issued by the State Council on May 8. Shopping malls, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and...

Seven people were killed when protesters angry over what they see as unfair food aid distribution during the coronavirus pandemic clashed with police in Afghanistan's western Ghor province on Saturday, according to a local member of parliament. Fourteen more were wounded during the protest - sparked by growing unhappiness at the distribution...

Theragun announces its rebrand under Therabody to holistically hub their suite of wellness solutions: a new generation of percussive therapy guns and line of CBD treatments. ......

The PLO Executive Committee pledged on Thursday to immediately cancel all agreements with Israel should the latter proceed with implementing the annexation plan, Wafa...

As the globe contends with the coronavirus pandemic, still looming large now more than ever is the threat posed by Communist China, which is something Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) warns should not be taken lightly. ......

The World Bank approved a $400 million grant on Friday to help Afghanistan deal with the coronavirus while maintaining economic and public finance reforms. The grant will support efforts to improve business regulation and encourage private investment, improve taxation capacity and expand social inclusion, among others. It is made up of $160 million from the International Development...

News & Events 9th May 2020 Protocol will help businesses and workers to return to work safely following COVID-19 closures The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) have been charged with oversight and enforcement The Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD, today Saturday, 9 May 2020 published the National 'Return to Work Safely Protocol'. The Protocol clearly and comprehensively sets out the steps and processes that businesses must take to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. The Protocol was developed and agreed in consultation with the members of the Labour Employer Economic Forum, which is the forum for high-level dialogue between government, and...

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia has protested to the European Union after one of its publications described inventor and electricity pioneer Nikola Tesla as a Croat. Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Saturday he has sent the protest note to Brussels after the EU’s...

Virgil van Dijk believes the demands placed upon on him by Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool have been fundamental in helping him elevate his game to its current levels. Since arriving at Anfield in January 2018, the centre-back has swept up a host of individual accolades, including both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and UEFA Men's Player of the Year for his form last season, as well as a second-place finish in the Ballon d'Or. Collectively, Van Dijk has played a key role alongside his teammates in the Reds' haul of Champions League, UEFA...

Hungary's parliament has passed a...

New Delhi: The United States is understood to have reiterated its desire for India to play a key role in the Afghan peace process, given New Delhi’s strong relationship with the Afghan Government. Strengthening its ties with Kabul amid the Coronavirus pandemic, New Delhi meanwhile has dispatched a consignment of 10,000 tonnes of wheat on Thursday to Afghanistan through the Iranian port of Chabahar and this brings...

The settlement report said that in strange and reprehensible statements that reflect the Zionist colonial and racist ideology, the American ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, urged the government of Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz to accelerate the announcement of the annexation of areas in the occupied West Bank to Israel. He told an Israeli newspaper that “if the government of Israel announces this, the United States will be prepared to recognize, in the coming weeks, Israel’s sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and Israeli settlement in Judea and Samaria, and that it will recognize 30% of the occupied West Bank as areas of Israel within the deal of the century in the...

The US President appeared puzzled that the aide, Katie Miller, press secretary for Vice-President Mike Pence, had contracted the virus "out of the blue". ......

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Frustrated by scarce supplies and a chaotic marketplace amid the coronavirus outbreak, some U.S. governors are seeking to bolster their home-state production of vital medical and protective equipment to ensure a reliable long-term source for state stockpiles. The efforts come as states have been competing against each other, the federal government, hospitals, emergency responders and even other countries to get items such as N95 masks, gloves, medical gowns and hand sanitizer — often paying higher-than-usual prices because of the high demand. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. got much of its medical supplies from China. But China limited exports earlier...

Alexander Trepelkov is Officer-in-Charge of the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)

The post SDGs: the Challenge to Improve Lives After the COVID-19 Crisis appeared first on Inter Press Service.

A little over half of women across the globe are able to freely make choices about their sexual and reproductive health, according to a latest report based on data from 57 countries.  However, as much of the world has gone into lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, with countries implementing social distancing and restricting the […]

The post **Correction**How the COVID-19 Pandemic is Affecting Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health appeared first on Inter Press Service.

In 1991, the share of seats held by women in the Ethiopian parliament was under 3 percent. Today it stands at 38 percent, almost twice the ratio of women in the United States Congress. Experts say when women are better represented in government office, the gains are likely to spill down and improve the lives of all women.

The post A Gender-equal Ethiopian Parliament can Improve the Lives of all Women appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Turkey has been the host to many ancient civilizations and empires for ages. Its heritage can be seen in its preserved sites, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Some of them remain largely undiscovered, though. Click through for our list, prepared by İnci Hazal Özcan, including the 16 UNESCO sites in Turkey that you should --but probably did not-- see. (Photos: Alamy)

Don’t let the 150-year history of modern Turkish painting fool you; it is only the tip of the iceberg. Rooted in the 500-year history of traditional Ottoman miniaturization, the art of painting evolved in these lands when the society was released from Abdulhamid II’s tyrannical reign. Click through for 16 ingenious Turkish painters of the 20th century you should now about, as compiled by İnci Hazal Özcan:

Turkish elder care homes are taking measures to protect the elderly across the country as the world grapples with the continued dangers of coronavirus.

Turkey has imposed a two-day curfew in 24 provinces beginning on May 8 at midnight in an effort to stem spread of the novel coronavirus, which has claimed nearly 3,700 lives in the country.

On 4 December 2018, Eversheds Sutherland’s Elizabeth Shepherd was on a panel providing oral evidence to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee at a one-off session to consider the impact of the proposed Brexit deal on Chemicals Reg...

The market for wearable tech is huge and growing, driven by new wellness applications and improved connectivity. Add to that the increasing number of new IoT devices and applications in the home, workplace and industry, and the opportunities both fo...

In recent years there has been a marked change in attitude towards foreign investment screening. A range of jurisdictions globally have taken steps to strengthen their ability to review and actively intervene in transactions. Most recently, the EU p...

The Environmental Audit Committee (“EAC”) has launched an inquiry to investigate the impact of toxic chemicals on everyday life (launched 12 February 2019). The inquiry will focus on the use of toxic chemicals in everyday products includ...

The public consultation launched by the European Chemicals Agency (“ECHA”) on the topic of microplastics closed on 20 September 2019 with the submission of 477 comments. The consultation followed the publication by ECHA earlier this year...

One of the major challenges posed by the rapid growth in the use of AI is whether or not existing IP systems are adequate to deal with the ownership and exploitation of AI-assisted and AI-generated products, processes, works and designs, which is so...

The Serious Fraud Office (“SFO”) has quietly published a further chapter of its internal Operational Handbook containing guidance on how its staff should assess and evaluate the compliance programmes that they investigate (the “Gui...

Do you import or otherwise place products on the EEA market? If so, you should be aware of the new European Chemicals Agency (“ECHA”) SCIP database. Companies placing products (articles) on the EEA market, including companies importing s...

  On 15 March 2020 the European Commission published Regulation 2020/402 (“Regulation”), which prohibits unlicensed export from the EU of certain personal and protective equipment. This measure is aimed at securing domestic supply o...

Introduction Given the evolving picture on COVID-19 and its impact on the UK economy there are a number of points which property fund managers should be considering in light of the FCA’s recent statements specifically on the virus and their p...

On Thursday 2 April 2020, the FCA issued draft guidance and Handbook changes to address the impact of Covid-19 on consumer credit customers who have credit cards, store cards and catalogue credit, personal loans and overdrafts. There is a short win...

Across the banking sector, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority predict that firms’ utilisation of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions will triple in the next three years (BoE and FCA Joint Report on Machine Learning in U...

On Friday 17 April the FCA issued draft guidance on Buy-now pay-later (BNPL), rent-to-own (RTO) and pawnbroking. It proposes temporary financial relief for customers impacted by coronavirus and is intended to complement measures finalised on 9 April...

The legal issues surrounding the processing of personal data relating to criminal convictions, allegations and offences or related security measures (“Criminal Records Data”) are complex. Education institutions tackle such issues on a re...

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Excessive use of force by the security forces during the Covid-19 pandemic has overwhelmingly been experienced in poor communities

The post They protested for food – the police fired rubber bullets appeared first on The Mail & Guardian.

Winnie Byanyima* is the Executive Director of UNAIDS

The post Coronavirus Proves Need for Free Healthcare for All– Now appeared first on Inter Press Service.

IPS correspondent Jewel Fraser finds out whether a GEF-funded project can really help Trinidad and Tobago quarry companies be environmentally responsible.

The post GEF Project to be Game-changer for Trinidad Quarries appeared first on Inter Press Service.

The mining sector in Africa is facing radical change as youth activists take action against the environmental degradation caused by mining industries. Tensions between activists and the mining industry have raised, however, concerns over human rights abuses. Kenya’s National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders reported, for instance, cases of harassment and intimidation “against at least […]

The post Growing Youth Activism for Environmental Protection in Africa appeared first on Inter Press Service.

At around 11am on a Saturday, Luke Okomo arrives at Dunga Beach, on the outskirts of Kenya’s Kisumu City, and heads straight to what is known as the ‘Dunga Papyrus Boardwalk’. He pays Sh200 ($2), the daily fee for local tourists and students, and then joins a group of five visitors already taking a tour […]

The post The Boardwalk For Birds: Protecting Lake Victoria’s Dunga Beach Wetland appeared first on Inter Press Service.

IPBES Expert Guest Article by Professors Josef Settele, Sandra Díaz and Eduardo Brondizio¹ and Dr. Peter Daszak² on 27 April 2020

The post COVID-19 Stimulus Measures Must Save Lives, Protect Livelihoods, and Safeguard Nature to Reduce the Risk of Future Pandemics appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Sexual and reproductive health and pandemics might seem to be unrelated topics, but large and dense populations are drivers of the high velocity transmission of COVID-19, and there are lessons to be learned for the future. Gains made in women’s sexual reproductive health and rights just took several steps backward in the midst of the […]

The post Why Reproductive Rights Must Be a Critical Part of Our Arsenal to Fight Pandemics appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Delays in forming state governments have contributed to the breakdown in rule of law.

SGR allocated almost half of the development budget of the Ministry of Works.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's legacy depends on how he addresses the challenges raised by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many anime releases have been delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but in the meantime, with their vast libraries of anime films and series, ...

After watching the South Africa pack demolish England in last year's Rugby World Cup final, coach Eddie Jones' next step was obvious — get the ...