Rail Strike Averted As Biden Signs Bill Enforcing Agreement

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December 2, 2022

U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill Friday to avert a freight rail strike that he said could have plunged the U.S. into a catastrophic recession.

At the White House, Biden signed a measure passed Thursday by the Senate and Wednesday by the House.

It binds rail companies and workers to a proposed settlement that was reached between the railroads and union leaders in September but rejected by some of the union workers.

The president, for decades a vocal labor ally, called it the “right thing to do” given the risks to an economy that is battling high inflation.

“The bill I’m about to sign ends a difficult rail dispute and helps our nation avoid what without a doubt would have been an economic catastrophe at a very bad time in the calendar,” said Biden, adding that his team helped negotiate a “good product, but we still have more work to do in my view.”

Members in four of the 12 unions involved had rejected the proposed contract as lacking sufficient paid sick leave. Biden acknowledged the shortcoming as he said he would continue to push for that benefit for every U.S. worker.

“I’ve supported paid sick leave for a long time,” he said. “I’m going to continue that fight until we succeed.”

UK Oil Refinery To Build £360m Carbon Capture Plant

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Angel Gimalo

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December 2, 2022

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A multimillion-pound carbon capture plant is to be built at an oil refinery in Cheshire.

Essar Oil UK will build the £360m site at Stanlow refinery in Ellesmere Port to help reduce carbon emissions.

The company said it would also invest in a range of efficiencies to “decarbonise its production process”.

A statement said Essar’s “energy transition strategy” was based on the development of more environmentally friendly fuels.

The firm will also seek to establish the UK’s largest biofuels storage facility at the site, it said.

The government has a net zero target by 2050.

Japanese Carmaker Signs £11.3m Deal To Develop Hydrogen Pickup Trucks

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Angel Gimalo

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December 2, 2022

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Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer Toyota, has signed an £11.3m deal to help it develop a new range of hydrogen-powered pickup trucks.

The agreement could create up to 250 jobs across the UK, according to the government.

The funding will allow Toyota to set up a pilot production line for its Hilux FC model at its plant near Derby.

Research carried out there could eventually pave the way for trucks to be built at the company’s Deeside factory in Wales.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is investing £5.6m in the research scheme, based at Burnaston, with a further £5.7m coming through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) – an industry body which supports work to decarbonise transport.

Hydrogen-powered vehicles do not use electricity stored in a battery but generates it through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.

The government said that hydrogen vehicles were better suited to isolated settings like farms and quarries, where pickup trucks are already commonly used, and the infrastructure for electric vehicle charging is impractical.

Exploring Curzon Hall, Bangladesh

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Angel Gimalo

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December 2, 2022

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Curzon Hall is a building originating from the British Raj-era, and today home of the Faculty of Science at the University of Dhaka, located in the capital city of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

With its extremely fascinating history, at first was intended to be a town hall, which was named after the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, who as a matter in fact laid the foundation stone in 1904.

After the establishment of Dacca University in 1921, it became an important ground for major events in the country.

After the partition of India in 1947, Urdu was declared as a sole state language, however, the majority of the population then were speaking Bangla.

The students at the University of Dhaka, objected instantly, and Curzon Hall was the place where they declared their opposition to the state language policy.

Nonetheless, the vastness of the whole area of Curzon Hall is imperceivable from outside.

Several playing fields, flowerbeds and a big pond inside it, make it a rare site in present Dhaka city, which is even more unique because it is made out of red bricks.

When examining the structure of the Curzon Hall, it is easy to see why most believe it is one of the prime examples of architecture in the city.

It is a unique combination of Mughal and European designing styles and the traditional artistry of the time was made to blend exquisitely with the modern features.

Visitors to Curzon Hall will therefore be able to view magnificent domes, stunning horse-show arches and cusped arches.

It also features beautiful pavilions and breathtaking eaves. Simply said, this is one of the most impressive, most beautiful building that Bangladesh can offer to every person visiting the country.

Once Upon A Time – December 2 – 1982 – 1st Permanent Artificial Heart Successfully Implanted In Barney Clark; Lived 112 Days With Jarvic-7 Heart

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Angel Gimalo

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December 2, 2022

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1804 – General Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned Emperor of the French at the Notre Dame de Paris in a ceremony officiated by Pope Pius VII

1823 – US President James Monroe declares the “Monroe Doctrine” opposing European colonialism in the Americas, arguing any European political intervention in the New World would be a hostile act against the United States

1845 – US President James K. Polk announces to Congress that the United States should aggressively expand into the West, a widely held belief termed “manifest destiny” by newspaper editor John O’Sullivan

1929 – First skull of Peking man found in the caves of Zhoukoudian, 50 km outside of Peking, China. Later dated roughly 750,000 years old.

1976 – Communist revolutionary Fidel Castro becomes President of Cuba, replacing Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado

More Historical Events

December 2 In Film & Tv

1952 – First human birth televised to public on KOA-TV Denver, Colorado

December 2 In Music

1883 – Johannes Brahms’ “3rd Symphony in F” premieres with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

December 2 In Sport

1907 – Association of Football Players’ and Trainers’ Union (English Professional Football Players’ Association) is formed by Charlie Roberts and Billy Meredith in Manchester, England

More Facts

1982 – 1st permanent artificial heart successfully implanted (U of Utah) in retired dentist Barney Clark; lived 112 days with Jarvic-7 heart

1927 – 1st Model A Ford sold, for $385

Famous Weddings

1886 – 26th US President Theodore Roosevelt (28) weds second wife Edith Kermit Carow (25) in London

1926 – Film director and producer Alfred Hitchcock (27) weds director Alma Reville (27) at Brompton Oratory in London

1933 – 1st transatlantic telephone wedding (Bertil Clason-Sigrid Carlson)

Nigeria’s AIDS-related deaths decline to 51,000 –FG

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Cleopatra Okohai

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December 2, 2022

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The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has said the AIDS-related deaths in the country have declined from 264,463 in 2015 to about 51,000 in 2022.

Mustapha said this at an event in Abuja in commemoration of the 2022 World AIDS Day with the theme: ‘Equalize to End AIDS: Equal access to Treatment and Prevention services.’

The World AIDS Day is celebrated every December 1 annually to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories, such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

The SGF said “Since this administration commenced in 2015, I am happy to note that our ongoing efforts to improve access to HIV services have led to a significant reduction in new HIV infections from over 103,000 in 2019 to 92,323 in 2021. In a similar vein, AIDS-related deaths significantly declined from an estimated 264,463 persons at the beginning of this administration to about 51,000 as of October this year.

“Treatment access experienced tremendous improvement since this administration came on board and we can gladly proclaim that access to Anti-Retro Viral Drugs and treatment for HIV has increased more than two-fold in the past five years with about 1.8 million persons now on treatment compared to about 800,000 persons on treatment in 2017.

“The achievements above are heartwarming but HIV still remains an unfinished business because of barriers that pose a threat to ending AIDS by 2030 if not tackled headlong.”

“I also use this opportunity to urge all State Houses of Assembly who are yet to pass the anti-discrimination bill for HIV to speedily do so. I kindly appeal to State Governors to abolish the payment of user fees that limit access of pregnant women to antenatal Services during pregnancy.”

In his welcome address, the Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr. Gambo Aliyu said Nigeria is focused on achieving epidemic control with about 90 per cent of PLHIV already identified and currently on treatment.

Gambo said “We have recorded significant growth in key population treatment sites from 10 in 2017 providing treatment to about 16,000 PLHIV to 118 sites in 2021 with coverage of over 220,000.

“Kindly recall that President Muhammadu Buhari launched the N62 Billion HIV Trust Fund of Nigeria in February this year. Today, we shall witness the launch of the online donation portal of the Fund to ensure no one is left behind in our collective effort to end AIDS by 2030.

“Similarly, in line with alignment 2.0, HIV prevention and treatment is shifting ownership to States and today we shall witness the signing of the sustainability agreement for Taraba and Abia States.”

Nigeria Approves Mother Tongue as Compulsory Language in Schools

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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December 2, 2022

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The federal government has approved a new National Language Policy which makes mother tongue a compulsory medium of instruction for public primary school pupils.

Making this disclosure Wednesday was the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, while briefing reporters on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

While explaining that government is aware that its implementation will be difficult, the minister revealed that the mother tongue will be used exclusively for the first six years of education, while it will be combined with English Language from Junior Secondary School.

According to him, even though the policy has officially taken effect, it can only be fully implemented when government develops instructional materials and qualified teachers are available.

Adamu explained that the mother tongue to be used in each school will be the dominant language spoken by the community where it is located.

The minister said government is prepared to preserve cultures and their peculiar idiosyncrasies, stressing that so much has been lost due to the extinction of some local language.

He assured Nigerians that all Nigerian languages, which he said are over 600, are equal and will be treated as such.

However, The minister said the decision is only in principle for now because it will require a lot of work to implement it.

Mind Behind The Rubik’s Cube Celebrates A Lasting Puzzle

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Koko Lawrence

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December 2, 2022

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If you’ve ever had trouble solving a Rubik’s Cube, a good piece of advice is to break it down into steps. It’s worth a shot: That advice is from the man who invented it.

“Problem solving is a very basic activity of the human mind and if a problem is complex you need to divide the problem into smaller elements,” says Ernő Rubik, who invented the cube in 1974.

Rubik has seen his color-matching puzzle go from a classroom teaching tool in Cold War-era Hungary to a worldwide phenomenon with over 450 million cubes sold and a mini-empire of related toys.

“For me, the cube represents what freedom means. Freedom is never endless,” he said during a recent visit to New York. “It lets you do what is necessary to achieve your goal.”

The original 3×3 Rubik’s has more than 43 quintillion — that’s more than 43,000,000,000,000,000,000 — possible configurations, but the principles behind the cube have been refashioned for 2×2, 4×4 and 5×5 cubes, a board game called Rubik’s Race, a pyramid, a tower and a Christmas tree, among others.

It even made the transition to electronic media with Rubik’s Revolution and Rubik’s Touch. Spin Master acquired the brand in 2021. Their latest brainteaser is called the Phantom, which takes the 3×3 original cube and adds a memory test: Using thermochromic technology, the multi-color tiles revert to black unless the heat of the user’s hand keeps them visible.

“The principle of the cube is not limited,” says Rubik. “The complexity of the task is to stimulate our mind and it makes it a much more enjoyable activity.”

The goal of all Rubik puzzles is to start with some randomized and shuffled messy configuration and, by rotating faces or parts, transform each side into a single color or a pattern of colors.

Practiced cube-solvers can complete the Rubik’s Cube in a matter of seconds, with the current world-record holder solving a cube in 3.47 seconds. There are also records at the World Cube Association for fastest solving while wearing a blindfold or using one hand.

It took 36 years after the invention of the toy for anyone to come up with an answer for the minimum number of moves to solve it. In 2010, a group of mathematicians and computer programmers proved that any Rubik’s Cube can be solved in 20 moves.

Rubik was a budding artist who hoped to become a sculptor or a painter before he studied architecture, which he argues is art with a function: “Architecture is changing the environment according to our needs.”

He got a degree in architecture at Budapest University of Technology and became a teacher in the interior design department at the Academy of Applied Arts and Crafts in Budapest.

Rubik regularly used physical models and materials to teach concepts in construction and design.

“As our body needs some kind of exercises, the brain needs that kind of exercise as well,” he says. Thus was born an elegant teaching tool he named “The Magic Cube.”

“I tried to make it as simple as possible because I thought the task itself is complicated enough,” he says. “You don’t need to complicate anymore.”

Rotavirus: Enugu targets 381,572 Children for Vaccination

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Cleopatra Okohai

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December 2, 2022

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The Enugu State Government says it is targeting no fewer than 381,572 children in its statewide free Rotavirus Intensification Vaccination Campaign for children between six weeks and 12 months.

Rotavirus is a very contagious virus that causes diarrhea.

It would be recalled that the Rotavirus vaccination was before now being administered in private health facilities at a whooping cost of N7,000 per oral dose drop and a child needed three oral dose drops within a space of some weeks.

The Executive Secretary of Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. George Ugwu, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting on the introduction of Rotavirus vaccination among other routine immunisations in the state.

Ugwu noted that the introduction of the vaccination would be heralded by the week-long Rotavirus Intensification Vaccination Campaign starting on Saturday, December 3, adding that there might be a mop if need be to capture more children.

He said, “We have truly moved from curative to preventive medicine in Enugu State by the state’s deliberate and intensified childhood vaccination as well as adding new vaccines to further fortify all children living within the state.

“We are grateful to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for approving and funding this Rotavirus vaccination campaign to get to all children free of charge and ensuring that all children below 12 months partake in it in all nooks and crannies of the state.

“We appreciate the Primary Health Care Development Agency and other health partners for this new feat and for sustaining all efforts being made by Governor Ugwuanyi to reduce the health burden of families in the state.”

The executive secretary explained that rotavirus causes diarrhoeal disease leading to dehydration and hospitalization of the child.

Ugwu noted that most times, the disease does not easily stop immediately notwithstanding the medications (anti-biotic) given until the viral infection runs its normal course.

He noted that it remained one of the most deadly and disturbing childhood killer diseases, as it is highly communicable while putting every other member of the family in a situation of distress if a child had to be continuously stooling (poo).

“Today, we are engaging stakeholders to ensure the effectiveness of the week-long free Rotavirus Intensification Vaccination Campaign as they have supported us when we recently introduced Measles 2nd dose vaccine, Meningitis (Men A) vaccine, and COVID-19 vaccine,” he said.

Ugwu said that after the statewide campaign, the Rotavirus vaccination would be administered in all health-centres and health posts for children at six weeks for the first dose, 10 weeks for the second dose and 14 weeks for the third dose.

The Director of Disease Control and Immunisation in ENS-PHCDA, Dr. Chinelo Nnadi, said that the need for the Rotavirus vaccination cannot be over-emphasised as children even from highly clean and health-conscious families mix up with other children in schools or other public places.

Nnadi noted that due to the high communicability of the disease, a child not vaccinated or protected can contact the disease by mixing up and playing with other children normally.

“A mother and other members of the family will feel highly concerned seeing an infant or child in the family stooling and vomiting uncontrollably, losing weight and looking so feeble with no strength.

“So, we all must work together to eliminate such a disease that deals decisively with children and if not handled very well we might end up losing the child,” she said.

The State Health Educator, Mrs Amaka Nsude, urged the stakeholders to spread the message on the need that every child under 12 months must receive the vaccination, notwithstanding the number of times the oral dose of the vaccine a child received before.

Nsude said that the Rotavirus vaccination had enormous benefits for the child, family, neighbourhood, community and the entire state.

“We have made adequate preparation on the side of training the vaccinators, health educator/communicators as well as distributed extensive letters/correspondents to communities and traditional/community rulers on this campaign,” he said.

The stakeholders, who are community/religious leaders, media practitioners, educationists, civil society members, and security personnel among others, gave their commitment to ensuring that no child between six weeks and 12 months would be left out in the state.

The Show Must Go On: Odesa’s Opera House Provides Respite From The War

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Koko Lawrence

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December 2, 2022

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At Odesa’s National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, the sound of applause fills the air in the auditorium as the curtain rises on the stage.

In the audience sit dozens of Ukrainian theatre lovers. They have been battling electricity and water shortages in the maritime capital for several days.

Officials estimate that approximately 50% of Ukraine’s energy facilities have been damaged in recent strikes.

Despite the low temperatures, residents in Odesa have not been leaving in their droves. Instead, they have been trying to rebuild their lives, and go about their days as normally as possible with the help of portable generators.

Odesa’s opera and ballet theatre reopened in June. The opera house has had to deal with several skirmishes and just half the staff are now working. However, the performers are still determined to put on a good show.

“On stage, I only think about how I am dancing, about the character… war thoughts don’t interfere,” said Katerina Bartosh, a principal ballerina.

“Several times during performances, there were air raids and rockets exploded over the roof of the theatre. It was very scary… the artists got worried… but after the end of the air raid the performance continued,” said Harry Sevoyan, the acting artistic director at the theatre.

The dancers, musicians and technicians who stayed behind feel like their passion has become their most powerful weapon.