Indian researcher Satish Rao has added his voice to eminent Scientists at a consensus on Omicron having the potential to eradicate Covid.
Firstly, Omicron is highly contagious, but not dangerous, just like the way Vaccines work according to researchers. He says as the virus has the spike mutations of Alpha & Delta, our bodies can generate a natural immune response when infected with Omicron, hence giving natural protection against all Covid variants for life.
Secondly, Omicrons’ evasion of current vaccines is a blessing in disguise. Sub-standard immune response arising from current vaccines have been giving rise to mutations.
Rao says a total evasion by Omicron will have no sub-standard conditions, hence no dangerous mutations, until new boosters arrive specifically for Omicron, which may take another 100 days.
Till then, the world can get a chance to encounter Omicron, a good mutant, that can stay within our immune system’s memory without harming the population at large.
Rao argues that any attempt to lockdown, restrict or bring a omicron specific vaccine/booster can rob us off this advantage, wherein bad mutants may crop-up and we may never be able to come out of this Covid circus.
Omicron is the right candidate to be a live Vaccine to the world, absolutely free, home-delivered, without a jab.
Gibraltar has cancelled official Christmas celebrations despite its high vaccination rate and relatively low number of infections.
The small British territory tightened Covid restrictions over the festive period following a spike in cases.
Residents have been urged to limit mixing as much as possible in new guidelines announced last Friday following a rise in cases.
Officials said they should “exercise their own judgement” on whether to hold Christmas events and it “strongly advises against” doing so in the next four weeks while the Covid booster scheme continues.
Despite administered vaccine doses of at least 94,469 so far which is enough to have fully vaccinated 140.2% of the country’s population, Gibraltar has seen cases increase with 66 new daily infections reported on average – equivalent to 52% of its peak in January.
Analysts and stakeholers say its obvious that vaccine passports don’t work because being vaccinated doesn’t stop the spread and the only way to get life back to normal is start treating it like flu and get on with life.
They also say positive test doesn’t mean illness. Hospitalisations and deaths should be the only metric.
As the winter holiday season approaches, preparations for Christmas and other festive celebrations are stepped up on planet Earth. But there are also celebrations being readied in space.
Every year since 2000 there have also been people up in space, in orbit around the Earth on the International Space Station.
Being 420 km above the Earth is no impediment to celebrating the holidays.
With 20 Christmases passed by humans in orbit so far, astronauts have found a host of ways to mark the occasion.
From video messages to loved ones back home, a well-earned day off, and even traditional Christmas dinner served in space-food form, here’s what happens during the festive season in space.
Those onboard the ISS now and over the festive period are ESA’s Matthias Maurer from Germany, Russian Roscosmos cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov, and NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn, Kayla Barron, and Mark Vande Hei.
For two of them, it won’t be their first Christmas in space.
Mark Vande Hei (2017), and especially Anton Shkaplerov (2011, 2014, and 2017) will know all about how it feels to spend the holidays travelling at over 27,000 km/h in orbit around the Earth.
Last Christmas, five of the astronauts on board sent a Christmas message via video, spreading some festive cheer from orbit after a gruelling year on Earth marked by the coronavirus pandemic.
More of that festive cheer may be in order this Christmas too, with Earthlings once again dealing with the spread of COVID-19, amid worries over the new Omicron variant.
In that message, astronaut Kate Rubins announced the crew was taking part in a Christmas decoration contest with those working back on Earth in mission control.
“We have to make Christmas items to decorate the space station, it has to be obviously items that are up in space, and our challenge to mission control is you have to make a Christmas decoration from items in building 30,” she said.
The challenge harked back to the first Christmas on a US space station, Skylab which was occupied between 1973 and 1974.
Those astronauts built a homemade Christmas tree from leftover food containers, colored decals, and cardboard.
In 2000, the first ISS crew read Christmas messages on camera, with Expedition 1 commander and NASA astronaut William M Shepherd penning a new year’s day poem in the logbook.
Space food is pretty different from what we get to enjoy back down on solid ground. There are a number of constraints associated with it, such as storage, lack of dedicated refrigeration, only very basic reheating equipment, and the requirement that food contains enough nutrients to justify its place on the ISS.
Holiday meals such as at Thanksgiving or Christmastime have become something of a tradition on the space station.
In 2016, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet showed off the food he was going to enjoy for Christmas, which included tinned chicken supreme with morels, and tinned gingerbread.
Leftover Christmas food, soups and sandwiches from a postponed Premier League football match have been donated to charities and social action groups.
Watford Football Club offered the food after its game with Crystal Palace was called off due to a Covid-19 outbreak in the squad.
It called the Hertfordshire town’s elected Liberal Democrat mayor, Peter Taylor, to see where it could be sent.
“I was only too happy to help, it meant we were able to act quickly”, he said.
“It’s typical of the club as they’re very community-minded and they didn’t want the food to go to waste, they just wanted to help local charities”, he added.
Many of the core ingredients for a Christmas dinner were handed out.
Europe’s largest inland port, Duisburg in Germany, is making a bid to be a decentralized and climate-friendly blueprint for the rest of the shipping industry.
Port bosses have signed a deal with Rolls-Royce Power Systems for a climate-neutral energy supply at a giant container terminal that’s currently being built on what was previously a coal island.
Rolls-Royce is supplying its mtu fuel cell solutions for electrical peak load coverage plus a hydrogen-fuelled CHP plant, with waste heat to be used for process heat or for buildings in and around the port.
Rolls-Royce Power Systems chief executive Andreas Schell said: “Hydrogen technology is no longer a dream of the future – it will prove itself in everyday use in Duisburg.
“The parallel use of fuel cell solutions and hydrogen engines shows that we have taken the right path with our technology-open approach to the development of new solutions for the energy supply of the future.”
There are also plans to integrate photovoltaic systems and battery storage into the local supply network.
The project is being funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy for a period of four years as part of its Hydrogen Technology Offensive.
Hitachi Energy has signed a deal to accelerate a drive to make the Faroe Islands powered by 100 per cent renewables by the end of this decade.
The North Atlantic volcanic archipelago has a population of around 50,000 and is not interconnected to neighbouring countries.
With no choice but to be energy independent, it has already established a strong reliance on windpower: in 2018 almost half the islands’ energy came from mainly wind renewables.
Now the islands’ power company SEV has signed a deal with Hitachi Energy for its 6 MW/7.5 MWh e-mesh PowerStore battery energy storage solution to integrate the 6.3 MW Porkeri windfarm into the local grid of the southernmost island, Suðuroy.
Porkeri is the first wind farm on Suðuroy and part of a project expected to produce 20 GWh of energy, which will ultimately reduce thermal production by 4,400 tonnes per year.
As well as integrating the wind farm, the storage system will also cut diesel consumption and CO2 emissions, while improving power quality.
The system can be used for black start and islanding operations when the existing thermal diesel power plant is in standby mode and the wind farm is feeding energy to the island.
Massimo Danieli, managing director of Grid Automation at Hitachi Energy, said that “by harnessing its abundant energy sources including wind, hydropower and solar, SEV’s network strategy not only achieves present goals but also protects the area’s vital resources for future generations”.
Based on the results of the Porkeri storage project, SEV will investigate future investments on a larger scale to support the integration of more wind energy in order to reach its 2030 target of 100 per cent renewable energy powering the islands.
SEV chief executive Hakun Djurhuus explained that the company’s “foundation remains a democratic people’s organization, owned by all the Faroese municipalities, and thereby owned by the people”.
“SEV’s profit from the sale of electricity is mostly spent on future extensions and work on the power supply units and the power supply system. In this way, everybody makes use of SEV’s profit, and SEV can keep on developing and supplying for the growing demand of electricity.”
The Federal Government of Nigeria has inaugurated a Deep Decarbonisation Project (DDP) that would effectively address environmental challenges in the country.
Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor, who inaugurated the project in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital said that the project was recognised as imperative in the fight against climate change.
Ikeazor explained that the DDP was also a national research and capacity building project for the implementation of a Deep Decarbonisation Pathway Programme (DDPP) in the country.
According to her, DDP is a collaboration project between the ministry and the Agency Française de Development (AFD) with International Relation and Sustainable Development Institute (IDDRI) as the Programme Coordinator.
“The purpose of the inauguration is to present the DDP project to the larger community of stakeholders to begin a focused conversation on the scenarios and modelling options.
“The modelling options that can help Nigeria achieve her stated long term climate objectives including the goal of net-zero emission by 2060.
“The Nigeria DDP is therefore, a very important component in our effort to navigate Nigeria and the global world over the harsh and unpleasant risks of climate change.
“Indeed, as many here will attest, we are already being confronted with the dangerous consequences of extreme weather in recent times with huge financial stress,” she said.
According to her, the DDP is designed to generate context-specific scenarios and long-term modelling that will offer substantial evidence to support the government’s long term emission reduction strategies and our climate action.
“The Federal Government has made several climate change interventions intended to mitigate climate change and increase resilience to avert the excruciating consequences of climate change.
“Some of the interventions we have made to reverse the ugly trend of climate change in Nigeria include, signing into law the Climate Change Bill passed by the National Assembly.
“The Law provides an overarching legal framework to articulate a long-term climate plan for Nigeria to achieve a net-zero carbon emission target.
“Also the recent submission of its revised and robust Nationally Determined Contributions that articulate climate actions until 2030, among others,’’ she said.
Ikeazor, however, encouraged all the stakeholders in the space of climate change to support the DDP project, to enable us address environmental challenges effectively.
The Falkland Islands are in the South Atlantic Ocean about 300 miles from the east coast at the bottom of South America. They are a British Overseas Territory even though they’re about 8,000 miles away from the rest of the UK!
The Islands cover an areas of about 12,200 sq km (4,700 sq miles) but only have a population of around 3,000 people.
But there are about 150,000 sheep! About two thirds of the population live in Stanley, the capital of the Islands. The rest are mainly farmers and live out on the Islands in what’s called ‘the camp’.
Because they’re in the southern hemisphere, it’s summertime at Christmas with long sunny days.
The Islands share many Christmas traditions with the UK. There are very few trees on the islands (it’s very windy!) but people still have Christmas Trees, although they’re normally artificial ones.
Lamb is the main Christmas dish as there’s lots of sheep on the Islands! It’s very expensive to fly in turkey from South America or the UK!
A pantomime is put on every year by the local dramatic society. Traditionally the Governor of the Islands (the Queen’s official representative on the Islands) goes on the last night and is gently made fun of!
Children living in the camp get a small parcel of presents flown to them from Stanley. Santa’s helper elves have to fly to the remote farms around the camp to deliver the presents!
On Christmas Eve people gather to sing Christmas carols under the ‘whale bone arch’ (made the from the jaw bones of two blue whales) which is next to the Christ Church Cathedral in Stanley.
There’s also a Christmas morning service. The Cathedral is the southernmost Anglican cathedral in the world.
There’s a British Military base on the Falkland Islands which is home to about 2000 military and civilian personnel. The chaplain at the base takes services at the base and around the Islands at Christmas time.
The Boxing Day horse races are very important and are held just outside Stanley on the race course.
It’s a very popular event for people who live on the Islands, especially in Stanley. The meeting has been held more than 100 times.
It used to be a time when many people would only see each other during the whole year! Horses used to be the main way of getting around the Islands.
Although there are more roads and cars now, taking part in the races is still very competitive. Some people have been riding in the races for decades! The most important race is ‘The Governor’s Cup’.
As well as horse races, there’s the mile running race where people of all ages take part! Some of the soldiers based on the Islands also like to take part.
Ethiopia (and especially the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church) celebrates Christmas on January 7th, not December 25th.
The Ethiopian Calendar has different months – and Christmas is on the 29th of Tahsas.
Many other orthodox churches around the world also celebrate Christmas on the 7th January.
The calendar the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church uses originally came from the calendar used by the Coptic Orthodox Church (which is based in Egypt) but now has its own special days.
The Christmas celebration in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is called Ganna or Genna. Most people go to Church on Christmas day.
Many people take part in a special Advent fast during the 43 days before Christmas. It starts on 25th November and is known as the ‘Fast of the Prophets’ (Tsome Nebiyat).
During this time, traditionally only one vegan meal is eaten each day. It’s a vegan meal because during the fast, foods including meat, dairy, eggs and wine aren’t eaten.
The Ethiopian capital city is Addis Ababa. It’s a modern city. Most people who live outside big cities live in roundhouse made of mud-plastered walls which have thatched cone-shaped roofs. Sometimes houses in the country are rectangular and made of stone.
The design of Ethiopian Church is similar to the houses. In the country, they are often very old and have been carved out of rock. In cities, modern churches are built in three circles, each within the others.
The choir sings from the outer circle. Everyone who goes to church for the Ganna celebrations is given a candle.
It’s also a tradition that one of the Wise Men who visited Jesus came from Ethiopia.
Around the time of Ganna, the men and boys play a game that is also called ganna. It’s played with a curved stick and a round wooden ball, a bit like hockey.
Traditional Christmas foods in Ethiopia include ‘wat’ which is a thick and spicy stew that contains meat, vegetables and sometimes eggs (sounds yummy!). Wat is eaten on a plate of ‘injera’ – a flatbread. Pieces of the injera are used as an edible spoon to scoop up the wat.
Twelve days after Ganna, on 19th January, Ethiopians start the three-day celebration of Timkat. It celebrates the baptism of Jesus. Children walk to church services in a procession. They wear the crowns and robes of the church youth groups that they belong to. Adults wear the Netela. The priests wear red and white robes and carry embroidered fringed umbrellas.
Ethiopian men also play a sport called yeferas guks. It’s played on horseback and the men throw ceremonial lances at each other (sounds rather dangerous!).
People don’t give and receive presents during Ganna and Timkat. Sometimes children might be given a small gift of some clothes from their family members. It’s more a time for going to church, eating lots and playing games!
Happy/Merry Christmas in Amharic is ‘Melikam Gena!’ (መልካም ገና!).
218 BC Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia – Hannibal’s Carthaginian army heavily defeat Roman forces on Italian soil
1271 Kublai Khan renames his empire “Yuan” (元 yuán), marking the start of the Yuan Dynasty of China
1555 Martyrdom of John Philpot, archdeacon of Winchester. As he was going to the stake in Smithfield, the sheriff’s men offered to carry him over a muddy spot, but Philpot declined, saying “I am content to go to my journey’s end on foot.” He knelt and kissed the stake, recited three psalms and then submitted to the flame. Years earlier he had been one of the religious leaders who condemned Joan of Kent to a similar fate.
1603 First fleet of the Dutch East India Company under Admiral Steven van der Haghen departs for the East-Indies
1642 Abel Tasman’s expedition sails around Farewell Spit and into Golden Bay, first sighting local Māori in New Zealand
1821 Young George Müller is jailed at Wolfenbüttel Castle (in Germany) on theft charges and will remain imprisoned until 22 January the following year. After his conversion, he will become a faithful steward of contributions to Christian charities.
1917 The 18th Amendment to the US Constitution, authorizing prohibition of alcohol, is approved by the US congress and sent to the states for ratification
1957 World’s 1st full scale nuclear power plant, for peacetime use only, begins to generate electricity at the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania
2019 US House of Representatives votes to impeach President Donald Trump for abuse of power (230-197) and obstruction of Congress (229-198)
Today’s Historical Events
Today In Film & Tv
2009 James Cameron’s “Avatar” starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver, released in the US, becomes highest-grossing film of all time
Today In Music
1892 Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker” premieres in Saint Petersburg, Russia, now the world’s most performed ballet; his final opera “Isolanta” also premieres
Do You Know This Fact About Today? Did You Know?
1719 Thomas Fleet publishes “Mother Goose’s Melodies For Children” in Boston, Massachusetts
Would You Believe This Fact About Today? Would You Believe?
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