By ShareAmerica December 01, 2020 The General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) passed a resolution October 21 declaring that the illegitimate Maduro regime’s December 6 elections in Venezuela will be fraudulent.“We all know there is more work to do to uphold our hemisphere as a hemisphere of freedom,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during his virtual remarks to the 50th OAS General Assembly. “Nicolás Maduro’s plan to hold fraudulent elections in December to steal the National Assembly — Venezuela’s last democratic institution — is only the latest abuse of power.”Colombia introduced the resolution, stating that, as it stands, free and fair elections cannot be held in Venezuela.Elections that are free and fair “will depend on the existence of the necessary conditions of freedom, justice, impartiality, and transparency,” the resolution states, “with guarantees for the participation of all political actors and citizens and the release of political prisoners, under reasonable deadlines for their organization, and with independent and credible international electoral observation.”The resolution details concerns about the illegitimate regime’s violation of national election laws. It asserts the regime actively seeks to undermine the electoral process, which could eliminate the last democratic institution in Venezuela: the National Assembly.The resolution also reaffirms the legitimacy of the National Assembly and the need to protect members of the institution from attacks by the illegitimate Maduro regime.Addressing the dire and worsening human rights situation in Venezuela, the resolution calls for immediate, unimpeded access to deliver humanitarian aid to the most crisis-stricken and vulnerable populations.The OAS General Assembly resolution says more needs to be done in Venezuela before democratic elections can take place.“We must recover democracy in Venezuela,” said OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro.
OAS: Elections in Venezuela Will Not Be Free and Fair
December 20, 2020
(WBNG) — The Broome County Executive’s Office reported a new coronavirus case regarding a local restaurant employee and a Greyhound bus from New York City to Syracuse that might have been exposed to the virus on Saturday. Broome County will continue to provide updated COVID-19 numbers on their website. The health department asks any individuals who were in the restaurant on April 24 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. to quarantine and contact their health care provider if they develop symptoms. The Broome County Health Department reports that an employee of The Greek House Restaurant at 623 Main St. in Johnson City has tested positive for the coronavirus. For more coronavirus coverage, click here. They also say that Greyhound Lines have still agreed to not stop in Broome County during this pandemic as per Jason Garnar’s request. County officials advise any individuals from Broome County who rode that bus to contact the Broome County Health Department at (607) 778-2802. They also say the 14-day incubation period for the infected individual will be over on Friday, May 8. The health department says the individual has not worked since Friday, April 24 and was asymptomatic. The county health department says that passengers on a Greyhound bus that left Port Authority in New York City at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Monday, April 27, and arrived in Syracuse at approximately 7:40 p.m. may have been exposed to the coronavirus.
Popular news outlet Liputan6.com filed a report of alleged intimidation, in the form of doxing, against one of its journalists, Cakrayuri “Cakra” Nuralam, to the Jakarta Police on Monday.”We have reported the [unlawful] publication of a Liputan6.com journalist’s personal information [to the police]. This report is a way to fight against intimidation toward journalists,” Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) director Ade Wahyudin said on Monday.Liputan6.com editor-in-chief Irna Gustiawati said she had also reported the intimidation to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) last Tuesday.In a meeting, the commission said doxing was a violation of human rights, especially since the attack did not only affect the victim but also his family members.On Sept. 11, several social media accounts published Cakra’s personal information on several platforms, such as Instagram and Telegram.In a bid to discredit him, the perpetrator edited Cakra’s photos and published them without his consent. Moreover, the perpetrator also edited pictures taken by Liputan6.com journalists to be used in a campaign of harassment against the news outlet and the journalist.Read also: AJI urges police to investigate alleged intimidation, doxing of Detik journalistThe intimidation was apparently inspired by a fact-check article published on Sept. 10, in which Cakra refuted claims that a member of the House of Representatives from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is the grandson of the founder of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in West Sumatra.A day later, four Instagram accounts posted Cakra’s personal data, such as his social media accounts, email addresses and phone numbers.Those accounts also posted hate speech against him, calling Cakra “the regime’s journalist”, “a monkey” and “a PKI supporter” among other things.Throughout 2019, LBH Pers recorded an increasing number of incidents of violence against journalists, including cyberattacks and doxing. The institute found 79 attacks against journalists in 2019, which was eight more cases than in 2018.Ade expressed hope that other journalists who experienced similar cyberbullying could also file a report to the police.”Filing a report is necessary as a deterrent effect against perpetrators. Journalists work for the public interest and they are protected by the Press Law,” he said. According to the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), three cases of doxing against journalists were reported to authorities in 2018. However, no case of journalist doxing has been solved by the police or law enforcement.Topics :
SHARE Email Facebook Twitter Infrastructure, Jobs That Pay, Press Release Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced state support to prepare the former USX Duquesne Works brownfield site in Allegheny County for construction of a new manufacturing facility.“This transformative project represents a truly impactful investment in the Mon Valley,” said Governor Wolf. “My administration is committed to projects that help spark private-sector job creation efforts and make a sustainable difference in the lives of Pennsylvanians.”RIDC Southwestern Growth Fund was awarded a $500,000 grant for removal of slag, unsuitable soil, demolition of concrete steel mill foundations, extension of utility infrastructure, and preparation of the brownfield site for new building construction. The site preparation, demolition, and utility infrastructure will enable the construction of a manufacturing facility of approximately 320,000 square feet on the former steel mill site. Once completed, the project is expected to result in 100 new manufacturing jobs for residents of the Mon Valley and will further benefit local businesses such as day care companies, restaurants, and shops due to the increased customer base.“The Mon Valley has been financially distressed for years, and has not yet fully recovered from the loss of the steel industry – but this project at the site of the former USX Duquesne Works is the kind of development that turns a community around,” said Sen. James Brewster. “At this brownfield site will soon stand a huge manufacturing facility that will employ more than 100 employees. I thank Governor Wolf for recognizing the potential of this project and of the Mon Valley.”“This grant means so much to the City of Duquesne in terms of employment, along with economic and regional redevelopment,” said Rep. Austin Davis. “Turning our former steel works plant into a viable 21st century industrial facility that will provide jobs for over 100 or more area residents is great news for the Mon Valley.”Supported through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) program, funding will support critical expansion projects, some of which will provide opportunities for additional economic development. August 17, 2018
Governor Wolf Announces Redevelopment of Former Duquesne Works Steel Mill Site in the Mon Valley
December 19, 2018 SHARE Email Facebook Twitter Governor Wolf and Attorney General Shapiro Announce New Tool to Report Suspicious Prescription Drug Activity
Healthcare, Press Release, Public Health, Public Safety, Substance Use Disorder Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced the creation of a tool for reporting suspicious activity surrounding the prescribing or dispensing of prescription drugs, including opioids.The tool will be available starting today on the Attorney General’s website; on the Department of Health’s website; and within the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) site for registered users.“One way of the many ways we are fighting the opioid epidemic is with Pennsylvania’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, a database that collects information on all filled prescriptions for controlled substances in the state,” Gov. Wolf said. “By making the Attorney General’s suspicious activity reporting tool available on the PDMP and the Department of Health’s website, we add another layer of safety for the responsible prescribing of controlled substances such as opioids.”“The illegal diversion of prescription pain pills from doctors’ offices and pharmacies is contributing to the opioid epidemic across the Commonwealth, but diversion activity is hard to identify and even harder to investigate” said Attorney General Shapiro. “This new reporting tool, which is available online to everyone, allows people to anonymously give our office detailed information about suspected diversion so we are better able to arrest and prosecute the criminals who are poisoning our communities for their own profit.”The Attorney General’s Office of Diversion created the suspicious activity report form, a web-based form for health care providers and the general public to report suspicious activity involving prescription medication.That activity might include fraudulent, stolen, or altered prescriptions, a suspicious doctor or pharmacy, or an individual obtaining prescription drugs for any purpose other than the treatment of an existing medical condition, such as for purposes of misuse, abuse, or diversion.Completed reports are assigned to the appropriate Attorney General’s Office investigator in the region where the suspicious activity is alleged to have taken place.While Pennsylvania has had a prescription drug monitoring program since the 1970s, it was in 2016 that Gov. Wolf announced the PDMP program would be run by the Department of Health. Those with an active Pennsylvania professional license that permits them to prescribe or dispense medications must register to use the PDMP. Authorized users include prescribers, dispensers, the Attorney General’s Office (on behalf of law enforcement), designated commonwealth personnel, and medical examiners or county coroners.More than 90,000 registrants have conducted approximately 1.6 million patient searches each month.The PDMP online database allows prescribers and dispensers of controlled substances to monitor who is obtaining opioids, who prescriptions are being obtained from, how often they are prescribed, and supports clinicians in identifying patients who may be struggling from the disease of addiction and help connect them with treatment services.For more information on the PDMP, visit here.
Press Release, Public Health Pittsburgh, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today discussed his initiative to create a lead-free Pennsylvania by calling on the legislature to increase access to blood testing for children in alignment with federal guidelines, increasing local response efforts, and planning for training of more certified lead abatement professionals. The governor was joined at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh by hospital officials and medical staff, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, and legislators.“Pennsylvania has the sixth-highest percentage rate for children suffering from lead poisoning and this is only the number who have been formally diagnosed,” Gov. Wolf said. “This is true in Pittsburgh and across the state. It’s imperative that we get to work ending lead exposure in our commonwealth, as Pittsburgh and Allegheny County have already begun doing.”The state provided about $48 million to assist the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority with replacing underground lead pipes, which make up about 2,800 residential connections. Because of the location of some of those lines, homeowners were facing projects costing thousands of dollars.This investment will help ensure prospective buyers in historic neighborhoods like Mount Washington, Morningside and Homewood aren’t deterred by outdated infrastructure.“We’re working to reduce lead exposure in our historic school buildings, as well as from legacy water lines in our municipalities,” Gov. Wolf said. “We need projects like this across the commonwealth,” Gov. Wolf said. “To help keep families safe.”The governor called on the legislature to increase access to blood testing for children in alignment with federal guidelines; something that Allegheny County is already doing.Currently, only about 30 percent of children in Pennsylvania have been tested for lead, and about 4.6 percent of those children had elevated blood lead levels.The federal guidelines advise parents and guardians to have their children given a finger prick test for lead exposure between age 9 and 12 months and then again at age 24 months.If children are not given this test in that timeframe, it is recommended that schools encourage testing when children enter the classroom at age 6 or sooner. The preference, though, is for early detection so the source of the lead exposure can be eliminated before any permanent damage occurs.“Lead remains a serious threat to public health, particularly for our children,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “With our region’s and state’s aging infrastructure, it’s imperative that we work cooperatively and collaboratively to provide resources to address this issue. We’ve been able to leverage local funds and partnerships to increase the work that we’re doing, and welcome Governor Wolf’s announcement of his new initiative to create a lead-free Pennsylvania that considers several components, including the need for universal blood testing, which has been successful in Allegheny County.”“The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority has replaced some 4,500 lead service lines since 2016, with an emphasis on neighborhoods with high concentrations of children, pregnant women and elevated lead levels. That work has been helped greatly by Governor Wolf’s support of $49 million PENNVEST grant and loan, which will help PWSA replace a total of 8,000 lines by 2020. While there is still more to be done, our state and county partners are helping Pittsburgh do all it can to preserve one of its most important resources – clean and safe water,” Mayor William Peduto said.In addition to calling for legislation for universal blood testing that follows the federal guidelines, Gov. Wolf outlined other initiatives associated with creating a lead-free Pennsylvania, including:Local Response TeamsLocal response teams will develop a plan to care for children with elevated blood lead levels. These teams will be modeled after the Plan of Safe Care teams that were developed in response to infants being born affected by substance use disorder.These will ensure proper notification from physician to the Department of Health of cases of children with an elevated blood lead level, a coordinated follow up with the child’s family or caretaker, an assessment of the source of lead poisoning, and a response plan that includes available resources and opportunities for elimination of the source of lead exposure.Workforce TrainingThe administration will develop training to get more Pennsylvanians certified in lead remediation. As of last week, there were 773 individuals and 124 companies certified by the Department to do lead remediation work. There are also 13 training providers accredited by the Department.The goal is to identify resources to increase training in this vital area, especially in areas of the state where there is greater need for lead remediation services.Resources for FamiliesThe departments of Health and Human Service have updated online resources for families to access information on lead testing, lead poisoning and lead remediation. That information is available at on.pa.gov/lead.“This is just the start of my plan for a lead-free Pennsylvania,” Gov. Wolf said. “I plan to continue to work with the General Assembly as the fall session gets underway to pass legislation on universal lead testing and to ensure we are responding to the needs of all Pennsylvanians as we address this serious issue.” August 29, 2019 Gov. Wolf Discusses Initiative for a Lead-Free Pennsylvania with Focus on Testing and Abatement
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“The message to stop the development of the HBS will be welcomed by those who saw it as an expensive distraction and largely pointless,” he said.“It is a fairly clear steer from the Parliament that EIOPA needs to put the breaks on anything that could cause IORPs additional work.”He welcomed Hayes’s approach, as well as the MEP’s observing Council of the EU recommendations to simplify the Directive.Dowsey said the rapporteur had been true to his word in trying to mend the funding issue for cross-border pension funds, which cannot be underfunded.However, the current wording on funding has caused the consultancy some concerns.Similarly, James Walsh, EU policy lead at the UK’s National Association of Pension Funds, said the current wording in relaxing the full-funding requirements could have unintended consequences.The new version states that a fund’s technical provisions should be fully funded “from the moment when the institution starts operating a new or additional scheme”.The text, however, fails to specify what constitutes a “fund launch”. Dowsey said: “Hayes clearly wants to do something about the [fully-funded cross-border situation], but the amendment he has made is open to conjecture.“The sentiment is welcome, but, as drafted, it is potentially less helpful … the intention is to facilitate cross-border schemes without making it more onerous than the domestic situation.”Dowsey also highlighted that, in Article 13/3, the IORP II Directive suggests that bulk transfers between IORPs will require most of their members’ approval, regardless of geography.However, Ireland and the UK have special regulations in place to allow transfers without consent, subject to protections from members and independent actuarial approval.“As drafted,” Dowsey said, “[the regulations] could prevent bulk transfers and potentially frustrate M&A activity.” The European Parliament’s latest draft of the IORP Directive calling for limitations on the EU regulator will be largely welcomed by the industry, Towers Watson has said.In a draft published earlier this week, Irish MEP Brian Hayes, IORP rapporteur for the Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON), said the controversial holistic balance sheet (HBS) accounting approach was “not realistic in practical terms”.He also suggested other European Insurance and Occupation Pensions Authority (EIOPA) projects should be pegged back, and argued that neither the European Commission nor the regulator had the power to draft additional technical standards.Mark Dowsey, senior consultant at Towers Watson, said the latest draft – likely to enter trialogue by the end of the year – sent a clear message to EIOPA.
The €4bn pension fund of retailer Ahold has divested its 2.5% stake in commodities and begun selling its private equity and non-listed property holdings in a bid to lower its risk profile.In its annual report, it said it wanted to replace the divested assets with mortgages.The allocation changes come in the wake of an asset-liability management study and the adoption of a dynamic asset allocation, where the ratio between fixed income and equities depends on the scheme’s funding.When the pension fund’s coverage ratio falls below 130%, for example, it seeks to reduce risk by scaling back equities. Its funding at the end of March was just over 108%, following a drop of 2.6 percentage points over the previous quarter.The pension fund’s new strategic asset allocation is 27% equity, 68% fixed income and 5% listed real estate.The Ahold scheme reported a 1.3% loss for 2015, with its 5.7% return on investments failing to offset the 7% combined loss on its interest and currency hedges.Because the currency hedge had such a marked impact on overall returns, the pension fund said it raised its cover of the British pound, the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc to 100%, while introducing a dynamic hedge for the US dollar.The scheme said it could gradually increase its dynamic interest hedge – 60% at the end of last year – to the strategic level of 75% if interest rates rise.Equity and fixed income returned 6.9% and 4%, respectively, over 2015, while non-listed real estate and private equity returned 15.3% and 19.3%, respectively.Commodities returned 9.8% before they were sold in April, while emerging-market debt produced a 6.4% loss. Last year, Ahold offloaded its stake in the commodities investment fund of Bank of America Merrill Lynch and terminated its credit mandate with asset manager Wellington.The Ahold scheme, which employs AXA IM as fiduciary manager, has invested 79% of its asset through mandates.In other news, the €1.6bn pension fund of Dutch regulator De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) has raised its risk profile, increasing its strategic property allocation from 5% to 8% and expanding its equity portfolio by 1 percentage point to 26%.The pension fund, which kept its interest hedge at 75%, said the adjustment would offer the best opportunity to increase returns with a limited increase in risk.The DNB scheme raised its risk profile last year as well in an effort to increase its surplus return from 1.2% to 1.6%.At the time, it grew its property allocation from 3% to 5% and increased its equity holdings from 17.5% to 25%, while reducing its interest cover from 93% to 75%.
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Who needs one? 00:58With summer fast approaching, and the mercury already rising, many homeowners will be turning their minds to ways to stay cool.But with backyards shrinking, are the days of the pool sinking?Not according to the aquatic architects, those folks whose job it is to craft a design to fit any space.MORE NEWS: Brisbane’s million-dollar suburb boomHow to spruce up your pad for sale Siblings Tobin 11, and Isabella Carnes 7 play in their backyard pool at Burpengary. Photo Lachie MillardOften called plunge pools, spools, even cocktail pools, smaller pools are popping up in increasingly small spaces.Tim Chown of Gold Coast-based Australian Plunge Pools said the trend towards smaller pools first took off in Sydney and Melbourne, where vacant space costs a premium.But he said they were now getting more inquiries from southeast Queensland as block sizes here also shrank.“We fitted one on to a balcony just last week,” he said. “We have done a lot of rooftop and balcony pools.”Mr Chown said consumers were also becoming more focused on fit-for-purpose, year-round pools, incorporating smaller designs, and the option for a heated spa in winter and a cool pool in summer.He said plunge pools, as opposed to the larger lap-style pools, were also cheaper to maintain and run, and often offered the option to go chemical-free.A plunge pool at 112 Outlook Cres in Bardon, which is on the marketQueensland Family Pools construction manager Terry Nicholls said buyers needed to look at the shape of their backyard.Queensland Family Pools construction manager Terry Nicholls said that as houses continued to get bigger, leaving less land for yards, buyers needed to look at the shape of the space they had.“Access is the key with the smaller yards that we have these days,” he said. “Nice and simple and straight lines is the trend at the moment.”Now that’s a sliver of a pool at 29 Blair Lane, AscotYou would probably have found a clothes line in this space a few years ago. This house at y 28 Eighth Avenue at Kedron is for saleDirector of Queensland landscaping business Bioscapes, Noel Brown, agreed, saying smaller, rectangle-shaped pools were becoming more common.However, he said there would always be a place for tropical styles with landscaping.Mr Brown said extra features were also being added to pools to make them look like the centrepiece of a backyard.“Water features intercepting with the pool, that seems to be the way it’s all going,” he said. “Then in the cooler months when you’re not using the pool, you can still enjoy that feature.”Ray White New Farm agent Matt Lancashire said he had seen it all when it came to pool designs.More from newsParks and wildlife the new lust-haves post coronavirus11 hours agoNoosa’s best beachfront penthouse is about to hit the market11 hours agoRay White New Farm principal Matt Lancashire takes a dip at 33 Rockbourne Tce, Paddington.“I have seen glass edged pools, they are amazing and there is a big resurgence in that,” he said. “There is also one I know of that is being built into the basement garage so you will be able to drive in and see people in the pool.“I have also seen an indoor pool that is cantilevered so it is built inside the house.“People are also using glass mosaics with lights … pools are really becoming a statement piece in their own right.“But I still love seeing a big pool.”Here is the entrance or exit to a pool at 34 Addison Avenue in BulimbaAnd another view of the poolYou can even get a glimpse from the carport.Regardless of design, when the mercury hits 31C today and 34C tomorrow, there is a good chance you will find siblings, Tobin and Isabella Carnes, aged 11 and 7 years respectively, in their own statement pool, which has two water slides and its own water cave.The house is currently listed for sale with Raine and Horne Morayfield.Siblings Tobin 11, and Isabella Carnes 7 play in their backyard pool at Burpengary. 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This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.PlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -0:00 Playback Rate1xFullscreenThe 6 best coastal homes that have sold01:19
A total of 239 new soldiers take their oath before Major General Eric Vinoya, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division commander, at the 3ID headquarters in Camp Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz on July 28, 2020. “I urge you to always be aware of your job and its complexities so you can always do the right thing. In all your given tasks, never dwell on mediocrity. Always aim for excellence and always be the best. This is how you can contribute to the accomplishment of our mission,” Vinoya tells them. 3ID PHOTO “Always do the right thing,” Major General Eric Vinoya, 3ID commander, told the soldiers. The graduation ceremony was graced by the Vice Chancellor for Administration of the University of the Philippines Visayas, Mary Ann Gumban who led the ceremonial entrustment of firearms to the new soldiers. These 239 soldiers (Class 624 and Class 625) graduated on July 28 at the 3ID headquarters in Jamindan, Capiz and given the rank of Private. ROXAS City – The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) has enlisted 239 new soldiers to fight insurgents in Western and Central Visayas regions. This authority, she said, “makes you a powerful defender of our country and its sovereignty, its citizens and their rights and freedoms.” According Army Major Cenon Pancito III, these newly recruited soldiers will complement the anti-insurgency campaign while some will help in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related activities. “I urge you to always be aware of your job and its complexities so you can always do the right thing at the very first instance. In all your given tasks, never dwell on mediocrity. Always aim for excellence and always be the best. This is how you can contribute to the accomplishment of our mission,” said Vinoya./PN
“My highest regard to the members of your family who must be mighty proud of you as they see you donned with the uniform of a soldier and entrusted with a service firearm symbolizing the complete authority given to you as the new Privates of the Philippine Army,” said Gumban. They completed five months of rigid Candidate Soldier Course (CSC) and Jungle Warfare Mountain Operation Course (JWMOC) facilitated by the 3rd Division Training School (3DTS). Each new soldier was issued an R4 carbine rifle as service firearm. Private Joel Delmonte Jr., also a TESDA NCII passer from Barangay Bangac, Mina, Iloilo, bagged the same award by besting 117 other members of Class 625-2020 Major General Eric Vinoya, 3ID commander, challenged the newly enlisted soldiers to “do the right thing.” Private Herje Catedrilla, a TESDA NCII passer from Barangay Tahing, Calinog, Iloilo, received the Commander 3ID Award for topping the 121 CS Class 624-2020 with a general point average (GPA) of 92.98 percent in all evaluated subjects. 