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The UK and Angola: Who’s advising who?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:07:55 GMT

Delegates at the United Nations were astonished at the end of last year when Angola proffered economic guidance to the UK.Indeed, impoverished Angola advising the formidable UK, ranked the fifth or sixth largest economy globally depending on the measurement, appeared quite audacious. Observers were left bewildered, questioning whether this indicated the state of Rishi Sunak's nation or exhibited overconfidence on Angola's part.Nonetheless, Angola recommended the UK adopt an urgent poverty alleviation strategy and implement new measures to shield its citizens from the escalating cost-of-living crisis. As per the World Bank, this suggestion came from a country where roughly one-third of the populace lives in poverty (earning below $2.15 per day). In Angola, unemployment is rising, and the nation grapples with its soaring household bills.It is uncommon for an African, southern nation to suggest economic policy changes to a global northern state. Critics of the Conservative government, ...

'More than half of the violence in the world comes from mental health challenges' Sri Sri Ravi Shankar tells European Parliament

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:07:55 GMT

Photo credit: Aris SetyaThe world is facing an unprecedented rise of depression, suicide and mental health issues.According to the WHO World Mental Health report published in June 2022, depression and anxiety rose by 25% in the first year of the pandemic, bringing the number of people living with a mental disorder to nearly one billion people.To address some of the current challenges related to mental health, a Think Tank took place at the European Parliament in Brussels on 22 May, hosted by MEP Ryszard Czarnecki and chaired by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (pictured). The Think Tank addressed and discussed innovative solutions to improve mental health that can be scaled up for global impact, the interconnection between mental health and peacebuilding, the latest research on mental health and mental health efforts as a competitive advantage in the workspace."Mental health is one of the greatest challenges the world is facing today. Whether it is in developing or developed countries, ...

Southbound 405 Freeway partially reopens after fatal multi-car crash

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:07:55 GMT

All southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway were closed for hours in the Westwood area Monday morning due to a multi-vehicle crash that left at least one person dead.Officials said the crash occurred around 3:30 a.m. near Sunset Boulevard and involved four to five cars. One person was pronounced dead at the scene.The crash near Sunset Boulevard closed all southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway. May 22, 2023. (LLN)California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert around 4 a.m., blocking all southbound lanes of travel. Video from the crash scene showed car parts and debris scattered across the freeway.Traffic backups extended into the Sepulveda Pass, and though the HOV, No. 1 and No. 2 lanes were reopened at about 7 a.m., the No. 3 and No. 4 lanes will "remain closed until further notice," according to the CHP.Cars were being diverted at Skirball Center Drive.California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert around 4 a.m., blocking all lanes of travel on the southbound 405. May 22, 2023. (KTLA)The cause...

Video: Plenty Brings Greens With Attitude Straight Outta Compton

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:07:55 GMT

Vertical farming company Plenty has brought the world’s largest and most technologically advanced indoor vertical farm to the streets of Compton, growing more than 250 field acres worth of produce within one block of 90220. The massive facility expects to produce about 4.5 million pounds of leafy greens annually with a fraction of the land and water used by traditional farms.The farm has more than 80 full time employees, staffing with more than 30% local hires. The farm’s spinach, arugula, baby kale and crispy lettuce will be available at local retailers and throughout California at Walmart, Whole Foods and Bristol Farms. Seedlings at Plenty in Compton (Michele Stueven)“Having Plenty in this city means a lot to this community and its residents,” Compton Mayor Emma Sharif told L.A. Weekly at the farm’s grand opening last week. “The city of Compton is evolving and we’re doing innovative things with a whole new technology system here and want to keep moving forward.”Agriculture is noth...

California woman left comatose during pregnancy treatment awarded $17.4 million

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:07:55 GMT

A Riverside County jury on Friday, May 19, awarded more than $17.4 million to a San Jacinto woman who was left comatose after treatment for a high-risk pregnancy at Riverside Community Hospital, her attorney said.After deliberating for two days, jurors at the Historic Courthouse in Riverside found the obstetrician, Aruna Gupta, the anesthesiologist and a nurse liable for the condition of Adria Snover, attorneys for Snover and Gupta said. Jurors awarded Snover, now 32, $17,458,474 in damages, including $2.2 million for her past suffering and $5.25 million for her future medical care. The rest of the judgment was for non-economic damages, said her attorney, Bruce Fagel.Riverside Community Hospital and the anesthesiologist had previously settled out of court for undisclosed sums, Fagel said.A spokesman for the hospital could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.Fagel said Snover entered the hospital on Dec. 4, 2018, suffering from pre-eclampsia, an obstetrical condition that p...

As the COVID-19 health emergency ends, experts say a less-deadly pandemic likely in next 25 years

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:07:55 GMT

There’s some good news about the COVID-19 pandemic.Experts once believed the SARS-CoV-2 virus would be an ongoing threat years or decades into the future. But they now think the worst of it is over — forever.With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting COVID-19 has caused more than 1.1 million deaths in the United States since its outbreak in early 2020, the federal government on Thursday, May 11,  declared the health emergency over. As civilization continues to move into environments where only animals, and their diseases, previously dwelled, it’s almost certain other diseases will jump to humans. But the odds of one of them being as serious as COVID-19 seems low, experts say.“I think 2023 will be the end of the general concern” about COVID-19, said Dr. Jeffrey D. Klausner, a professor of medicine, infectious diseases, population and public health at the University of Southern California.Government agencies are ending their coronavirus states of emergency. San Bern...

Lyft driver arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and sexually assaulting 15-year-old California girl

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:07:55 GMT

A 30-year-old Lyft driver from Orange was arrested on Wednesday after he was accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in Santa Ana, police said.The attack allegedly occurred in April, when Lyft driver Fredi Rojas kidnapped the girl from the area of 1200 North Bewely after she flagged him down and asked for a cell phone charger, according to authorities. Rojas stopped and offered to help the girl before forcing her into his car and driving to a nearby parking lot, where he sexually assaulted her, police said.After that, Rojas drove the girl to a different location and dropped her off. He was driving a white Nissan Rogue rental car at the time, according to police. Authorities do not believe the girl was a customer.Police say there may be additional victims and urge anyone with information to contact Detective Amanda Miller at 714-245-8363 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Search ongoing for b...

Search ongoing for boy, 4, after sister, 8, dies in California river closed after storms

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:07:55 GMT

SANGER — Rescuers who recovered the body of an 8-year-old girl Sunday were searching for her 4-year-old brother after the siblings were carried away by the current of a California river that was off limits because of high water levels, authorities said.Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters responded around 2 p.m. Sunday to the Kings River in Sanger, about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from Pine Flat Dam, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said.The girl was found dead less than an hour later by rescuers using boats and a helicopter. They did not immediately say how the child died.The boy had not been found and a search was ongoing, the sheriff’s office said Sunday night.The children, who were not wearing life jackets, entered the water with their mother and another adult while trying to make their way to climb on a specific rock.The Kings and San Joaquin rivers have been closed to recreational users since March 14 because heavy winter storms and melting snow created high water levels and haz...

Pac-12 media rights: How to interpret a recent series of public comments by campus officials

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:07:55 GMT

The timing of it all makes perfect sense.No, not that timing. Not the timing of the Pac-12’s media rights deal, which has been extended far beyond what was originally forecast and might not be completed for many more weeks.Instead, we’re referring to the timing of on-the-record comments about the negotiations by those in the know. The utterances fit perfectly within the larger saga.The conference held its annual double-shot of spring meetings in the first half of May. The athletic directors gathered in Scottsdale (with coaches) during the first week, then came the quarterly board meeting of university presidents on May 15 in Seattle.Both agendas included updates from commissioner George Kliavkoff on media rights negotiations and conference expansion.Kliavkoff hasn’t spoken publicly about the topics for six months, and that didn’t change following the May meetings. But two athletic directors and one president addressed the situation, thus providing fans and me...

Palo Alto Mayor Lydia Kou launches bid for state assembly seat

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:07:55 GMT

(BCN) -- Palo Alto Mayor Lydia Kou stumbled into politics accidentally as an active member of her community--now she wants to run for higher office. Kou declared her candidacy for state Assembly on Monday. She will run against incumbent Marc Berman who represents District 23, which includes Mountain View, Palo Alto, most of Menlo Park, Pacifica, Half Moon Bay, Saratoga and Campbell. Her focus is on ending the state's housing crisis through short-term transitional housing and long-term affordable housing with supportive services for drug addiction and mental health. California has the largest homeless population in the nation with more than 171,000 people, according to the Annual Homeless Assessment to Congress. There are approximately 10,000 homeless residents in Santa Clara County. Kou opposes Senate Bill 9, which ended exclusionary single-family zoning statewide and enforced a government approval process to subdivide parcels of land. She aims to tackle street safety by...