President Joe Biden has said repeatedly that he wants to create a path to citizenship for all of the 11 million immigrants living in the United States illegally.

But even as he prepares to push hard for the broadest possible overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws, he and his aides have started to signal openness to more targeted approaches that could win citizenship for smaller, discrete groups of immigrants living in the United States without legal permission. At a CNN town hall Tuesday, he said such efforts would be acceptable “in the meantime.”

In a private telephone call with activists Wednesday, top immigration aides to Biden said they supported what they called a “multiple trains” strategy, which could target citizenship for “Dreamers,” the young immigrants brought into the country illegally as children; farmworkers who have toiled for years in U.S. fields; and others.

Smaller bills could move forward as the president tries to build support for the broader legislation, which is scheduled to be introduced Thursday, according to two people who were on the call.

If he chooses to move step by step, Biden appears unlikely to anger the most powerful pro-immigration groups, which are embracing a more pragmatic strategy after spectacular defeats under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

For more than two decades, activists have tried and failed to secure passage of a broad overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws that would create a path to citizenship for most immigrants living in the United States without legal permission, a faster path for Dreamers, expanded visa access for highly skilled workers and a new program for seasonal agricultural laborers.

They are betting that Biden will struggle even more than his predecessors did to win support from a Republican Party that became more anti-immigrant during the Trump administration.

While the activists are willing to let Biden try for a bipartisan deal this year, they have warned that they will not wait forever.

“We want 11 million people legalized. That is our North Star,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice and a veteran of immigration wars in the nation’s capital for more than 30 years. “But we can’t come home empty-handed. We’re not going to adopt an all-or-nothing approach. We have to achieve a breakthrough.”

For those like Sharry, that is a major shift, and it could herald fierce debates over whether Democrats should use parliamentary tactics in the Senate to ram through individual immigration measures without any Republican support.

The activists are mobilizing on behalf of separate bills that would legalize Dreamers, farmworkers, immigrants granted temporary status after fleeing war and natural disasters, and “essential workers” living in the United States illegally who have been on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

Publicly, the White House is insisting that Congress should pass the president’s broad immigration overhaul. Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, said this week that Biden was pushing for comprehensive changes because “they all need to be addressed — that’s why he proposed them together.”

And the chief backers of Biden’s legislation in Congress — Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Rep. Linda Sanchez of California — say abandoning the broader effort before it has even begun would be a mistake. Menendez and Sanchez are expected to reveal details about the president’s legislation Thursday morning after it is introduced in the House.

A Democratic aide familiar with the legislation said if immigration activists ask for only “half a loaf,” they should not be surprised when they end up going home with just a single slice of bread.

“We have an economic and moral imperative to pass big, bold and inclusive immigration reform — reform that leaves no one behind,” Menendez said Wednesday evening. He criticized advocates for not being willing to fight for legislation that would eventually legalize all the country’s immigrant population.

“We must not start with concessions out of the gate. We are not going to start with 2 million undocumented people instead of 11 million,” he said. “We will never win an argument that we don’t have the courage to make. We must make our case for bold, inclusive and lasting immigration reform.”

How to successfully revamp the nation’s immigration system has for decades eluded policymakers in Washington. The last time a major immigration bill was signed into law was in 1990, when President George Bush expanded legal immigration into the United States, before an explosion of illegal crossings at the southwestern border in the following 20 years.

The surge in illegal border crossings prompted demands for increased enforcement from conservatives even as backlogs in legal immigration created a growing crisis for businesses looking for workers and for families seeking refuge in the United States from violence and disasters at home.

For nearly three decades, those in favor of immigration have argued for a single, comprehensive bill with elements that could unite Democrats and Republicans, labor unions and big businesses, security-minded conservatives and liberal immigration supporters.

Such bills — which were introduced in 2001, 2006, 2007 and 2013 — centered around a trade-off: amped-up border security and immigration law enforcement in exchange for a path to citizenship for people living in the United States without legal permission. They also included increases in the number of temporary workers allowed into the United States, more resources for processing asylum applications, new opportunities for high-skilled workers from other countries, some limits on immigration based on family ties, and protections for people living in the United States illegally who arrived as children.

But none of those efforts succeeded. Despite support from Bush, the Senate and House failed to reach a compromise in 2006, and legislation in 2007 was defeated in the Senate. In 2013, Obama secured bipartisan Senate passage of an immigration overhaul, 68-32, only to see it ignored by the Republican-controlled House. Over the past four years, some of the conservative side of the equation — border security — was secured by President Donald Trump in the form of tough restrictions on asylum-seekers and partial construction of Trump’s border wall.

Biden won the presidency in part by pledging that he would bring back bipartisanship and saying that his long-standing relationships in the Senate would help him bridge the partisan divides that have grown deeper in recent years. Psaki said the president has outlined “the tenets of what we think the proposal should look like” in the hopes of addressing the root causes of immigration problems.

But immigration advocates say the history of failure is driving a change in strategy this year.

“You’re talking about a fight that we’ve had for over three decades at this point,” said Lorella Praeli, president of Community Change Action. “I’m not interested in a dance. I’m committed to seeing this through and delivering on concrete changes.”

Praeli and other proponents praised Biden, Menendez and Sanchez for their broader bill. But they also called on the president to promise that he would also use a budgetary tool known as reconciliation to enact smaller components of the legislation even as he pushes ahead with the larger effort.

Under Senate rules, legislation that significantly affects the nation’s budget can be passed with only a majority vote, avoiding filibuster rules that require the support of 60 senators. With the current 50-50 Senate, that would give Democrats the ability to pass reconciliation bills without Republican support and with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tiebreaking vote — if they can stay united.

Immigration proponents say some more targeted efforts to legalize some immigrants living in the United State illegally would pass muster under the sometimes baffling rules of reconciliation, which are supposed to bar pure policy measures from bills that are supposed to deal with government taxation and spending. Because newly legalized residents would affect tax revenue and government benefits, the groups say immigration legislation could be tailored as budget measures.

Reconciliation is already being used to muscle through Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, but another budget measure is expected to address infrastructure funding and climate change.

“We should be included in that package,” said Sharry of America’s Voice.

Biden’s immigration efforts face even more headwinds than those of Obama and Bush.

Many Republican senators who had been supporters of immigration — including John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona; Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker of Tennessee; Orrin Hatch of Utah; Dean Heller of Nevada; and others — have left the Senate. Others, like Marco Rubio of Florida and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who helped negotiate previous immigration packages, shifted right in the Trump years.

Kerri Talbot, deputy director of the Immigration Hub, said that it was clear to many of the groups that Republicans cannot be counted on to support a broad overhaul of immigration without the kind of extreme measures that Trump insisted upon during his presidency. She said that pursuing smaller, popular measures like providing legalization for Dreamers would put Republicans on the spot.

“We’re always open to having a broader discussion, but absent that, we want to move forward with pieces that can pass,” she said. “We would love to have bipartisanship. I’d love to have that conversation again. But it’s really up to Republicans.”

Praeli said she and others who have fought over immigration for years believed it was time to “put the ‘W’s’ on the board” by granting a path to citizenship to as many people as they can.

“We’re in a different moment,” said Praeli, who became a citizen in 2015 after living in the United States for years without legal permission following her arrival as a small child. “We can see that Trump is no longer here, but Trumpism did not go away.”

President Joe Biden has said repeatedly that he wants to create a path to citizenship for all of the 11 million immigrants living in the United States illegally.

President Joe Biden has said repeatedly that he wants to create a path to citizenship for all of the 11 million immigrants living in the United States illegally. But even as he prepares to push hard for the broadest possible overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws, he and his aides have started to signal openness to more targeted approaches that could win citizenship for smaller, discrete groups of immigrants living in the United States without legal permission. At a CNN town hall Tuesday, he said such efforts would be acceptable “in the meantime.” In a private telephone call with activists Wednesday, top immigration aides to Biden said they supported what they called a “multiple trains” strategy, which could target citizenship for “Dreamers,” the young immigrants brought into the country illegally as children; farmworkers who have toiled for years in U.S. fields; and others. Smaller bills could move forward as the president tries to build support for the broader legislation, which is scheduled to be introduced Thursday, according to two people who were on the call. If he chooses to move step by step, Biden appears unlikely to anger the most powerful pro-immigration groups, which are embracing a more pragmatic strategy after spectacular defeats under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. For more than two decades, activists have tried and failed to secure passage of a broad overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws that would create a path to citizenship for most immigrants living in the United States without legal permission, a faster path for Dreamers, expanded visa access for highly skilled workers and a new program for seasonal agricultural laborers. They are betting that Biden will struggle even more than his predecessors did to win support from a Republican Party that became more anti-immigrant during the Trump administration. While the activists are willing to let Biden try for a bipartisan deal this year, they have warned that they will not wait forever. “We want 11 million people legalized. That is our North Star,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice and a veteran of immigration wars in the nation’s capital for more than 30 years. “But we can’t come home empty-handed. We’re not going to adopt an all-or-nothing approach. We have to achieve a breakthrough.” For those like Sharry, that is a major shift, and it could herald fierce debates over whether Democrats should use parliamentary tactics in the Senate to ram through individual immigration measures without any Republican support. The activists are mobilizing on behalf of separate bills that would legalize Dreamers, farmworkers, immigrants granted temporary status after fleeing war and natural disasters, and “essential workers” living in the United States illegally who have been on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Publicly, the White House is insisting that Congress should pass the president’s broad immigration overhaul. Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, said this week that Biden was pushing for comprehensive changes because “they all need to be addressed — that’s why he proposed them together.” And the chief backers of Biden’s legislation in Congress — Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Rep. Linda Sanchez of California — say abandoning the broader effort before it has even begun would be a mistake. Menendez and Sanchez are expected to reveal details about the president’s legislation Thursday morning after it is introduced in the House. A Democratic aide familiar with the legislation said if immigration activists ask for only “half a loaf,” they should not be surprised when they end up going home with just a single slice of bread. “We have an economic and moral imperative to pass big, bold and inclusive immigration reform — reform that leaves no one behind,” Menendez said Wednesday evening. He criticized advocates for not being willing to fight for legislation that would eventually legalize all the country’s immigrant population. “We must not start with concessions out of the gate. We are not going to start with 2 million undocumented people instead of 11 million,” he said. “We will never win an argument that we don’t have the courage to make. We must make our case for bold, inclusive and lasting immigration reform.” How to successfully revamp the nation’s immigration system has for decades eluded policymakers in Washington. The last time a major immigration bill was signed into law was in 1990, when President George Bush expanded legal immigration into the United States, before an explosion of illegal crossings at the southwestern border in the following 20 years. The surge in illegal border crossings prompted demands for increased enforcement from conservatives even as backlogs in legal immigration created a growing crisis for businesses looking for workers and for families seeking refuge in the United States from violence and disasters at home. For nearly three decades, those in favor of immigration have argued for a single, comprehensive bill with elements that could unite Democrats and Republicans, labor unions and big businesses, security-minded conservatives and liberal immigration supporters. Such bills — which were introduced in 2001, 2006, 2007 and 2013 — centered around a trade-off: amped-up border security and immigration law enforcement in exchange for a path to citizenship for people living in the United States without legal permission. They also included increases in the number of temporary workers allowed into the United States, more resources for processing asylum applications, new opportunities for high-skilled workers from other countries, some limits on immigration based on family ties, and protections for people living in the United States illegally who arrived as children. But none of those efforts succeeded. Despite support from Bush, the Senate and House failed to reach a compromise in 2006, and legislation in 2007 was defeated in the Senate. In 2013, Obama secured bipartisan Senate passage of an immigration overhaul, 68-32, only to see it ignored by the Republican-controlled House. Over the past four years, some of the conservative side of the equation — border security — was secured by President Donald Trump in the form of tough restrictions on asylum-seekers and partial construction of Trump’s border wall. Biden won the presidency in part by pledging that he would bring back bipartisanship and saying that his long-standing relationships in the Senate would help him bridge the partisan divides that have grown deeper in recent years. Psaki said the president has outlined “the tenets of what we think the proposal should look like” in the hopes of addressing the root causes of immigration problems. But immigration advocates say the history of failure is driving a change in strategy this year. “You’re talking about a fight that we’ve had for over three decades at this point,” said Lorella Praeli, president of Community Change Action. “I’m not interested in a dance. I’m committed to seeing this through and delivering on concrete changes.” Praeli and other proponents praised Biden, Menendez and Sanchez for their broader bill. But they also called on the president to promise that he would also use a budgetary tool known as reconciliation to enact smaller components of the legislation even as he pushes ahead with the larger effort. Under Senate rules, legislation that significantly affects the nation’s budget can be passed with only a majority vote, avoiding filibuster rules that require the support of 60 senators. With the current 50-50 Senate, that would give Democrats the ability to pass reconciliation bills without Republican support and with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tiebreaking vote — if they can stay united. Immigration proponents say some more targeted efforts to legalize some immigrants living in the United State illegally would pass muster under the sometimes baffling rules of reconciliation, which are supposed to bar pure policy measures from bills that are supposed to deal with government taxation and spending. Because newly legalized residents would affect tax revenue and government benefits, the groups say immigration legislation could be tailored as budget measures. Reconciliation is already being used to muscle through Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, but another budget measure is expected to address infrastructure funding and climate change. “We should be included in that package,” said Sharry of America’s Voice. Biden’s immigration efforts face even more headwinds than those of Obama and Bush. Many Republican senators who had been supporters of immigration — including John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona; Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker of Tennessee; Orrin Hatch of Utah; Dean Heller of Nevada; and others — have left the Senate. Others, like Marco Rubio of Florida and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who helped negotiate previous immigration packages, shifted right in the Trump years. Kerri Talbot, deputy director of the Immigration Hub, said that it was clear to many of the groups that Republicans cannot be counted on to support a broad overhaul of immigration without the kind of extreme measures that Trump insisted upon during his presidency. She said that pursuing smaller, popular measures like providing legalization for Dreamers would put Republicans on the spot. “We’re always open to having a broader discussion, but absent that, we want to move forward with pieces that can pass,” she said. “We would love to have bipartisanship. I’d love to have that conversation again. But it’s really up to Republicans.” Praeli said she and others who have fought over immigration for years believed it was time to “put the ‘W’s’ on the board” by granting a path to citizenship to as many people as they can. “We’re in a different moment,” said Praeli, who became a citizen in 2015 after living in the United States for years without legal permission following her arrival as a small child. “We can see that Trump is no longer here, but Trumpism did not go away.”

Biden signals he’s flexible on immigration overhaul

European aircraft giant Airbus said Thursday it was able to limit its losses last year, even as the airline sector collapsed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Airbus said in a statement that it booked a net loss of 1.1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) in 2020.

That was a slight improvement over the previous year's bottom-line loss of 1.4 billion euros, when Airbus was hit with a huge fine of 3.6 billion euros in a corruption scandal.

The company's fierce US rival Boeing had a massive loss of $11.9 billion last year as the Covid-19 crisis played out, combined with getting its key 737 MAX aircraft back in the air.

"The 2020 results demonstrate the resilience of Airbus in the most challenging crisis to hit the aerospace industry," said chief executive Guillaume Faury.&nbsp; 
Group revenues plunged to 49.9 billion euros from 70.5 billion euros a year earlier, "driven by the difficult market environment impacting the commercial aircraft business with 34 percent fewer deliveries year-on-year," Airbus said.

A total of 566 commercial aircraft were delivered, comprising 38 A220s, 446 A320s, 19 A330s, 59 A350s and four A380s, compared with 863 aircraft in 2019. 
Airbus said it saw no immediate improvement for the industry's prospects for now.

"Many uncertainties remain for our industry in 2021 as the pandemic continues to impact lives, economies and societies," Faury said.

European aircraft giant Airbus said Thursday it was able to limit its losses last year, even as the airline sector collapsed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

European aircraft giant Airbus said Thursday it was able to limit its losses last year, even as the airline sector collapsed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Airbus said in a statement that it booked a net loss of 1.1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) in 2020. That was a slight improvement over the previous year's bottom-line loss of 1.4 billion euros, when Airbus was hit with a huge fine of 3.6 billion euros in a corruption scandal. The company's fierce US rival Boeing had a massive loss of $11.9 billion last year as the Covid-19 crisis played out, combined with getting its key 737 MAX aircraft back in the air. "The 2020 results demonstrate the resilience of Airbus in the most challenging crisis to hit the aerospace industry," said chief executive Guillaume Faury. Group revenues plunged to 49.9 billion euros from 70.5 billion euros a year earlier, "driven by the difficult market environment impacting the commercial aircraft business with 34 percent fewer deliveries year-on-year," Airbus said. A total of 566 commercial aircraft were delivered, comprising 38 A220s, 446 A320s, 19 A330s, 59 A350s and four A380s, compared with 863 aircraft in 2019. Airbus said it saw no immediate improvement for the industry's prospects for now. "Many uncertainties remain for our industry in 2021 as the pandemic continues to impact lives, economies and societies," Faury said.

Airbus books 1.1-billion-euro loss in 2020 in wake of Covid-19

The cold snap in Texas is affecting animal life in addition to creating difficult situation for residents. The temperature has gone down unusually and turtles, not used to such low temperature have been affected. Thousands of turtles have been washing up on the beaches of South Padre Island. Volunteers have rescued about 4700 turtles. The turtles have been brought to a convention center and are being kept in tubs and enclosures. They will be released when ocean water warms up.

Video shot by Ed Caum, executive director of the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau referred to the turtles as being 'cold-stunned'. It is a condition where cold-blooded animals suddenly exhibit hypothermic reactions such as lethargy and an inability to move when the temperature in the environment around them drops.

"We've brought them to the convention center to get their core temperatures back up," said Caum, narrating one of the videos.

In the latest video posted on Facebook on Wednesday (February 17), Caum related how the center's power and water supplies were restored overnight.

"We've expanded down both wings. The heat is coming back up in the corridor," Caum said as the video shows a passageway filled with turtles lying end-to-end on blue canvas.

In addition to the cold wave, Texas has been hit by power outage for last several days. Millions of Texans don't have electricity. This has added to their difficulties during the cold wave.

USA's National Weather Service (NWS) issued winter warning for areas from east Texas to the East Coast state of Maryland.

The NWS said the storm would bring ice, sleet and heavy snow to parts of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi as it tracks to the northeast, causing power outages, tree damage and making driving hazardous.&nbsp;

More than 30 storm-related deaths have been reported by media in the United States since the cold weather arrived last week, many in traffic accidents.

A man in Louisiana died when he hit his head after slipping on ice, and a 10-year-old Tennessee boy perished after he and his six-year-old sister fell through the ice into a pond Sunday.

A dozen animals -- including one 58-year-old female chimpanzee -- died during the freeze at rescue sanctuary Primarily Primates near San Antonio, the organization said on its website Wednesday.

(With AFP inputs)

The cold snap in Texas is affecting animal life in addition to creating difficult situation for residents. The temperature has gone down unusually and turtles, not used to such low temperature have been affected.

The cold snap in Texas is affecting animal life in addition to creating difficult situation for residents. The temperature has gone down unusually and turtles, not used to such low temperature have been affected. Thousands of turtles have been washing up on the beaches of South Padre Island. Volunteers have rescued about 4700 turtles. The turtles have been brought to a convention center and are being kept in tubs and enclosures. They will be released when ocean water warms up. Video shot by Ed Caum, executive director of the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau referred to the turtles as being 'cold-stunned'. It is a condition where cold-blooded animals suddenly exhibit hypothermic reactions such as lethargy and an inability to move when the temperature in the environment around them drops. "We've brought them to the convention center to get their core temperatures back up," said Caum, narrating one of the videos. In the latest video posted on Facebook on Wednesday (February 17), Caum related how the center's power and water supplies were restored overnight. "We've expanded down both wings. The heat is coming back up in the corridor," Caum said as the video shows a passageway filled with turtles lying end-to-end on blue canvas. In addition to the cold wave, Texas has been hit by power outage for last several days. Millions of Texans don't have electricity. This has added to their difficulties during the cold wave. USA's National Weather Service (NWS) issued winter warning for areas from east Texas to the East Coast state of Maryland. The NWS said the storm would bring ice, sleet and heavy snow to parts of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi as it tracks to the northeast, causing power outages, tree damage and making driving hazardous. More than 30 storm-related deaths have been reported by media in the United States since the cold weather arrived last week, many in traffic accidents. A man in Louisiana died when he hit his head after slipping on ice, and a 10-year-old Tennessee boy perished after he and his six-year-old sister fell through the ice into a pond Sunday. A dozen animals -- including one 58-year-old female chimpanzee -- died during the freeze at rescue sanctuary Primarily Primates near San Antonio, the organization said on its website Wednesday. (With AFP inputs)

Thousands of cold-stunned turtles rescued in Texas

Millions of people in Texas continued to shiver in cold as they were forced to spend winter days with no electricity. The oil and gas capital of the US is witnessing unusual winter storm that pummeled southeastern part of the country. USA's National Weather Service (NWS) issued winter warning for areas from east Texas to the East Coast state of Maryland.

The NWS said the storm would bring ice, sleet and heavy snow to parts of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi as it tracks to the northeast, causing power outages, tree damage and making driving hazardous.&nbsp;

Even though the Arctic air mass was beginning to lose its grip on an area of the country not used to such extreme cold, the frigid temperatures would continue, the NWS said.

"The Arctic air will also continue over the Plains and Mississippi Valley with temperatures of 25 to 40 degrees below average," the NWS reported Wednesday afternoon.

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&nbsp;

Storm claims lives

More than 30 storm-related deaths have been reported by media in the United States since the cold weather arrived last week, many in traffic accidents.

A man in Louisiana died when he hit his head after slipping on ice, and a 10-year-old Tennessee boy perished after he and his six-year-old sister fell through the ice into a pond Sunday.

A dozen animals -- including one 58-year-old female chimpanzee -- died during the freeze at rescue sanctuary Primarily Primates near San Antonio, the organization said on its website Wednesday.

The winter storm spawned at least four tornadoes, according to Atlanta-based weather.com, including one in North Carolina on Monday that killed at least three people and injured 10.

Across the southern border, Mexican officials said six people died after temperatures plunged.

Water shortage

Hundreds of thousands of residents of the Texas metropolis of Houston are suffering from both power outages and a loss of water pressure.

"Water pressure is very low," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted. "Please do not run water to keep pipes from bursting."

Several Texas cities advised residents to boil their water before drinking it or using it for cooking.

David Hernandez, 38, spent the night at a Houston church with other people who have fled their homes.

"My car got stranded and I was trying to sleep in the car but it was just too cold," Hernandez said. "Liquids in my car were actually turning to ice so it was like sleeping in an ice box.

"I had to come here," he said. "There's no choice."

Power companies in Texas have implemented rolling blackouts to avoid grids being overloaded as residents crank up the heat.

According to PowerOutage.US, about 2.4 million customers were still without power by Wednesday evening in Texas, the only one of the US's 48 continental states to have its own independent power grid.

'Nearly a failed state'

Beto O'Rourke, a former Democratic presidential candidate from Texas, told MSNBC television the situation in the Lone Star State was "worse than you are hearing."

"Folks have gone days now without electricity. They're suffering," he said.

"So much of this was avoidable," O'Rourke added.&nbsp;

"The energy capital of North America cannot provide the energy needed to warm and power people's homes in this great state. We are nearing a failed state in Texas."

Austin Energy, the local power company in the capital city of 950,000, said tens of thousands of area customers were without electricity, but that they were able to start restoring power in some spots.&nbsp;

"However, this power will NOT stay on indefinitely due to anticipated grid conditions continuing," the company's Twitter account said Wednesday afternoon, warning of future rotating outages.&nbsp;

The energy company published the locations of "warming centers" set up in local schools.

(With AFP inputs)

Millions of people in Texas continued to shiver in cold as they were forced to spend winter days with no electricity. The oil and gas capital of the US is witnessing unusual winter storm that pummeled southeastern part of the country.

Millions of people in Texas continued to shiver in cold as they were forced to spend winter days with no electricity. The oil and gas capital of the US is witnessing unusual winter storm that pummeled southeastern part of the country. USA's National Weather Service (NWS) issued winter warning for areas from east Texas to the East Coast state of Maryland. The NWS said the storm would bring ice, sleet and heavy snow to parts of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi as it tracks to the northeast, causing power outages, tree damage and making driving hazardous. Even though the Arctic air mass was beginning to lose its grip on an area of the country not used to such extreme cold, the frigid temperatures would continue, the NWS said. "The Arctic air will also continue over the Plains and Mississippi Valley with temperatures of 25 to 40 degrees below average," the NWS reported Wednesday afternoon. × Storm claims lives More than 30 storm-related deaths have been reported by media in the United States since the cold weather arrived last week, many in traffic accidents. A man in Louisiana died when he hit his head after slipping on ice, and a 10-year-old Tennessee boy perished after he and his six-year-old sister fell through the ice into a pond Sunday. A dozen animals -- including one 58-year-old female chimpanzee -- died during the freeze at rescue sanctuary Primarily Primates near San Antonio, the organization said on its website Wednesday. The winter storm spawned at least four tornadoes, according to Atlanta-based weather.com, including one in North Carolina on Monday that killed at least three people and injured 10. Across the southern border, Mexican officials said six people died after temperatures plunged. Water shortage Hundreds of thousands of residents of the Texas metropolis of Houston are suffering from both power outages and a loss of water pressure. "Water pressure is very low," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted. "Please do not run water to keep pipes from bursting." Several Texas cities advised residents to boil their water before drinking it or using it for cooking. David Hernandez, 38, spent the night at a Houston church with other people who have fled their homes. "My car got stranded and I was trying to sleep in the car but it was just too cold," Hernandez said. "Liquids in my car were actually turning to ice so it was like sleeping in an ice box. "I had to come here," he said. "There's no choice." Power companies in Texas have implemented rolling blackouts to avoid grids being overloaded as residents crank up the heat. According to PowerOutage.US, about 2.4 million customers were still without power by Wednesday evening in Texas, the only one of the US's 48 continental states to have its own independent power grid. 'Nearly a failed state' Beto O'Rourke, a former Democratic presidential candidate from Texas, told MSNBC television the situation in the Lone Star State was "worse than you are hearing." "Folks have gone days now without electricity. They're suffering," he said. "So much of this was avoidable," O'Rourke added. "The energy capital of North America cannot provide the energy needed to warm and power people's homes in this great state. We are nearing a failed state in Texas." Austin Energy, the local power company in the capital city of 950,000, said tens of thousands of area customers were without electricity, but that they were able to start restoring power in some spots. "However, this power will NOT stay on indefinitely due to anticipated grid conditions continuing," the company's Twitter account said Wednesday afternoon, warning of future rotating outages. The energy company published the locations of "warming centers" set up in local schools. (With AFP inputs)

Texas continues to shiver amid power outage, more than 20 deaths reported

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia resigned on Thursday. He stepped down over plans to arrest a top opposition leader. He said it risked escalating a political crisis.

Gakharia said he was resigning because of disagreement in the government over enforcing a court order to arrest Nika Melia. He said that to do so would "pose a risk to the health and lives of our citizens and increase political polarisation in the country."

"It is inadmissible to enforce a judiciary decision... if that poses a risk to the health and lives of our citizens or creates the possibility of a political escalation in the country."

A court in Georgia on Wednesday ruled to place Melia in pre-trial detention.

Melia, who faces up to nine years behind bars if found guilty of "organising mass violence" during anti-government protests in 2019, has rejected the charges as politically motivated.&nbsp;

The move to arrest Melia -- chairman of the country's main opposition force, the United National Movement (UNM) -- raised the stakes in a political crisis that has gripped Georgia since parliamentary elections in October.

The opposition denounced the polls as rigged after the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory.

Leaders of nearly all of the country's opposition parties gathered Wednesday at the UNM party headquarters in the capital Tbilisi ahead of the trial, vowing to obstruct police if they moved to arrest Melia.

Georgian television stations on Wednesday night aired footage of riot police mobilising close to the UNM headquarters.

In a statement ahead of the trial, the European Union envoy to Georgia described the circumstances surrounding Melia's prosecution as a "dangerous trajectory for Georgia and for Georgian democracy."

The US embassy in Tbilisi said on Twitter that the crisis "must be resolved peacefully", urging both the government and the opposition to show restraint.

(With AFP inputs)

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia resigned on Thursday. He stepped down over plans to arrest a top opposition leader. He said it risked escalating a political crisis.

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia resigned on Thursday. He stepped down over plans to arrest a top opposition leader. He said it risked escalating a political crisis. Gakharia said he was resigning because of disagreement in the government over enforcing a court order to arrest Nika Melia. He said that to do so would "pose a risk to the health and lives of our citizens and increase political polarisation in the country." "It is inadmissible to enforce a judiciary decision... if that poses a risk to the health and lives of our citizens or creates the possibility of a political escalation in the country." A court in Georgia on Wednesday ruled to place Melia in pre-trial detention. Melia, who faces up to nine years behind bars if found guilty of "organising mass violence" during anti-government protests in 2019, has rejected the charges as politically motivated. The move to arrest Melia -- chairman of the country's main opposition force, the United National Movement (UNM) -- raised the stakes in a political crisis that has gripped Georgia since parliamentary elections in October. The opposition denounced the polls as rigged after the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory. Leaders of nearly all of the country's opposition parties gathered Wednesday at the UNM party headquarters in the capital Tbilisi ahead of the trial, vowing to obstruct police if they moved to arrest Melia. Georgian television stations on Wednesday night aired footage of riot police mobilising close to the UNM headquarters. In a statement ahead of the trial, the European Union envoy to Georgia described the circumstances surrounding Melia's prosecution as a "dangerous trajectory for Georgia and for Georgian democracy." The US embassy in Tbilisi said on Twitter that the crisis "must be resolved peacefully", urging both the government and the opposition to show restraint. (With AFP inputs)

Georgia PM resigns over plans to arrest opposition leader

Chaotic situation post-military coup in Myanmar did not show any signs of normalcy on Thursday. Myanmar's military junta issued arrest warrants against six celebrities while anti-coup hackers targetted government websites. The celebrities face allegations of encouraging strikes that have paralysed many government offices. Nearly 500 people have been arrested so far. The army announced late on Wednesday that six celebrities, including film directors, actors and a singer, were wanted under an anti-incitement law for encouraging civil servants to join in the protest.

The charges can carry a two-year prison sentence.

Some of those on the list were defiant.

"It's amazing to see the unity of our people. People's power must return to the people," actor Lu Min posted on his Facebook page.

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Thousands of chanting protesters gathered on Thursday at a busy intersection near the main university in Yangon

Students were also due to gather in a different part of the city to protests against the Feb. 1 coup and detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The street marches have been more peaceful than bloodily suppressed demonstrations in a previous half-century of army rule, but they and the civil disobedience movement have had a crippling effect on much official business.

In the second-biggest city of Mandalay, protesters rallied to demand the release of two officials arrested in the coup.

Civil servants are striking and there are no signs of the strike easing in spite of appeals from military junta to resume work.

Meanwhile, anti-coup hackers attacked Myanmar government websites to protest against the coup.

A group called Myanmar Hackers disrupted websites including the Central Bank, the Myanmar military's propaganda page, state-run broadcaster MRTV, the Port Authority, and the Food and Drug Administration.

"We are fighting for justice in Myanmar," the group said on its Facebook page.

"It is like mass protesting of people in front of government websites."

Cybersecurity expert Matt Warren from Australia's RMIT University said it was likely the aim was to generate publicity.&nbsp;

"The sorts of attacks they would be undertaking are denial of service attacks or defacing websites which is called hacktivism," he told AFP.

"The impact will be potentially limited but what they are doing is raising awareness."

Internet access was severely curtailed for the fourth night running at about 1:00 am on Thursday (1830 GMT Wednesday), according to NetBlocks, a Britain-based group that monitors internet outages around the world.

It said connectivity had dropped to just 21 per cent of ordinary levels and was restored eight hours later ahead of the start of the working day.

"The practice is detrimental to public safety and incites confusion, fear and distress in difficult times," NetBlocks tweeted.

(With AFP inputs)

Chaotic situation post-military coup in Myanmar did not show any signs of normalcy on Thursday. Myanmar's military junta issued arrest warrants against six celebrities while anti-coup hackers targetted government websites.

Chaotic situation post-military coup in Myanmar did not show any signs of normalcy on Thursday. Myanmar's military junta issued arrest warrants against six celebrities while anti-coup hackers targetted government websites. The celebrities face allegations of encouraging strikes that have paralysed many government offices. Nearly 500 people have been arrested so far. The army announced late on Wednesday that six celebrities, including film directors, actors and a singer, were wanted under an anti-incitement law for encouraging civil servants to join in the protest. The charges can carry a two-year prison sentence. Some of those on the list were defiant. "It's amazing to see the unity of our people. People's power must return to the people," actor Lu Min posted on his Facebook page. × Thousands of chanting protesters gathered on Thursday at a busy intersection near the main university in Yangon Students were also due to gather in a different part of the city to protests against the Feb. 1 coup and detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The street marches have been more peaceful than bloodily suppressed demonstrations in a previous half-century of army rule, but they and the civil disobedience movement have had a crippling effect on much official business. In the second-biggest city of Mandalay, protesters rallied to demand the release of two officials arrested in the coup. Civil servants are striking and there are no signs of the strike easing in spite of appeals from military junta to resume work. Meanwhile, anti-coup hackers attacked Myanmar government websites to protest against the coup. A group called Myanmar Hackers disrupted websites including the Central Bank, the Myanmar military's propaganda page, state-run broadcaster MRTV, the Port Authority, and the Food and Drug Administration. "We are fighting for justice in Myanmar," the group said on its Facebook page. "It is like mass protesting of people in front of government websites." Cybersecurity expert Matt Warren from Australia's RMIT University said it was likely the aim was to generate publicity. "The sorts of attacks they would be undertaking are denial of service attacks or defacing websites which is called hacktivism," he told AFP. "The impact will be potentially limited but what they are doing is raising awareness." Internet access was severely curtailed for the fourth night running at about 1:00 am on Thursday (1830 GMT Wednesday), according to NetBlocks, a Britain-based group that monitors internet outages around the world. It said connectivity had dropped to just 21 per cent of ordinary levels and was restored eight hours later ahead of the start of the working day. "The practice is detrimental to public safety and incites confusion, fear and distress in difficult times," NetBlocks tweeted. (With AFP inputs)

Myanmar protests: Military issues warrants against celebrities; hackers target government websites

Petrol and diesel prices maintained a northward rally on Monday, the seventh consecutive day when the retail prices have risen across the country, with oil on the boil in global markets and both crude and product prices seeing a big spike.

Accordingly, oil marketing companies raised the pump price of diesel by a high level of 29 paise per litre and petrol by another 26 paise per litre in Delhi.

With this increase, petrol is now priced at Rs 88.99 a litre and diesel Rs 79.35 a litre in the national capital.

In the last seven days, the price has gone up by Rs 2.06 per litre for petrol while diesel rate has risen by Rs 2.56 a litre.

Across the country as well the petrol price increase ranged from 23-26 paise per litre and diesel price 28-30 paise per litre depending on the level of local taxes on the two petroleum products.

In Mumbai, petrol price is just Rs 4 per litre short (Rs 95.46 a litre) of touching three digit mark of Rs 100 per litre for the very first ever anywhere in the country. Diesel price in the city is closing on Rs 90 a litre (Rs 86.34 a litre). In all other metros, petrol is over Rs 90 a litre mark while diesel is well over Rs 80 a litre barring Delhi

The increase on Monday has followed the firming global oil prices (both product and crude) that have maintained a record streak of gains in the past few days with crude reaching close to $ 63.5 a barrel mark (single day gain over 2 per cent).

But experts said that fresh lockdown in various parts of the globe on new coronavirus strain may impact demand and push down prices soon. Also, Saudi Arabia unilateral production cuts may also be withdrawn post March putting downward pressure on oil prices.

Though firm global crude and product price is the reason for the increase in retail price of petrol and diesel, it is interesting to note that even though crude has been hovering just over $55 a barrel for a long time earlier, OMCs had gone in for both a pause in price of auto fuels as well increase in its retail prices on consecutive days.

Crude prices have remained firm for the last few weeks in the wake of unilateral production cuts announced by Saudi Arabia and a pick up in consumption in all major economies globally.

The petrol and diesel prices have increased 19 times in 2021 with the two auto fuels increasing by Rs 5.28 and Rs 5.48 per litre respectively so far this year.

The last few increases in pump prices in petrol and diesel has taken its price to record levels across the country in all major metro cities and other towns. The last time the retail price of auto fuels were closer to current levels was on October 4, 2018 when crude prices had shot up up $ 80 a barrel.

The current price rise is largely on account of steep increase in central taxes of petrol and diesel and firm crude prices. The Budget has also imposed a new agriculture infrastructure and development cess. Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan has ruled out any cut in duty on petro products.

Petrol and diesel prices maintained a northward rally on Monday, the seventh consecutive day when the retail prices have risen across the country, with oil on the boil in global markets and both crude and product prices seeing a big spike.

Petrol and diesel prices maintained a northward rally on Monday, the seventh consecutive day when the retail prices have risen across the country, with oil on the boil in global markets and both crude and product prices seeing a big spike. Accordingly, oil marketing companies raised the pump price of diesel by a high level of 29 paise per litre and petrol by another 26 paise per litre in Delhi. With this increase, petrol is now priced at Rs 88.99 a litre and diesel Rs 79.35 a litre in the national capital. In the last seven days, the price has gone up by Rs 2.06 per litre for petrol while diesel rate has risen by Rs 2.56 a litre. Across the country as well the petrol price increase ranged from 23-26 paise per litre and diesel price 28-30 paise per litre depending on the level of local taxes on the two petroleum products. In Mumbai, petrol price is just Rs 4 per litre short (Rs 95.46 a litre) of touching three digit mark of Rs 100 per litre for the very first ever anywhere in the country. Diesel price in the city is closing on Rs 90 a litre (Rs 86.34 a litre). In all other metros, petrol is over Rs 90 a litre mark while diesel is well over Rs 80 a litre barring Delhi The increase on Monday has followed the firming global oil prices (both product and crude) that have maintained a record streak of gains in the past few days with crude reaching close to $ 63.5 a barrel mark (single day gain over 2 per cent). But experts said that fresh lockdown in various parts of the globe on new coronavirus strain may impact demand and push down prices soon. Also, Saudi Arabia unilateral production cuts may also be withdrawn post March putting downward pressure on oil prices. Though firm global crude and product price is the reason for the increase in retail price of petrol and diesel, it is interesting to note that even though crude has been hovering just over $55 a barrel for a long time earlier, OMCs had gone in for both a pause in price of auto fuels as well increase in its retail prices on consecutive days. Crude prices have remained firm for the last few weeks in the wake of unilateral production cuts announced by Saudi Arabia and a pick up in consumption in all major economies globally. The petrol and diesel prices have increased 19 times in 2021 with the two auto fuels increasing by Rs 5.28 and Rs 5.48 per litre respectively so far this year. The last few increases in pump prices in petrol and diesel has taken its price to record levels across the country in all major metro cities and other towns. The last time the retail price of auto fuels were closer to current levels was on October 4, 2018 when crude prices had shot up up $ 80 a barrel. The current price rise is largely on account of steep increase in central taxes of petrol and diesel and firm crude prices. The Budget has also imposed a new agriculture infrastructure and development cess. Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan has ruled out any cut in duty on petro products.

Petrol, diesel prices rise for 7th consecutive day

Continuing its streak of low number of single-day coronavirus cases, India reported 11,649 new infections in the last 24 hours even as its overall tally mounted to 1,09,16,589, health officials said on Monday.

For over a month, India has recorded less than 15,000 new infections daily. Besides, the daily Covid-19 death toll has been treading below the 200-mark for more than a month now.

On February 9, the country had reported 9,110 new cases, the lowest this year so far. Last year, the lowest 9,633 cases were recorded on June 3.

The Health Ministry said there were 90 more Covid-19 fatalities, taking the overall death toll to 1,55,732

As per the Ministry`s data, there are 1,39,637 active cases at present after 9,489 patients were discharged in a day. Till now, 1,06,21,220 persons have been discharged so far.

The recovery rate has increased to 97.29 per cent, while the fatality rate is down to 1.43 per cent.

The ministry also informed that 4,86,122 samples were tested on Friday.

Meanwhile, more than 8 million (82,85,295) doses of corona vaccine have been administered in India since the drive began on January 16 after approval for `Covishield` and `Covaxin`.

As per the Union Health Ministry, India has become the fastest nation in terms of the vaccine doses administered in the country, even though many countries had launched their vaccination campaigns earlier than her.

Continuing its streak of low number of single-day coronavirus cases, India reported 11,649 new infections in the last 24 hours even as its overall tally mounted to 1,09,16,589, health officials said on Monday.

Continuing its streak of low number of single-day coronavirus cases, India reported 11,649 new infections in the last 24 hours even as its overall tally mounted to 1,09,16,589, health officials said on Monday. For over a month, India has recorded less than 15,000 new infections daily. Besides, the daily Covid-19 death toll has been treading below the 200-mark for more than a month now. On February 9, the country had reported 9,110 new cases, the lowest this year so far. Last year, the lowest 9,633 cases were recorded on June 3. The Health Ministry said there were 90 more Covid-19 fatalities, taking the overall death toll to 1,55,732 As per the Ministry`s data, there are 1,39,637 active cases at present after 9,489 patients were discharged in a day. Till now, 1,06,21,220 persons have been discharged so far. The recovery rate has increased to 97.29 per cent, while the fatality rate is down to 1.43 per cent. The ministry also informed that 4,86,122 samples were tested on Friday. Meanwhile, more than 8 million (82,85,295) doses of corona vaccine have been administered in India since the drive began on January 16 after approval for `Covishield` and `Covaxin`. As per the Union Health Ministry, India has become the fastest nation in terms of the vaccine doses administered in the country, even though many countries had launched their vaccination campaigns earlier than her.

India reports 11,649 new COVID cases, 90 deaths

Situation in Myanmar appeared to be worsening as military junta deployed armoured vehicles in major cities including Yangon on Monday. The military imposed hours-long internet blackout and extra troop movement was seen at key locations in Yangon. The military coup against Aung San Suu Kyi government has completed two weeks and there are no indications so far that the military wants to soften its stand against the protesters.

However, fresh protests again flared in Yangon on Monday morning, including near the central bank.

Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer has told the media that she will remain in custody till Wednesday (February 17). It was previously thought that her custody was to end on Monday (February 15).

At the Burmese central bank, several hundred protesters held up signs calling for colleagues to join the CDM - civil disobedience movement - and stated their refusal to accept the coup.

"The central bank is the life blood of the country's monetary system. Many soldiers and armoured vehicles are deployed at the bank as the military is concerned that the central bank is inactive," private bank staff, Nay Aung Lwin said.
<img alt="Myanmar protests" data-caption="Protesters hold up signs calling for the release of detained Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a demonstration against the military coup in Naypyidaw on February 15, 2021.&lt;br /&gt;
​​​​" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c18ff3e1-fcbb-4085-8558-880fa362de63" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Myanmar%20protests%20%282%29.jpg" />
Hundreds of engineering and technology students protested in a northern district of the city, according to an AFP journalist.

There was a fresh rally in the southern city of Dawei too, a verified live stream on Facebook showed, with hundreds of protesters accompanied by a marching band.

Some carried banners against the military that read: "They kill in (the) day. They steal at night. They lie on TV."

Monitoring group NetBlocks reported that a "state-ordered information blackout" had taken Myanmar almost entirely offline, but services began resuming around the start of the working day.

"Network data show national connectivity rising to ordinary levels after information blackout," NetBlocks reported, adding that the outage lasted around eight hours.

But the monitor noted that most users in Myanmar were still barred from social media.
<img alt="Myanmar protests" data-caption="Protesters on scooters take part in a demonstration against the military coup in Naypyidaw on February 15, 2021." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="44b69448-c7ef-4f56-b29b-7d4fb6c97c3c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Myanmar%20protests%203.jpg" />
A joint statement from the US, British and European Union ambassadors urged security forces not to harm civilians.

"We call on security forces to refrain from violence against demonstrators, who are protesting the overthrow of their legitimate government," they said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres echoed that call. Through his spokesman, he also asked the military to "urgently" allow Swiss diplomat Christine Schraner Burgener to visit Myanmar "to assess the situation first hand".

The US embassy advised American citizens to shelter in place and not risk defying an overnight curfew imposed by the regime.

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UN special rapporteur Tom Andrews said the junta's efforts to rein in the burgeoning protest movement was a sign of "desperation" and amounted to a declaration of war against its people.

"Attention generals: You WILL be held accountable," he wrote on Twitter.

Much of the country has been in uproar since soldiers detained Aung San Suu Kyi and her top political allies on February 1, ending a decade-old fledgling democracy after generations of junta rule.

The Nobel laureate spent years under house arrest during an earlier dictatorship and has not been seen in public since she was detained.

(With agency inputs)

Situation in Myanmar appeared to be worsening as military junta deployed armoured vehicles in major cities including Yangon on Monday. The military imposed hours-long internet blackout and extra troop movement was seen at key locations in Yangon.

Situation in Myanmar appeared to be worsening as military junta deployed armoured vehicles in major cities including Yangon on Monday. The military imposed hours-long internet blackout and extra troop movement was seen at key locations in Yangon. The military coup against Aung San Suu Kyi government has completed two weeks and there are no indications so far that the military wants to soften its stand against the protesters. However, fresh protests again flared in Yangon on Monday morning, including near the central bank. Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer has told the media that she will remain in custody till Wednesday (February 17). It was previously thought that her custody was to end on Monday (February 15). At the Burmese central bank, several hundred protesters held up signs calling for colleagues to join the CDM - civil disobedience movement - and stated their refusal to accept the coup. "The central bank is the life blood of the country's monetary system. Many soldiers and armoured vehicles are deployed at the bank as the military is concerned that the central bank is inactive," private bank staff, Nay Aung Lwin said. Hundreds of engineering and technology students protested in a northern district of the city, according to an AFP journalist. There was a fresh rally in the southern city of Dawei too, a verified live stream on Facebook showed, with hundreds of protesters accompanied by a marching band. Some carried banners against the military that read: "They kill in (the) day. They steal at night. They lie on TV." Monitoring group NetBlocks reported that a "state-ordered information blackout" had taken Myanmar almost entirely offline, but services began resuming around the start of the working day. "Network data show national connectivity rising to ordinary levels after information blackout," NetBlocks reported, adding that the outage lasted around eight hours. But the monitor noted that most users in Myanmar were still barred from social media. A joint statement from the US, British and European Union ambassadors urged security forces not to harm civilians. "We call on security forces to refrain from violence against demonstrators, who are protesting the overthrow of their legitimate government," they said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres echoed that call. Through his spokesman, he also asked the military to "urgently" allow Swiss diplomat Christine Schraner Burgener to visit Myanmar "to assess the situation first hand". The US embassy advised American citizens to shelter in place and not risk defying an overnight curfew imposed by the regime. × UN special rapporteur Tom Andrews said the junta's efforts to rein in the burgeoning protest movement was a sign of "desperation" and amounted to a declaration of war against its people. "Attention generals: You WILL be held accountable," he wrote on Twitter. Much of the country has been in uproar since soldiers detained Aung San Suu Kyi and her top political allies on February 1, ending a decade-old fledgling democracy after generations of junta rule. The Nobel laureate spent years under house arrest during an earlier dictatorship and has not been seen in public since she was detained. (With agency inputs)

Myanmar protests: Armoured vehicles deployed in Yangon, protests erupt after internet blackout

Those in their 20s or early 30s today can be safely be said to have been part of the generation who grew up playing video games for hours. Quick advent in tech, smooth graphics and great game development 90s onwards has given everyone a reason to indulge in gaming for hours unashamedly. It didn't matter if parents yelled or the sky fell.

The unparalleled joy of clearing that pesky level or beating that boss was something worth dying for (or not, if you had&nbsp;limited lives left in your game). Professional gamers literally earn millions and this gives everyone a shot at saying that this is not entirely a wasteful activity.

But pigs can play video games too.

This is not a snub to noobs (aka new gamers who.....are not that great in gaming) but a literal thing. A scientific study has found that with a little training, pigs can learn video games.

The research paper published by researchers from Purdue University and Comparitive Cognition Project has to do with these findings.

In the first half, the paper notes that earlier studies had already found that pigs "could solve multiple choice problems".&nbsp;

So what about video games?

Four pigs - Omlette, Hamlet, Ebony and Ivory were trained to play a game that could be played with&nbsp;an arcade-style joystick. The pigs were rewarded with food each time they completed a 'level'. &nbsp;

While the promise of food was&nbsp;a reward enough, it was found during the testing that the&nbsp;pigs started playing the game even when encouragement was just some kind words from the researchers. The food trays broke so reward could no longer be given, but the pigs continued to play the game.

Pigs kept on playing the game!

Researchers have been quoted as saying that it was no small feat that the pigs could link video game play with reward in the first place. The research paper has been published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.

The competency level of video game playing pigs was different of course. One pig could play the game much better than other pigs.

The game wasn't exactly anything complex. The pigs were not asked to play Grand Theft Auto or CounterStrike. They just had to move on-screen cursor and make it hit a wall in the game.

But the bottomline? Even pigs can play video games.

Take heart gamers. Unless pigs can compete in professional gaming competitions, your dreams of making it big can still be a reality.

Go play now!

Those in their 20s or early 30s today can be safely be said to have been part of the generation who grew up playing video games for hours. Quick advent in tech, smooth graphics and great game development 90s onwards has given everyone a reason to indulge in gaming for hours unashamedly.

Those in their 20s or early 30s today can be safely be said to have been part of the generation who grew up playing video games for hours. Quick advent in tech, smooth graphics and great game development 90s onwards has given everyone a reason to indulge in gaming for hours unashamedly. It didn't matter if parents yelled or the sky fell. The unparalleled joy of clearing that pesky level or beating that boss was something worth dying for (or not, if you had limited lives left in your game). Professional gamers literally earn millions and this gives everyone a shot at saying that this is not entirely a wasteful activity. But pigs can play video games too. This is not a snub to noobs (aka new gamers who.....are not that great in gaming) but a literal thing. A scientific study has found that with a little training, pigs can learn video games. The research paper published by researchers from Purdue University and Comparitive Cognition Project has to do with these findings. In the first half, the paper notes that earlier studies had already found that pigs "could solve multiple choice problems". So what about video games? Four pigs - Omlette, Hamlet, Ebony and Ivory were trained to play a game that could be played with an arcade-style joystick. The pigs were rewarded with food each time they completed a 'level'. While the promise of food was a reward enough, it was found during the testing that the pigs started playing the game even when encouragement was just some kind words from the researchers. The food trays broke so reward could no longer be given, but the pigs continued to play the game. Pigs kept on playing the game! Researchers have been quoted as saying that it was no small feat that the pigs could link video game play with reward in the first place. The research paper has been published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. The competency level of video game playing pigs was different of course. One pig could play the game much better than other pigs. The game wasn't exactly anything complex. The pigs were not asked to play Grand Theft Auto or CounterStrike. They just had to move on-screen cursor and make it hit a wall in the game. But the bottomline? Even pigs can play video games. Take heart gamers. Unless pigs can compete in professional gaming competitions, your dreams of making it big can still be a reality. Go play now!

Gamers listen up! Even pigs can play video games, study has found

Celebrations and drinking go hand-in-hand on many occasions and manufacture of alcoholic beverages is a millions-worth industry. Our ancestors loved to drink too. Our scriptures and folk tales are full of them. But definitive proof of industrial production of a chilled refreshment has (perhaps) been found for the first time. A high production brewery believed to be more than 5000 years old has been unearthed in Egypt by a team of archaeologists, said the tourism ministry on Sunday.

The brewery likely dates back to the era of King Narmer, it quoted the secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziry, as saying, adding it believed the find to "be the oldest high-production brewery in the world."

King Narmer ruled more than 5000 years ago and founded the First Dynasty and unified Upper and Lower Egypt. Existence of the brewery was known since the beginning of the 20-th century, but the exact location was never precisely determined.

The joint Egyptian-American team "was able to re-locate and uncover its contents", said the statement from the ministry.

According to Waziry, the brewery consisted of eight large areas which were used as "units for beer production".

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Each sector contained about 40 earthenware pots arranged in two rows.

A mixture of grains and water used for beer production was heated in the vats, with each basin "held in place by levers made of clay placed vertically in the form of rings".

Brew for 'royal rituals'

Archaeologist Matthew Adams of New York University, who heads the joint mission with Deborah Vischak of Princeton University, said studies have shown that beer was produced at a large scale, with about 22,400 litres made at a time.

The brewery "may have been built in this place specifically to supply the royal rituals that were taking place inside the funeral facilities of the kings of Egypt", the statement quoted him as saying.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/gamers-listen-up-even-pigs-can-play-video-games-study-has-found-363689">Gamers listen up! Even pigs can play video games, study has found</a>

"Evidence for the use of beer in sacrificial rites was found during excavations in these facilities," the statement said.

Evidence of beer-making in ancient Egypt is not new, and past discoveries have shed light on such production.&nbsp;

Fragments of pottery used by Egyptians to make beer and dating back 5,000 years were discovered on a building site in Tel Aviv, the Israeli Antiquities Authority announced in 2015.

Abydos, where the latest discovery was unearthed, has yielded many treasures over the years and is famed for its temples, such as that of Seti I.

In 2000, a team of US archaeologists brought to light in Abydos the earliest known example of an ancient Egyptian solar barge, dating back to the first Pharaonic dynasty around 5,000 years ago.

Egypt has announced several major new discoveries which it hopes will spur tourism, a sector which has suffered multiple blows -- from a 2011 uprising to the coronavirus pandemic.

A mission working near Alexandria recently discovered several mummies from around 2,000 years ago bearing golden-tongued amulets -- thought to have been placed in the mouths of the dead to ensure they could speak in the afterlife.

Authorities had expected 15 million tourists to visit Egypt in 2020, compared to 13 million the previous year, but the virus has kept holidaymakers away.

(With AFP inputs)

Celebrations and drinking go hand-in-hand on many occasions and manufacture of alcoholic beverages is a millions-worth industry. Our ancestors loved to drink too.

Celebrations and drinking go hand-in-hand on many occasions and manufacture of alcoholic beverages is a millions-worth industry. Our ancestors loved to drink too. Our scriptures and folk tales are full of them. But definitive proof of industrial production of a chilled refreshment has (perhaps) been found for the first time. A high production brewery believed to be more than 5000 years old has been unearthed in Egypt by a team of archaeologists, said the tourism ministry on Sunday. The brewery likely dates back to the era of King Narmer, it quoted the secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziry, as saying, adding it believed the find to "be the oldest high-production brewery in the world." King Narmer ruled more than 5000 years ago and founded the First Dynasty and unified Upper and Lower Egypt. Existence of the brewery was known since the beginning of the 20-th century, but the exact location was never precisely determined. The joint Egyptian-American team "was able to re-locate and uncover its contents", said the statement from the ministry. According to Waziry, the brewery consisted of eight large areas which were used as "units for beer production". Each sector contained about 40 earthenware pots arranged in two rows. A mixture of grains and water used for beer production was heated in the vats, with each basin "held in place by levers made of clay placed vertically in the form of rings". Brew for 'royal rituals' Archaeologist Matthew Adams of New York University, who heads the joint mission with Deborah Vischak of Princeton University, said studies have shown that beer was produced at a large scale, with about 22,400 litres made at a time. The brewery "may have been built in this place specifically to supply the royal rituals that were taking place inside the funeral facilities of the kings of Egypt", the statement quoted him as saying. Also Read | Gamers listen up! Even pigs can play video games, study has found "Evidence for the use of beer in sacrificial rites was found during excavations in these facilities," the statement said. Evidence of beer-making in ancient Egypt is not new, and past discoveries have shed light on such production. Fragments of pottery used by Egyptians to make beer and dating back 5,000 years were discovered on a building site in Tel Aviv, the Israeli Antiquities Authority announced in 2015. Abydos, where the latest discovery was unearthed, has yielded many treasures over the years and is famed for its temples, such as that of Seti I. In 2000, a team of US archaeologists brought to light in Abydos the earliest known example of an ancient Egyptian solar barge, dating back to the first Pharaonic dynasty around 5,000 years ago. Egypt has announced several major new discoveries which it hopes will spur tourism, a sector which has suffered multiple blows -- from a 2011 uprising to the coronavirus pandemic. A mission working near Alexandria recently discovered several mummies from around 2,000 years ago bearing golden-tongued amulets -- thought to have been placed in the mouths of the dead to ensure they could speak in the afterlife. Authorities had expected 15 million tourists to visit Egypt in 2020, compared to 13 million the previous year, but the virus has kept holidaymakers away. (With AFP inputs)

Archaeologists unearth 'world's oldest' beer brewery in Egypt

Iran on Monday said that it will block snap inspection by IAEA from next week if other parties to 2015 nuclear deal don't fulfil their obligations.

"If others do not fulfil their obligations by Feb. 21, the government is obliged to suspend the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said.

"It does not mean ending all inspections by the U.N. nuclear watchdog...All these steps are reversible if the other party changes its path and honours its obligations," he said, alluding to the United States.

Biden administration has already indicated that US would re-enter the nuclear deal. Donald Trump had pulled US out of the deal.&nbsp;

Under the deal, Iran agreed to curbs on its uranium enrichment programme in return for the lifting of sanctions.

After Trump quit and reimposed sanctions, Iran began violating some limits in the deal. Washington and Tehran now disagree over how best to restore the accord, with both sides demanding the other side act first to return to compliance.

Despite Iran's public hard line that Washington must take the first step, several Iranian officials told Reuters last week that the mounting economic pain of U.S. sanctions may push Tehran to be flexible on terms for restoring the nuclear deal.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said last week Doha was in consultations to help salvage the deal, and Iranian state media said he would meet Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran on Monday.

"We welcome efforts by friendly countries like Qatar ... There have been consultations between Tehran and Doha at various levels," Khatibzadeh said.

The nuclear deal granted wide-ranging access to the International Atomic Energy Agency to gather information on Iran’s nuclear activities. But under a law enacted last year, Iran's government is obliged to revoke that access on Feb. 21 if other parties are not complying with the nuclear deal.

 
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Iran on Monday said that it will block snap inspection by IAEA from next week if other parties to 2015 nuclear deal don't fulfil their obligations. "If others do not fulfil their obligations by Feb.

Iran on Monday said that it will block snap inspection by IAEA from next week if other parties to 2015 nuclear deal don't fulfil their obligations. "If others do not fulfil their obligations by Feb. 21, the government is obliged to suspend the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said. "It does not mean ending all inspections by the U.N. nuclear watchdog...All these steps are reversible if the other party changes its path and honours its obligations," he said, alluding to the United States. Biden administration has already indicated that US would re-enter the nuclear deal. Donald Trump had pulled US out of the deal. Under the deal, Iran agreed to curbs on its uranium enrichment programme in return for the lifting of sanctions. After Trump quit and reimposed sanctions, Iran began violating some limits in the deal. Washington and Tehran now disagree over how best to restore the accord, with both sides demanding the other side act first to return to compliance. Despite Iran's public hard line that Washington must take the first step, several Iranian officials told Reuters last week that the mounting economic pain of U.S. sanctions may push Tehran to be flexible on terms for restoring the nuclear deal. Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said last week Doha was in consultations to help salvage the deal, and Iranian state media said he would meet Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran on Monday. "We welcome efforts by friendly countries like Qatar ... There have been consultations between Tehran and Doha at various levels," Khatibzadeh said. The nuclear deal granted wide-ranging access to the International Atomic Energy Agency to gather information on Iran’s nuclear activities. But under a law enacted last year, Iran's government is obliged to revoke that access on Feb. 21 if other parties are not complying with the nuclear deal.

Iran threatens to block IAEA inspections if nuclear deal terms not met

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