<p>Alphabet Inc's Google will spend $3.8 million, including $2.6 million in back pay, to settle allegations that it underpaid women and unfairly passed over women and Asians for job openings, the US&nbsp;Department of Labour said on Monday.</p>

<p>The allegations stemmed from a routine compliance audit several years ago required by Google's status as a supplier of technology to the federal government.</p>

<p>Google said it was pleased to have resolved the matter.</p>

<p>The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs had found "preliminary indicators" that Google from 2014 to 2017 at times underpaid 2,783 women in its software engineering group in Mountain View, California, and the Seattle area.</p>

<p>Investigators also found hiring rate differences that disadvantaged women and Asian candidates during the year ended Aug. 31, 2017, for software engineering roles in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, California, and Kirkland, Washington.</p>

<p>The settlement includes $2.6 million in back pay to 5,500 employees and job candidates and calls on Google to review hiring and salary practices.</p>

<p>Google also will set aside $1.25 million for pay adjustments for engineers in Mountain View, Kirkland, Seattle and New York over the next five years, according to the settlement. Any unused funds will be spent on diversity efforts at Google.</p>

<p>The company already conducts annual pay audits, but like other big tech companies, it remains under public scrutiny for a workforce that does not reflect the country's makeup in terms of race and gender.</p>

<p>The company said in a statement, "We believe everyone should be paid based upon the work they do, not who they are, and invest heavily to make our hiring and compensation processes fair and unbiased."</p>


Alphabet Inc's Google will spend $3.8 million, including $2.6 million in back pay, to settle allegations that it underpaid women and unfairly passed over women and Asians for job openings, the US Department of Labour said on Monday.

Alphabet Inc's Google will spend $3.8 million, including $2.6 million in back pay, to settle allegations that it underpaid women and unfairly passed over women and Asians for job openings, the US Department of Labour said on Monday. The allegations stemmed from a routine compliance audit several years ago required by Google's status as a supplier of technology to the federal government. Google said it was pleased to have resolved the matter. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs had found "preliminary indicators" that Google from 2014 to 2017 at times underpaid 2,783 women in its software engineering group in Mountain View, California, and the Seattle area. Investigators also found hiring rate differences that disadvantaged women and Asian candidates during the year ended Aug. 31, 2017, for software engineering roles in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, California, and Kirkland, Washington. The settlement includes $2.6 million in back pay to 5,500 employees and job candidates and calls on Google to review hiring and salary practices. Google also will set aside $1.25 million for pay adjustments for engineers in Mountain View, Kirkland, Seattle and New York over the next five years, according to the settlement. Any unused funds will be spent on diversity efforts at Google. The company already conducts annual pay audits, but like other big tech companies, it remains under public scrutiny for a workforce that does not reflect the country's makeup in terms of race and gender. The company said in a statement, "We believe everyone should be paid based upon the work they do, not who they are, and invest heavily to make our hiring and compensation processes fair and unbiased."

Google to spend $3.8 million to settle accusations of hiring, pay biases

February 02 in history: Queen Victoria's funeral, Battle of Stalingrad comes to an end and more

<p>The World Health Organization said on Monday that&nbsp;team visiting China to explore the origins of the coronavirus is having productive talks with its Chinese counterparts.</p>

<p>The expert team in Wuhan has now started investigations on the ground, notably visiting the Huanan seafood market where one of the first reported clusters of infections emerged, and the hospital where early patients were treated.</p>

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<p>The WHO, which has sought to manage expectations for the mission, has said its members would be limited to visits organised by their Chinese hosts and have no contact with community members, because of health curbs.</p>

<p>Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on Covid-19, said the team would be visiting the Wuhan Institute of Virology.</p>

<p>Former US President Donald Trump pushed an unsubstantiated theory that the virus escaped from the facility.</p>

<p>The team are having "very productive discussions with Chinese counterparts, visiting different hospitals around Wuhan", Van Kerkhove said.</p>

<p>"They had a very good visit to the market, seeing first-hand the stalls and walking through."</p>

<p>Van Kerkhove said they had also met with counterparts from the Chinese Center for Disease Control&nbsp;and Prevention.</p>

<p>"They will visit the Institute of Virology. That is being planned," she added.</p>

<p>WHO&nbsp;blasted critics of its investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic and challenged those claiming to know better to come forward with the smoking gun.</p>

<p>The UN agency's emergencies director Michael Ryan hit out at those sniping at the mission, and said people claiming they have information on how the pandemic broke out should emerge from the shadows.</p>

<p>Ryan said many critics were saying they "won't accept the report when it comes out", or that there is "other intelligence available that may show different findings" on how the virus broke out.</p>

<p>"If you have the answers... please let us know," Ryan told a press conference from the WHO's headquarters in Geneva.</p>

<p>He asked how responsible it was "to say you won't accept a report before it's even written? To say that you have intelligence that has not been provided?"</p>

<p>The WHO mission comes with heavy political baggage,&nbsp;China refused the team access until mid-January and there are question marks over what the experts can hope to find, one year on.</p>


The World Health Organization said on Monday that team visiting China to explore the origins of the coronavirus is having productive talks with its Chinese counterparts.

The World Health Organization said on Monday that team visiting China to explore the origins of the coronavirus is having productive talks with its Chinese counterparts. The expert team in Wuhan has now started investigations on the ground, notably visiting the Huanan seafood market where one of the first reported clusters of infections emerged, and the hospital where early patients were treated. The WHO, which has sought to manage expectations for the mission, has said its members would be limited to visits organised by their Chinese hosts and have no contact with community members, because of health curbs. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on Covid-19, said the team would be visiting the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Former US President Donald Trump pushed an unsubstantiated theory that the virus escaped from the facility. The team are having "very productive discussions with Chinese counterparts, visiting different hospitals around Wuhan", Van Kerkhove said. "They had a very good visit to the market, seeing first-hand the stalls and walking through." Van Kerkhove said they had also met with counterparts from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. "They will visit the Institute of Virology. That is being planned," she added. WHO blasted critics of its investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic and challenged those claiming to know better to come forward with the smoking gun. The UN agency's emergencies director Michael Ryan hit out at those sniping at the mission, and said people claiming they have information on how the pandemic broke out should emerge from the shadows. Ryan said many critics were saying they "won't accept the report when it comes out", or that there is "other intelligence available that may show different findings" on how the virus broke out. "If you have the answers... please let us know," Ryan told a press conference from the WHO's headquarters in Geneva. He asked how responsible it was "to say you won't accept a report before it's even written? To say that you have intelligence that has not been provided?" The WHO mission comes with heavy political baggage, China refused the team access until mid-January and there are question marks over what the experts can hope to find, one year on.

WHO team says it is having 'productive talks' in China about COVID's origins

<p>US President Joe Biden called Monday on Myanmar's military to relinquish power immediately and ordered a review to consider reimposing sanctions lifted due to the nation's transition to democracy.</p>

<p>Myanmar's military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in early morning raids.</p>

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<p>"The international community should come together in one voice to press the Burmese military to immediately relinquish the power they have seized," Biden said.&nbsp;"The United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy," Biden&nbsp;said in a statement, using Myanmar's former name.</p>

<p>"The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-aung-san-suu-kyi-asks-people-to-oppose-military-coup-and-protest-reports-360698" hreflang="en">Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi asks people to oppose military coup: Reports</a></strong></p>

<p>Biden&nbsp;said the coup was a direct assault on Myanmar's transition to democracy and the rule of law.</p>

<p>Western leaders condemned the coup by Myanmar's military against Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government and hundreds of thousands of her supporters took to the social media to voice their anger at the takeover.</p>

<p>The sudden turn of events in the early hours of Monday derailed years of efforts to establish democracy in the poverty-stricken country and raised more questions over the prospect of returning a million Rohingya refugees.</p>

<p>The U.N. Security Council will meet on Tuesday, diplomats said, amid calls for a strong response to the detention of Suu Kyi and dozens of her political allies, although Myanmar's close ties with council member China will play into any decision.</p>

<p>The army handed power to military chief General Min Aung Hlaing and imposed a state of emergency for a year in the country, saying it had responded to what it called election fraud.</p>


US President Joe Biden called Monday on Myanmar's military to relinquish power immediately and ordered a review to consider reimposing sanctions lifted due to the nation's transition to democracy.

US President Joe Biden called Monday on Myanmar's military to relinquish power immediately and ordered a review to consider reimposing sanctions lifted due to the nation's transition to democracy. Myanmar's military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in early morning raids. "The international community should come together in one voice to press the Burmese military to immediately relinquish the power they have seized," Biden said. "The United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy," Biden said in a statement, using Myanmar's former name. "The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action." Also read: Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi asks people to oppose military coup: Reports Biden said the coup was a direct assault on Myanmar's transition to democracy and the rule of law. Western leaders condemned the coup by Myanmar's military against Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government and hundreds of thousands of her supporters took to the social media to voice their anger at the takeover. The sudden turn of events in the early hours of Monday derailed years of efforts to establish democracy in the poverty-stricken country and raised more questions over the prospect of returning a million Rohingya refugees. The U.N. Security Council will meet on Tuesday, diplomats said, amid calls for a strong response to the detention of Suu Kyi and dozens of her political allies, although Myanmar's close ties with council member China will play into any decision. The army handed power to military chief General Min Aung Hlaing and imposed a state of emergency for a year in the country, saying it had responded to what it called election fraud.

US President Joe Biden demands Myanmar military cede power, orders sanctions review

<p>A fast-spreading coronavirus variant first observed in the United Kingdom has gained a new mutation that could potentially make it harder to control with vaccines, Public Health England reported Monday. It is the latest evidence that the virus is undergoing a worrisome evolution worldwide.</p>

<p>The variant, known as B.1.1.7, first came to light in December. Researchers determined that it had rapidly become more common across the United Kingdom in just a couple of months.</p>

<p>Experiments in test tubes suggest that some of its mutations allow the coronavirus to hold onto cells more tightly.</p>

<p>Since B.1.1.7’s discovery in the United Kingdom, the variant has been reported in 72 other countries. The United States confirmed its first case of B.1.1.7 on Dec. 29. Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 467 samples of the variant in 32 states.</p>

<p>In its latest analysis, Public Health England estimated that the variant’s rate of infection is 25% to 40% higher than that of other forms of the coronavirus. Some preliminary evidence suggests that it may also cause more deaths.</p>

<p>Several lines of evidence suggest that vaccines will work against B.1.1.7. On Thursday, vaccine-maker Novavax announced that its British trial found no evidence that B.1.1.7 could evade the vaccine’s defenses.</p>

<p>But in South Africa, where a variant called B.1.351 has surged to dominance, the Novavax and Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson vaccines have both been less effective in trials.</p>

<p>That variant has been reported in 31 countries so far. In the United States, it has turned up in South Carolina and Maryland.</p>

<p>Whenever these variants infect a new host and multiply, there’s a small chance that they will gain yet another mutation. Most of the mutations are of little concern, but scientists have worried that by mutating, these already dangerous variants could evolve into more fearsome forms.</p>

<p>Even if a mutation alters a coronavirus variant, that’s no guarantee it will have the same effect in another variant. The effect of each new mutation depends on all the other mutations carried by the virus.</p>

<p>Public Health England said that the worrisome mutation known as E484K appears to have arisen more than once in the B.1.1.7 coronavirus variants in the United Kingdom. Two variants in Brazil have also been discovered to have independently gained the same mutation.</p>

<p>Moderna and other companies are already preparing by developing vaccines to work against the E484K mutation. Kristian Andersen, a virus expert at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, said that while seeing the mutation known as E484K spread was not good, it was impossible to say yet whether it would make these coronaviruses not only more contagious but more resistant to vaccines. “We’ll have to wait for data,” he said.</p>

<p>Last week, scientists reviewed all the coronavirus genomes sequenced in the United Kingdom. They discovered 11 coronavirus variants that belong to the B.1.1.7 lineage that also carried the worrying mutation.</p>

<p>Exactly why the E484K mutation turns up so often remains a mystery. Nicholas Davies, a mathematical biologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said it was possible that it enabled the coronavirus to evade antibodies created by previous infections from other variants. “E484K may well convey a fitness advantage in settings where there is existing immunity,” he said.</p>

<p>But he cautioned that the 11 variants out of over 200,000 samples were exceedingly rare, and it was possible that they might actually lose against other B.1.1.7 viruses without the mutation. “I think it’s potentially concerning, but hard to tell from the report what it means,” he said.</p>


A fast-spreading coronavirus variant first observed in the United Kingdom has gained a new mutation that could potentially make it harder to control with vaccines, Public Health England reported Monday.

A fast-spreading coronavirus variant first observed in the United Kingdom has gained a new mutation that could potentially make it harder to control with vaccines, Public Health England reported Monday. It is the latest evidence that the virus is undergoing a worrisome evolution worldwide. The variant, known as B.1.1.7, first came to light in December. Researchers determined that it had rapidly become more common across the United Kingdom in just a couple of months. Experiments in test tubes suggest that some of its mutations allow the coronavirus to hold onto cells more tightly. Since B.1.1.7’s discovery in the United Kingdom, the variant has been reported in 72 other countries. The United States confirmed its first case of B.1.1.7 on Dec. 29. Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 467 samples of the variant in 32 states. In its latest analysis, Public Health England estimated that the variant’s rate of infection is 25% to 40% higher than that of other forms of the coronavirus. Some preliminary evidence suggests that it may also cause more deaths. Several lines of evidence suggest that vaccines will work against B.1.1.7. On Thursday, vaccine-maker Novavax announced that its British trial found no evidence that B.1.1.7 could evade the vaccine’s defenses. But in South Africa, where a variant called B.1.351 has surged to dominance, the Novavax and Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines have both been less effective in trials. That variant has been reported in 31 countries so far. In the United States, it has turned up in South Carolina and Maryland. Whenever these variants infect a new host and multiply, there’s a small chance that they will gain yet another mutation. Most of the mutations are of little concern, but scientists have worried that by mutating, these already dangerous variants could evolve into more fearsome forms. Even if a mutation alters a coronavirus variant, that’s no guarantee it will have the same effect in another variant. The effect of each new mutation depends on all the other mutations carried by the virus. Public Health England said that the worrisome mutation known as E484K appears to have arisen more than once in the B.1.1.7 coronavirus variants in the United Kingdom. Two variants in Brazil have also been discovered to have independently gained the same mutation. Moderna and other companies are already preparing by developing vaccines to work against the E484K mutation. Kristian Andersen, a virus expert at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, said that while seeing the mutation known as E484K spread was not good, it was impossible to say yet whether it would make these coronaviruses not only more contagious but more resistant to vaccines. “We’ll have to wait for data,” he said. Last week, scientists reviewed all the coronavirus genomes sequenced in the United Kingdom. They discovered 11 coronavirus variants that belong to the B.1.1.7 lineage that also carried the worrying mutation. Exactly why the E484K mutation turns up so often remains a mystery. Nicholas Davies, a mathematical biologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said it was possible that it enabled the coronavirus to evade antibodies created by previous infections from other variants. “E484K may well convey a fitness advantage in settings where there is existing immunity,” he said. But he cautioned that the 11 variants out of over 200,000 samples were exceedingly rare, and it was possible that they might actually lose against other B.1.1.7 viruses without the mutation. “I think it’s potentially concerning, but hard to tell from the report what it means,” he said.

Study shows variant spreading in Britain could become resistant to vaccines

<p>A 20-year-old college student in Minneapolis&nbsp;called Hunter Kahn is&nbsp;donating video games to a US hospital after earning almost $30,000 by selling GameStop shares.</p>

<p>Kahn is a mechanical engineering student at Cornell University donated six&nbsp;Nintendo Switches and games worth more than $2,000 to&nbsp;Children’s Minnesota Hospital.</p>

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<p>GameStop stock surged some 400 per cent in the past week after retail investors banded together to buy shares in the US video game retailer, sending hedge funds scrambling to cover losing bets.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/teslas-elon-musk-grills-robinhood-ceo-vladimir-tenev-over-gamestop-trading-freeze-360790" hreflang="en">Tesla's Elon Musk grills Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev over GameStop trading freeze</a></strong></p>

<p>Jennifer Soderholm, president of Children's Minnesota Foundation said: "We're so grateful for this generous donation that will help bring joy to kids at our hospitals, especially during these challenging times."</p>

<p>"It's inspiring to see young people in our community choosing to give back and pay it forward."</p>

<p>Kahn is still holding 50 of his original shares of GameStop that he bought at $30 and said that he plans on using it to pay for his tuition fee in college.</p>

<p>Last week Tesla CEO Elon Musk&nbsp;tweeted "Gamestonk!!," which many in the market interpreted as an apparent show of support for small investors. "Stonks" is a tongue-in-cheek term for stocks widely used on social media.</p>

<p>Major investors like hedge funds have bet against&nbsp;GameStop, citing the video game chain store's ill financial health as consumers shift towards buying over the internet.</p>

<p>As the company's stock surged under the Reddit-fueled onslaught, the big Wall Street firms were forced to buy back shares at higher prices to cover their losses -- further driving up the price.</p>

<p>US media reported the company had also raised $1 billion from its investors to help it stay afloat and allow its customers to continue trading, though on Thursday Robinhood chief Vlad Tenev said the company was not facing a liquidity crunch.</p>

<p>Robinhood needs to maintain a certain amount of funds in the financial institutions that facilitate orders made on its platforms, and when it sees increased demand, that liquidity needs to increase as well.</p>


A 20-year-old college student in Minneapolis called Hunter Kahn is donating video games to a US hospital after earning almost $30,000 by selling GameStop shares.

A 20-year-old college student in Minneapolis called Hunter Kahn is donating video games to a US hospital after earning almost $30,000 by selling GameStop shares. Kahn is a mechanical engineering student at Cornell University donated six Nintendo Switches and games worth more than $2,000 to Children’s Minnesota Hospital. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hunter Kahn (@hkahn3) GameStop stock surged some 400 per cent in the past week after retail investors banded together to buy shares in the US video game retailer, sending hedge funds scrambling to cover losing bets. Also read: Tesla's Elon Musk grills Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev over GameStop trading freeze Jennifer Soderholm, president of Children's Minnesota Foundation said: "We're so grateful for this generous donation that will help bring joy to kids at our hospitals, especially during these challenging times." "It's inspiring to see young people in our community choosing to give back and pay it forward." Kahn is still holding 50 of his original shares of GameStop that he bought at $30 and said that he plans on using it to pay for his tuition fee in college. Last week Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted "Gamestonk!!," which many in the market interpreted as an apparent show of support for small investors. "Stonks" is a tongue-in-cheek term for stocks widely used on social media. Major investors like hedge funds have bet against GameStop, citing the video game chain store's ill financial health as consumers shift towards buying over the internet. As the company's stock surged under the Reddit-fueled onslaught, the big Wall Street firms were forced to buy back shares at higher prices to cover their losses -- further driving up the price. US media reported the company had also raised $1 billion from its investors to help it stay afloat and allow its customers to continue trading, though on Thursday Robinhood chief Vlad Tenev said the company was not facing a liquidity crunch. Robinhood needs to maintain a certain amount of funds in the financial institutions that facilitate orders made on its platforms, and when it sees increased demand, that liquidity needs to increase as well.

College student donates video games to hospital after earning $30,000 by selling GameStop shares

<p>The Bangladesh government has signed a $500 million dollar financing agreement with the World Bank to help upgrade a highway and enhance connection of rural roads and markets, benefiting over 20 million people living in the country`s western region, according to an official statement.<br />
<br />
The Western Economic Corridor and Regional Enhancement (WeCARE) Program Phase I project will help upgrade the 48 km two-lane Jashore-Jhenaidah road to a modern four-lane highway, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying on Monday.<br />
<br />
The project will also help rehabilitate about 600 km of the area connecting rural roads and building new or developing existing rural markets.<br />
<br />
It will also install fibre-optic cables along the highway to ensure fast and reliable internet service.<br />
<br />
According to the statement, the project is the first of a multi-phased $1.4 billion program of 10 years to upgrade the existing 110 km two-lane highway, Bhomra-Satkhira-Navaron and Jashore-Jhenaidah.<br />
<br />
In the current phase, it said the project will be implemented in four districts: Jashore, Jhenaidah, Magura, and Chuadanga.<br />
<br />
In the first two years, the project will create about 1.3 million day jobs for local people, said the statement.</p>


The Bangladesh government has signed a $500 million dollar financing agreement with the World Bank to help upgrade a highway and enhance connection of rural roads and markets, benefiting over 20 million people living in the country`s western region, according to an official statement.

The Bangladesh government has signed a $500 million dollar financing agreement with the World Bank to help upgrade a highway and enhance connection of rural roads and markets, benefiting over 20 million people living in the country`s western region, according to an official statement. The Western Economic Corridor and Regional Enhancement (WeCARE) Program Phase I project will help upgrade the 48 km two-lane Jashore-Jhenaidah road to a modern four-lane highway, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying on Monday. The project will also help rehabilitate about 600 km of the area connecting rural roads and building new or developing existing rural markets. It will also install fibre-optic cables along the highway to ensure fast and reliable internet service. According to the statement, the project is the first of a multi-phased $1.4 billion program of 10 years to upgrade the existing 110 km two-lane highway, Bhomra-Satkhira-Navaron and Jashore-Jhenaidah. In the current phase, it said the project will be implemented in four districts: Jashore, Jhenaidah, Magura, and Chuadanga. In the first two years, the project will create about 1.3 million day jobs for local people, said the statement.

Bangladesh to receive $500mn from World Bank to improve connectivity

<p>Brazil's Congress on Monday elected two allies of President Jair Bolsonaro to head the Senate and lower house, an important victory for the far-right leader as he seeks to re-galvanize his reelection efforts for 2022.</p>

<p>Arthur Lira of the Progressives (PP) won in the first round of votes for speaker of the Chamber of Deputies by 302 votes out of 513. Earlier, the Democrats' (DEM) Rodrigo Pacheco was elected Senate speaker with 57 out of 81 votes.</p>

<p>Bolsonaro hailed the results on Twitter, posting photos of himself with the new congressional leaders.</p>

<p>He had gotten personally involved in the leadership battles in both houses of the legislature, looking to improve his troubled relations with Congress and stave off the 61 impeachment requests he is facing.</p>

<p>The speakers of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, who are elected for two-year terms by their colleagues, are key gate-keepers in Brazilian politics, with the power to decide which legislation comes up for a vote.</p>

<p>The lower-house speaker also has the power to accept or shelve motions to impeach the president -- no small matter for the leader dubbed the "Tropical Trump," who has racked up dozens of such requests halfway into his four-year term.</p>

<p>Lira promised "neutrality" in leading the House and asked for a minute of silence to honor the victims of Covid-19.</p>

<p>Bolsonaro, who currently has no political party, has struggled to get legislation passed in Congress, and is increasingly unpopular amid a raging second wave of Covid-19 in Brazil.</p>

<p>He won the election in 2018 with support from the business sector, vowing to push through a long-delayed program of privatizations and austerity reforms.</p>

<p>But he has made virtually no progress on that agenda. Instead, the economy has taken a beating from the pandemic, which Bolsonaro has insistently downplayed.</p>

<p>Seeking to use the leadership votes to bolster his clout with Congress, Bolsonaro struck an alliance with a coalition known as the "Centrao," or "big center," a loose group of parties whose priority has traditionally been gaining access to pork and government posts.</p>

<p><strong>Bolsonaro 'held hostage'?</strong></p>

<p>The main challenge to Lira came from Baleia Rossi of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB), the candidate backed by previous lower-house speaker Rodrigo Maia (DEM).</p>

<p>Maia has a strained relationship with Bolsonaro, and reacted furiously when other lawmakers from his party defied him to back Lira.</p>

<p>He reportedly threatened to use his last day in the speaker's seat to open impeachment proceedings against Bolsonaro, before backtracking.</p>

<p>Bolsonaro faces some 20 impeachment motions over his chaotic handling of the pandemic, plus dozens more over alleged anti-democratic actions, environmental crimes and hate speech.</p>

<p>The voting process in the lower house could stretch into the early hours of Tuesday.</p>

<p>Even if Bolsonaro gets his candidate elected, he could still struggle to get things done in Brasilia before he comes up for reelection next year.</p>

<p>The "Centrao" is a demanding and fickle ally, whose betrayal played a key role in the impeachment and downfall of former president Dilma Rousseff in 2016, political analysts warned.</p>

<p>"The 'Centrao' is loyal when conditions are right. And currently, that's far from a given, with an extremely fragile economy and Bolsonaro's popularity falling," said political scientist Thiago Vidal of the consulting firm Prospectiva</p>


Brazil's Congress on Monday elected two allies of President Jair Bolsonaro to head the Senate and lower house, an important victory for the far-right leader as he seeks to re-galvanize his reelection efforts for 2022.

Brazil's Congress on Monday elected two allies of President Jair Bolsonaro to head the Senate and lower house, an important victory for the far-right leader as he seeks to re-galvanize his reelection efforts for 2022. Arthur Lira of the Progressives (PP) won in the first round of votes for speaker of the Chamber of Deputies by 302 votes out of 513. Earlier, the Democrats' (DEM) Rodrigo Pacheco was elected Senate speaker with 57 out of 81 votes. Bolsonaro hailed the results on Twitter, posting photos of himself with the new congressional leaders. He had gotten personally involved in the leadership battles in both houses of the legislature, looking to improve his troubled relations with Congress and stave off the 61 impeachment requests he is facing. The speakers of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, who are elected for two-year terms by their colleagues, are key gate-keepers in Brazilian politics, with the power to decide which legislation comes up for a vote. The lower-house speaker also has the power to accept or shelve motions to impeach the president -- no small matter for the leader dubbed the "Tropical Trump," who has racked up dozens of such requests halfway into his four-year term. Lira promised "neutrality" in leading the House and asked for a minute of silence to honor the victims of Covid-19. Bolsonaro, who currently has no political party, has struggled to get legislation passed in Congress, and is increasingly unpopular amid a raging second wave of Covid-19 in Brazil. He won the election in 2018 with support from the business sector, vowing to push through a long-delayed program of privatizations and austerity reforms. But he has made virtually no progress on that agenda. Instead, the economy has taken a beating from the pandemic, which Bolsonaro has insistently downplayed. Seeking to use the leadership votes to bolster his clout with Congress, Bolsonaro struck an alliance with a coalition known as the "Centrao," or "big center," a loose group of parties whose priority has traditionally been gaining access to pork and government posts. Bolsonaro 'held hostage'? The main challenge to Lira came from Baleia Rossi of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB), the candidate backed by previous lower-house speaker Rodrigo Maia (DEM). Maia has a strained relationship with Bolsonaro, and reacted furiously when other lawmakers from his party defied him to back Lira. He reportedly threatened to use his last day in the speaker's seat to open impeachment proceedings against Bolsonaro, before backtracking. Bolsonaro faces some 20 impeachment motions over his chaotic handling of the pandemic, plus dozens more over alleged anti-democratic actions, environmental crimes and hate speech. The voting process in the lower house could stretch into the early hours of Tuesday. Even if Bolsonaro gets his candidate elected, he could still struggle to get things done in Brasilia before he comes up for reelection next year. The "Centrao" is a demanding and fickle ally, whose betrayal played a key role in the impeachment and downfall of former president Dilma Rousseff in 2016, political analysts warned. "The 'Centrao' is loyal when conditions are right. And currently, that's far from a given, with an extremely fragile economy and Bolsonaro's popularity falling," said political scientist Thiago Vidal of the consulting firm Prospectiva

Brazil Congress elects Bolsonaro allies as new leaders

<p>Two people were killed as the Afghan capital was rocked Tuesday by a series of rush-hour car bombs, officials said, while a police vehicle was targeted in an attack north of Kabul.</p>

<p>Attacks during the morning commute have become a favoured tactic of insurgents, who remotely detonate bombs attached to target vehicles.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told reporters two people were killed and two injured in a first blast, while a second targeting an interior ministry vehicle wounded two security personnel.</p>

<p>There were no reports of casualties from a third blast.</p>

<p>Deadly violence has ravaged the country in recent months -- particularly in Kabul, with near-daily attacks against government officials, security personnel, journalists and other prominent Afghans.</p>

<p>Separately, a police vehicle was targeted north of Kabul in Parwan province, but the blast caused no casualties, police said.</p>

<p>Peace talks between the warring Taliban and Afghan government were launched in September in Qatar, but progress has been slow.</p>

<p>The new US administration of President Joe Biden has said it will review a landmark deal Washington made with the Taliban last year after accusing the insurgents of ramping up violence.&nbsp;</p>


Two people were killed as the Afghan capital was rocked Tuesday by a series of rush-hour car bombs, officials said, while a police vehicle was targeted in an attack north of Kabul.

Two people were killed as the Afghan capital was rocked Tuesday by a series of rush-hour car bombs, officials said, while a police vehicle was targeted in an attack north of Kabul. Attacks during the morning commute have become a favoured tactic of insurgents, who remotely detonate bombs attached to target vehicles. Police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told reporters two people were killed and two injured in a first blast, while a second targeting an interior ministry vehicle wounded two security personnel. There were no reports of casualties from a third blast. Deadly violence has ravaged the country in recent months -- particularly in Kabul, with near-daily attacks against government officials, security personnel, journalists and other prominent Afghans. Separately, a police vehicle was targeted north of Kabul in Parwan province, but the blast caused no casualties, police said. Peace talks between the warring Taliban and Afghan government were launched in September in Qatar, but progress has been slow. The new US administration of President Joe Biden has said it will review a landmark deal Washington made with the Taliban last year after accusing the insurgents of ramping up violence.

Two killed as bombs rock Afghan capital

<p>Hong Kong's leader defended her administration's use of "ambush lockdowns" on Tuesday after a spate of overnight operations to conduct surprise mandatory coronavirus tests uncovered no new cases.</p>

<p>The new tactic involves authorities giving no warning of an impending lockdown, sealing off buildings where cases are detected and then ensuring everyone inside is tested, usually overnight.</p>

<p>But the operations have had limited success.</p>

<p>Overnight on Monday police cordoned off designated areas in four densely populated districts. Authorities conducted some 1,700 tests but found zero new infections.</p>

<p>On Tuesday, city leader Carrie Lam said the ambush lockdowns were "not a waste of manpower and money but instead well worth" the resources.</p>

<p>"We can't take the number of confirmed cases as the sole or decisive standard," Lam told reporters.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Efficacy does not only concern recovery rate, but also prevention of the disease."</p>

<p>Hong Kong's government are taking a much more proactive approach to testing similar to tactics used on the authoritarian mainland as it struggles to contain a winter wave of infections.</p>

<p>On Tuesday morning, the government warned authorities would forcibly break into their apartments if law enforcement suspected people were hiding in their homes or refusing to submit a mandatory test.</p>

<p>Lam's de facto deputy &nbsp;Matthew Cheung said officials would use "wider and more frequent" lockdowns as the city heads into the Lunar New Year holidays next week.</p>

<p>Hong Kong was one of the first places to be struck by the coronavirus after it spilled out of central China.</p>

<p>It has recorded nearly 10,500 infections with some 170 deaths by imposing effective but economically ruinous social distancing measures for much of the last year.</p>


Hong Kong's leader defended her administration's use of "ambush lockdowns" on Tuesday after a spate of overnight operations to conduct surprise mandatory coronavirus tests uncovered no new cases.

Hong Kong's leader defended her administration's use of "ambush lockdowns" on Tuesday after a spate of overnight operations to conduct surprise mandatory coronavirus tests uncovered no new cases. The new tactic involves authorities giving no warning of an impending lockdown, sealing off buildings where cases are detected and then ensuring everyone inside is tested, usually overnight. But the operations have had limited success. Overnight on Monday police cordoned off designated areas in four densely populated districts. Authorities conducted some 1,700 tests but found zero new infections. On Tuesday, city leader Carrie Lam said the ambush lockdowns were "not a waste of manpower and money but instead well worth" the resources. "We can't take the number of confirmed cases as the sole or decisive standard," Lam told reporters. "Efficacy does not only concern recovery rate, but also prevention of the disease." Hong Kong's government are taking a much more proactive approach to testing similar to tactics used on the authoritarian mainland as it struggles to contain a winter wave of infections. On Tuesday morning, the government warned authorities would forcibly break into their apartments if law enforcement suspected people were hiding in their homes or refusing to submit a mandatory test. Lam's de facto deputy Matthew Cheung said officials would use "wider and more frequent" lockdowns as the city heads into the Lunar New Year holidays next week. Hong Kong was one of the first places to be struck by the coronavirus after it spilled out of central China. It has recorded nearly 10,500 infections with some 170 deaths by imposing effective but economically ruinous social distancing measures for much of the last year.

Hong Kong leader defends 'ambush lockdown' tactics

<p>In a&nbsp;breakthrough for space plant research, first plant transplant has taken&nbsp;place in the International Space Station's&nbsp;Vegetable Production System (Veggie)&nbsp;facility.</p>

<p>NASA researches crop production in space because plants can provide nutrients to astronaut crews on long-duration missions, such as a mission to&nbsp;Mars.</p>

<p>NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, an&nbsp;Expedition 64 crew member,&nbsp;who arrived to the station for a six-month science mission aboard the SpaceX&nbsp;Crew-1&nbsp;mission, tended&nbsp;different varieties of mustards and lettuces in&nbsp;VEG-03I.</p>

<p>He noticed the mustards were growing fine in their special “pillows” containing clay-based growth media and fertilizer.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Two plant pillows containing ‘Outredgeous’ Red Romaine and ‘Dragoon’ lettuce seeds were germinating slowly, growing well behind the other plants. However,&nbsp;with input from Veggie program scientists at Kennedy, the astronaut transplanted extra sprouts from the thriving plant pillows into two of the struggling pillows.</p>

<p>The transplants – ‘Red Russian’ kale and ‘Extra Dwarf’ pak choi – are surviving and growing along with the donor kale and pak choi. The remaining red romaine lettuce and “Wasabi” mustard in the experiment are also ready for harvest.</p>

<p>“This experiment is just really amazing; it shows the skill of the astronauts, the care that they take to do things, and also the differences that you see in microgravity,” Veggie Program Plant Scientist Gioia Massa said. “Fluids behave very differently in space than on the ground. The behaviour of fluids – in this circumstance – seems to have helped the plants.”</p>

<p>“We’re used to microgravity working against us in the fluids/physics department, making growing plants in space very difficult,” Matt Romeyn, VEG-03I science lead said. “So to have an exception like this, where microgravity appears to be helpful and the plants are growing better than on Earth … that’s astonishing.”</p>


In a breakthrough for space plant research, first plant transplant has taken place in the International Space Station's Vegetable Production System (Veggie) facility.

In a breakthrough for space plant research, first plant transplant has taken place in the International Space Station's Vegetable Production System (Veggie) facility. NASA researches crop production in space because plants can provide nutrients to astronaut crews on long-duration missions, such as a mission to Mars. NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, an Expedition 64 crew member, who arrived to the station for a six-month science mission aboard the SpaceX Crew-1 mission, tended different varieties of mustards and lettuces in VEG-03I. He noticed the mustards were growing fine in their special “pillows” containing clay-based growth media and fertilizer. Two plant pillows containing ‘Outredgeous’ Red Romaine and ‘Dragoon’ lettuce seeds were germinating slowly, growing well behind the other plants. However, with input from Veggie program scientists at Kennedy, the astronaut transplanted extra sprouts from the thriving plant pillows into two of the struggling pillows. The transplants – ‘Red Russian’ kale and ‘Extra Dwarf’ pak choi – are surviving and growing along with the donor kale and pak choi. The remaining red romaine lettuce and “Wasabi” mustard in the experiment are also ready for harvest. “This experiment is just really amazing; it shows the skill of the astronauts, the care that they take to do things, and also the differences that you see in microgravity,” Veggie Program Plant Scientist Gioia Massa said. “Fluids behave very differently in space than on the ground. The behaviour of fluids – in this circumstance – seems to have helped the plants.” “We’re used to microgravity working against us in the fluids/physics department, making growing plants in space very difficult,” Matt Romeyn, VEG-03I science lead said. “So to have an exception like this, where microgravity appears to be helpful and the plants are growing better than on Earth … that’s astonishing.”

'Breakthrough': First plant transplant takes place in International Space Station

<p>Unveiling the <strong>Union Budget 2021&nbsp;</strong>on Monday aimed at reviving the&nbsp;Indian economy,&nbsp;Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government is committed towards the welfare of farmers.</p>

<p>Tabling the budget,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/nirmala-sitharaman"><strong>Sitharaman</strong></a>&nbsp;said: "The MSP regime has undergone a change to assure price that is at least 1.5 times the cost of production across all commodities."</p>

<p>She also said that in case of wheat, the amount paid to farmers in 2019-2020 was Rupees 62,802 crore and in 2020-2021 it was further increased to Rupees 75,060 crore.</p>

<p>In her Budget 2021 speech, the finance minister&nbsp;increased agriculture&nbsp;infrastructure&nbsp;fund to Rs 40,000 crore and&nbsp;doubled&nbsp;micro-irrigation&nbsp;corpus to Rs 10,000 crore.</p>

<p>Sitharaman further said 1,000 more mandis will be integrated with the electronic national market and the agriculture infrastructure fund would be made available to APMCs to augment infrastructure facilities.</p>

<p>The first part of the Budget Session is scheduled to continue till February 15 while the second part of the session will be held from March 8 to April 8. Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm with Zero Hour and Question Hour.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Agriculture employs about half of India's labour force.&nbsp;Many people are directly or indirectly dependent on farming or activities associated with it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Indian farmers have been&nbsp;looking forward to the expenditure allocated in the Union Budget 2021 to the rural sector- agriculture and farming.</p>

<p>Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi&nbsp;said on Sunday protesters that stormed New Delhi's Red Fort had caused "insult" to the country, his first public comments on a months-long farmers' agitation that turned violent last week.</p>


Unveiling the Union Budget 2021 on Monday aimed at reviving the Indian economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government is committed towards the welfare of farmers.

Unveiling the Union Budget 2021 on Monday aimed at reviving the Indian economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government is committed towards the welfare of farmers. Tabling the budget, Sitharaman said: "The MSP regime has undergone a change to assure price that is at least 1.5 times the cost of production across all commodities." She also said that in case of wheat, the amount paid to farmers in 2019-2020 was Rupees 62,802 crore and in 2020-2021 it was further increased to Rupees 75,060 crore. In her Budget 2021 speech, the finance minister increased agriculture infrastructure fund to Rs 40,000 crore and doubled micro-irrigation corpus to Rs 10,000 crore. Sitharaman further said 1,000 more mandis will be integrated with the electronic national market and the agriculture infrastructure fund would be made available to APMCs to augment infrastructure facilities. The first part of the Budget Session is scheduled to continue till February 15 while the second part of the session will be held from March 8 to April 8. Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm with Zero Hour and Question Hour. Agriculture employs about half of India's labour force. Many people are directly or indirectly dependent on farming or activities associated with it. Indian farmers have been looking forward to the expenditure allocated in the Union Budget 2021 to the rural sector- agriculture and farming. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday protesters that stormed New Delhi's Red Fort had caused "insult" to the country, his first public comments on a months-long farmers' agitation that turned violent last week.

Union Budget 2021: Government committed to welfare of farmers, says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

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