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Poll: Nearly two-thirds of Americans support protests against racial injustice – USA TODAY

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Do protests ever enact real change? Yes. But not all movements are created equal. Here's the ingredients of a successful movement. USA TODAY

WASHINGTON Nearly two-thirds of Americans support the recent protests againstracial injustice, a new Gallup poll released Tuesday revealed.

The nationwide protests were sparked by the killing of George Floyd, a Black man whose neck was pinned under the knee of a white police officer for nearly nine minutes in May.

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The poll found that 65% of U.S. adults support the protests. Additionally, 53% said the protests"will help" public support for equality and racial justice versus 34% who said they would "hurt"and 13% who saidthey will "make no difference."

The poll also reports that approximately one in 10 respondentssaid they had participated in a demonstration in the last month. Among younger respondents, that number jumps to one in four.

In terms of support for the protests, 92% of Black Americans said they support the protests, while89% of Asian Americans, 70% of Hispanics and 59% of white respondents said they do.

Fact check: Kroger is not charging customers a Black Lives Matter tax

Additionally, 54% of those surveyed said the protests have changed their views on racial justice and equality in some way, while 47% stated the contrary.

Thesupport for the protests comes as the White Houseand Attorney General William Barr try to paint the protesters as"violent rioters."

In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Barr offered an unmitigated defense of the deployment of federal officers to Portland, Oregon, where he said "a mob"hijacked legitimate demonstrations against police brutality.

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Barr called protestsin Portland"an assault on the government of the United States," countering Democratic lawmakers who have characterized federal officers' actions against protesters as unconstitutional, politically charged fearmongering.

While some of the demonstrations grew unruly, overall, the protests have been largely peaceful, according to researchconducted by the marketing firm Ipsos and teams from the Universities of Chicago and Oxford.

The poll also revealed partisanship in terms of support and participation for the protests, with 95% of Democrats supporting the demonstrations, compared with 69% of independents and 22% of Republicans.

Respondents who affiliated as being Republicanalso were only 1%likely to participate, and only 14%stated they felt a connectionto the protests' cause,according to the poll.

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The results were based from a web study of36,463 U.S. adults, conducted between June 23 and July 6. Ithas a margin of error of 1.4percentagepoints. "The margins of error for white, Hispanic, Black and Asian American survey respondents were 1.6, 6.6, 6.4 and 8.8 percentage points, respectively."

Contributing:Kristine Phillips, Kevin Johnson USA TODAY

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Poll: Nearly two-thirds of Americans support protests against racial injustice - USA TODAY

Ernest Lacy’s Relatives Add Their Voices To The Milwaukee Black Lives Matter Movement – WUWM

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WUWM's Chuck Quirmbach talks with the relatives of Ernest Lacy. Ernest died in a police van in 1981 in Milwaukee.

A Black family whose son was killed while in Milwaukee police custody 39 years ago is taking a bigger role in the Black Lives Matter protests. The relatives of Ernest Lacy are speaking up.

Ernest died in a police van in 1981, after being taking into custody for a rape that was later determined the 22 year old did not commit. At a later hearing, then-community activist Howard Fuller called for charges against the officers who had forced Ernest to the ground.

"We know they had handcuffed him and that [Officer Thomas] Eliopul was no longer concerned about arresting him. He was trying to hurt him," Fuller said.

Eliopul was eventually fired. Four other officers were suspended, in a legal case that took about four years.

Ernest's death has been revisited in Milwaukee before, when Black men have died while in police custody. With the death in May of George Floyd while being held down by Minneapolis police, Milwaukee activists are pointing to the similarities of the Ernest Lacy case.

There are dozens of Ernest's relatives still living in the Milwaukee area. Several came to a rally and march Wednesday in Washington Park to mark what would have been his birthday.

Nephew Justin Lacy says his uncle's death continues to have an impact on the Lacy family.

"Man, it affected our family so much because Ernest Lacy was an individual from the stories I heard from my family, my grandmother, my father, my sisters he was a giving and lovable individual, Justin said.

Ernest's brother, Cecil Lacy, says Lacy's Law, passed in Wisconsin after Ernest's death, requires police to seek medical help for anyone in their custody. Cecil contends the law is not being followed.

"Absolutely not. ... And that's what motivated me to get out and speak up on the law because I feel like it is on the books, but it's just being ignored, Cecil told WUWM.

Ernest's mother, Myrtle Lacy, says she was sad her son was not there for his birthday, but she also called it a happy day because about 100 people were on hand.

"It's a happy day because we see people who are determined to help someone. And I feel that with everyone's help, and of course God's help, we'll make it, Myrtle said.

But she says she's not criticizing all police officers. "I guess I'm a little different than a lot of people as far as the police are concerned. There are a lot of police officers that I think are just great. We have police officers in our family, and I look up to them and I respect them and I know that they have a job. But I also know that there are officers who [don't] give people the chance to live. And for those kinds of people, I think that people need more training, they need to be taught that you just don't kill people for no reason, Myrtle said.

The main focus of the Milwaukee area Black Lives Matter rallies has been on deaths in police custody. And after some brief speeches Wednesday, there was this chant about the man who died nearly four decades ago: "Say his name! Ernest Lacy!

What followed was a march of a few miles to 23rd St and Wisconsin Avenue where Ernest died.

There were more speeches there, and the group blocked eastbound traffic for about an hour. Cecil Lacy sang part of a song his sibling taught him The Greatest Love Of All, first recorded by George Benson in 1977.

Cecil suggested the rally and march would not be his last, as the local Black Lives Matter movement now counts more than 60 consecutive days of hitting the streets with plans to keep going.

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Ernest Lacy's Relatives Add Their Voices To The Milwaukee Black Lives Matter Movement - WUWM

Black Lives Matter, other nonprofits offer free bus trip to Commitment March on Washington next month – PennLive

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Seats are available on a free bus trip to Washington, D.C. for Harrisburg-area residents interested in participating in the Commitment March on Washington whose rallying call is Get Your Knee Off Our Necks.

The march will take place on the 57th anniversary of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s I Have a Dream speech.

I grew up a target of racial profiling, said Black Lives Matter organizer Claudie Kenion. The 51-year-old said hes been pushing back against racism since the 1980s, but his fight was reignited by the death of George Floyd when restrained by a Minneapolis police officer.

Black Lives Matter is working with local central Pennsylvania nonprofits UniteCentralPA and reloved to fill up to 100 bus seats. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend the march in Washington that will descend on the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28.

Were tired of being mistreated, Kenion said. Were gonna fight until the world wakes up. This movement is not dying again, no more. In Harrisburg, the mayor and city officials, and police, they are starting to work with us.

The rallying call Get Your Knee Off Our Necks gets to the heart of the matter, he said.

Were trying to educate people on systemic racism, Kenion said. As soon as people see the word Black, our movement becomes a problem; they dont understand. Were not supporting violence or looting. It takes a small fraction of people to mess up our message. Were not a Marxist group, no thats not us. Were looking to sit down and talk to people. Having a professional dialogue goes a long way.

Personally, Kenion recalls being expelled when he was in middle school. He said a classmate called him a racial slur, but that it was Kenion who was kicked out for defending himself when the classmate took a swing at him.

Students, both black and white, defended him, he said. But he was the one who had to leave school to attend another one.

I think that we are at a historic point in America, said reloved Founder and CEO Heather Norton. The Civil Rights Movement has, unfortunately, had to continue 57 years later after Martin Luther King gave his I Have A Dream Speech. Now is our opportunity to speak up and use our voices to make the change that we so desperately need.

Donations to help pay for the trip have been pouring in, Norton said. All participants riding along will be provided free face masks and hand sanitizer. The groups also will be handing out gift bags once in D.C. that include sunscreen, water, snacks, and other items provided by Lowes and Costco in Harrisburg.

To ensure the safety of passengers during the coronavirus pandemic, Norton said the buses will be fumigated and sanitized.

Anyone who has an underlying health issue is asked to stay at home, Kenion said.

We were told by Al Sharptons group that they are going to go through with the march no matter what, he said. The (owner) of the charter buses said as long as we are in the green phase, we can fill up all the seats on the bus. If we are in the yellow phase, we have to seat every other seat.

The groups will adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Temperature checks will be done on the morning of the event. Masks are required to be worn roundtrip while on the bus. And, participants must sign a COVID-19 waiver before departing.

The free trip is available until all seats are filled.

This movement isnt just about statistics, Norton said. Its about sitting down with our neighbors and having conversations, and not turning the other way when we see something or hear something thats unjust. We need to broaden our focus and it starts at the community level. Its not just speaking out about the criminal justice system; its about funding education, access to medical care, and fixing the mental health system.

Click on this link to register for the event.

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Black Lives Matter, other nonprofits offer free bus trip to Commitment March on Washington next month - PennLive

How the NYC mayoral candidates have responded to the Black Lives Matter protests – City & State

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Over the last two months, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has been a leader of protests against systemic racism and police brutality. Among elected officials, Williams has been the most effective at channeling activists emotions and its led to some progressives hoping that the democratic socialist Williams would run for mayor in 2021. A mayoral campaign is unlikely, but many candidates are running to succeed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and they have all had to respond to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Heres a brief look at the top candidates and what theyve done.

The New York City Council speaker attended protest marches, ushered through a package of police reform bills, such as a law criminalizing chokeholds by the police, and he negotiated a city budget that shifted millions of dollars away from the NYPD though he expressed disappointment that he could not cut the agencys budget even more. Johnson is now being accused of retaliating against council members and nonprofits who attacked his measures as insufficient, but he denies the charges.

The New York City Comptroller joined marches against racism and harshly criticized the NYPDs tactics during protests. He initially proposed reducing the departments budget by $1.1 billion over four years, then decried the council and the mayor for not reaching $1 billion in cuts in one year.

The Brooklyn borough president has helped paint Black Lives Matter murals around the city, and has joined marches and bike rides against racism. The former NYPD captain has criticized the tactics of certain police officers and certain protesters, while emphasizing that the Black Lives Matter movement should also look at street violence and not just police violence.

The former nonprofit executive has made defunding the NYPD a top priority of her campaign and has proposed creating a new organization of first responders. Morales joined protest marches and later testified to the state attorney generals office on the NYPDs conduct.

The former secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama has been using his expertise to talk about racism in housing discrimination. Donovan has criticized the NYPDs tactics controlling protests, and joined a march on his own.

The retired Army general and former city veterans services commissioner has aligned herself with police unions in blaming city political leaders for an increase in violence. Sutton opposes defunding the police and has said that protesters should get city permits, though she called herself an ally of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The former chair of the Civilian Complaint Review Board is no stranger to NYPD oversight, and is now likely to enter the mayoral race with police reform as part of her pitch. In July, she became one of the most high-profile New Yorkers to call for NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea to be fired.

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How the NYC mayoral candidates have responded to the Black Lives Matter protests - City & State

Police surveillance of Black Lives Matter shows the danger technology poses to democracy – The Conversation UK

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US police forces have been turning to technology to track down Black Lives Matter protestors. Content from social media platforms and affiliated sites has been instrumental in the authorities being able to identify protestors based on photos of their faces, clothes and hair, or on the fact that they posted while at the protests. Meanwhile, drones have been added to the polices own means of capturing footage of the protests.

Making technology-driven state surveillance part of the polices response to democratic protest sets a dangerous precedent. There is a risk that the power this gives to police to target protestors could be abused and have a chilling effect on freedom of speech and assembly. This is particularly true in the case of Black Lives Matter, given alleged evidence of the infiltration of US law enforcement agencies by white supremacists.

Whats more, the amount of data on people that is gathered by technology and potentially available to law enforcement is set to grow thanks to the rapid expansion of internet-connected devices (known as the Internet of Things, or IoT).

The Internet of Things could, if left unchecked, give authorities seemingly unlimited ways to mine for information on people, both users of the technology and bystanders. Voice operated assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home record our conversations; smart watches and fitness trackers monitor our movements, and even many traditional home appliances now collect data on us, from smart fridges to washing machines.

The growing prevalence and variety of these devices means a huge amount of data can be compiled on us by corporations in the name of improving user services or targeted advertising. But thanks to recent surveillance laws, state authorities can also request and gather a large amount of this data. And government bodies are already starting to capitalise on the new capabilities provided by the Internet of Things.

For example, some IoT technologies, such as internet-connected Amazon Ring doorbells that can record video footage, have become an informal addition to state surveillance infrastructure. Rings partnerships with police forces gives them access to camera locations so they can request footage from specific device owners (and obtain it by warrant if they refuse).

Some deals have involved giving away the doorbells to the public for free. This effectively creates a cheap state monitoring network that has reportedly led to racial profiling among users.

IoT technology also could be used specifically against protestors, activists and journalists. Not only could collected data be used to identify or track people even more effectively than social media posts, but reliance on the technology could also leave people and groups vulnerable to cyber attacks.

For example, in Hong Kong weve seen attempts to disrupt the communication of protestors and force them to use less secure channels that can more easily be monitored. Theres even a chance that the rise of hackable internet-connected cars could lead to more vehicular attacks on protests, as have occurred against anti-racism demonstrations in the US.

Despite these threats, our recent research shows journalists in particular are not generally aware of or protected from IoT technology being used to target them. Whats more, having your data gathered by IoT devices might soon be unstoppable even if you dont own or use them. As part of our research, we surveyed 34 cyber security experts and found that 76.5% of them believe that it will not be possible for people to opt-out of interaction with the IoT within the next five years.

You might not be able to walk through a residential street without being filmed, or talk to a family member while in a doctors waiting room without your conversation being recorded. For activists and protestors, this huge prevalence of technologies and databases that are accessible to the state means an ever-increasing risk of being identified, tracked and surveilled, as shown by the newly released Atlas of Surveillance.

With the growing threat of state surveillance through the IoT, activists are starting to take measures to protect themselves. More are becoming aware of the risks of taking a registered smartphone, which is essentially a personalised tracking device, on a protest. Others are following the example of protesters in Hong Kong, who recently adopted an informal all-black uniform complete with face masks to make it harder for authorities to identify individuals from online photos.

As well as providing secure, independent, encrypted messaging, the app Signal has responded to police forces technological identification of protesters by creating a tool that blurs peoples faces in photos. Although programs exists that can attempt to unblur pixelated photos, the fact that so much software isnt built with black people in mind could ironically make it worse at revealing the faces of people of colour.

This issue reminds us that technology is never neutral, particularly when people exercising their right to protest have their data used against them. In this case, against people fighting against structural racism and police brutality against black and indigenous people.

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Police surveillance of Black Lives Matter shows the danger technology poses to democracy - The Conversation UK

The Meghan and Harry drama is just like Brexit theres no cherry picking and itll all end in tears – The Independent

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Megxit is turning out to be more than a bit like Brexit. It has become apparent that there is no soft version of either after all, no happy halfway house, no grand compromise that would allow all sides to have their cake and eat it. Youre either in the EU or youre out, so far as Britain is concerned; youre either royal or you aint, in the case of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It ends in tears. The only thing left are the recriminations, and to sort out who gets the blame.

Being as theres no such body as the Supreme Court of Right Royal Feuds to adjudicate on such matters, the arguments are being played out in the tabloids and the court of British public opinion, renowned for their tenderness, even-handedness and rationalism. These debates will also, by their very nature, become infected with conspiracy theories and go on for ever and ever.

There are still people out there, after all, who believe that Diana was murdered, who still mourn the abdication of Edward VIII and think the Windsor dynasty are reptilian beings from another world. OK, the last ones always been arguable, but these legends are all endlessly recycled, and often as not referenced whenever the Sussexes appear in the headlines, which sadly they are destined to for the rest of their lives and beyond, even when Covid-19 and Brexit are long forgotten.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

From what Ive seen of the curiously named Finding Freedom, a book which puts the Sussexes case with suspiciously well-informed partisanship, were now well into blame game territory. Id quite forgotten that Megxit was still at the pilot scheme stage, to see how things were coming along. It seems there is no way back to royal normality for Harry and Meghan. Their quarantine, though comfortable, is permanent.

For all the fuss about the dramatic revelations, theres not that much thats new here. William advised his younger brother to take his romance with Meghan slowly, which may or may not have been taken as an insult, but probably wasnt meant to be. He did after all not rush into things himself, as waity Katie found to her frustration. Kate apparently resented the extra work shed have to do once Harry and Meghan cleared off. Fair enough, but we all have to make sacrifices. It seems small beer at any rate, compared to a global pandemic 60,000 excess deaths, the sharpest recession in 300 years, three million jobless and cold wars with the EU and China.

But we all enjoy a little escapism, which of course brings us back to the main characters. To borrow a phrase, they quite rightly wanted to escape the predations of the British media and its appalling habit of twisting and lying about everything they do. Understandably they wished to use whatever fame and talents they possess to do some good. Theyd like to make their own way in the world, but not be ostracised from friends and family. In Brexit terms, they wanted to take back control over their sovereignty and their borders. They wanted to cherry pick.

I happen to think they were quite right to want a private life and to try and modernise the institution of monarchy; but it was impractical.

In the end they could not cherry pick after all. The Sussexes have managed to land themselves in the worst of all worlds. Not in the sense of having to apply for Universal Credit or for Rishis 10 meal deal to help go out for the evening, but deeply unsatisfactory from their point of view. Lacking any official security, they are tormented by the paparazzi more than ever, they are spied on by drones, the papers print whatever they like and they are fair game just as any Hollywood or reality show celebs are. They can try to sue the press, but itll do them no good, win or lose. The incentives are too great, and ever more so the colder the commercial climate grows and the temptation to sensationalise intensifies.

Meghan and Harry met through mutual friends in London in July 2016 when one of the former-actor's confidants, Markus Anderson, reportedly introduced them.Anderson is linked with private members club Soho House, of which Harry is a member, but it wasn't until months after the initial London meeting that their burgeoning romance made headlines.

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Photographs of the couple together were published in the press, showing them on holidays, at friend's weddings and eating out in London making the news.But it was by way of an unprecedented statement that their relationship was officially announced. Kensington Palace, writing on behalf of Harry, stated that the harassment being experienced by Meghan and her family, saying a line had been crossed.His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment, the statement continued, citing "sexism" and "racism". "He knows commentators will say this is the price she has to pay and that this is all part of the game. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game - it is her life and his," the statement read."He has asked for this statement to be issued in the hopes that those in the press who have been driving this story can pause and reflect before any further damage is done."

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In October 2017, Meghan conducted her first public interview since news of the relationship emerged with Vanity Fair, in which she opened up about what it is like to date a member of the royal family. It has its challenges, and it comes in wavessome days it can feel more challenging than others, she told the publication.And right out of the gate it was surprising the way things changed. But I still have this support system all around me, and, of course, my boyfriends support.

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The couple announced their engagement in November and were interviewed by the BBC's Mishal Hussain at their home, Frogmore Cottage, in Windsor, about the news.During the interview, Harry opened up about how much he enjoyed being with someone from outside his inner circle."It was hugely refreshing," he said before discussing the trip they took to Botswana together shortly after meeting. "To be able to start almost afresh right from the beginning in getting to know each other step by step and then taking that huge leap of only two dates and then going effectively on holiday together in the middle of nowhere and sharing a tent together and all that kind of stuff. It was fantastic. It was absolutely amazing to get to know her as quickly as I did."Harry proposed to Meghan with a custom ring made by court jewellers Cleave and Company using one diamond sourced from Botswana and two smaller stones from Princess Diana's collection.

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Princess Michael of Kent apologised for wearing a racist broach to the Queen's Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, that was also attended by Meghan and was her first Christmas with the royal family.The princess, who is married to the Queen's cousin, was pictured wearing a prominent piece of "blackamoor" jewellery pinned to her coat as she arrived at the annual royal family gathering.The princess was widely condemned for wearing the "blatantly racist" piece to the Palace and a spokesperson for the royal said she was very sorry and distressed that it had caused offence. They added that the brooch was a gift and has been worn many times before.

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On 19 May, Meghan and Harry married at St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle. The bride and groom continued to defy convention at the wedding by putting a modern spin on everything from the cake to ceremony itself. The couple chose Reverend Michael Curry, the first black presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church, to deliver a powerful sermon about love. The joyous day was somewhat dampened after it was revealed that Thomas Markle Sr, Meghan's father, would not be there to walk her down the aisle. Instead, Meghan walked herself down the aisle until she was joined by Prince Charles, who gave her away. In an interview with TMZ, Meghan's father admitted to conspiring with a photographer to pose for staged paparazzi photos. As a result of his admission, he felt it would be best to not walk her down the aisle because he didn't want to embarrass the royal family or his daughter. He also shared that he had suffered a heart attack six days prior due to the stresses of the situation.

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Since their wedding, speculation had been mounting that Meghan and Harry were expecting their first child but confirmation didn't come until 15 October, just as the couple were about to kick off their autumn tour of Australasia.Kensington Palace announced that the newlyweds were very pleased to be expecting a baby in the spring of 2019.Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019, the palace said in a statement. Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public.However, some people accused the royal couple of insensitivity over the decision to reveal the news during Baby Loss Awareness Week.

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During her pregnancy Meghan, like many prospective mothers, would cradle her bump or place her hand on her stomach during public events.But the royal mother was criticised with some saying she was doing it for photo opportunities.Meanwhile conspiracy theorists took to Twitter with hashtags like #Megxit and #DuchessofDeception, claiming that Meghan was not pregnant and had been strapping on a pillow or a bespoke prosthetic.

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On 6 May 2019, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born at the Portland Hospital in London after Meghan went into labour in the early hours of the morning.The birth was a break from tradition with previous royals, including the Duchess of Cambridge, who have previously used the Lindo Wing at St Marys Hospital in London to give birth.Meghan also chose not to pose for an '"on the steps" moment after leaving hospital like other royal mothers. Instead, the duke and duchess presented baby Archie to the world at a press briefing at St Georges Hall at Windsor Castle.The couple later revealed they chose not to use the courtesy title Earl Dumbarton, which Archie was allowed to use, nor to style him Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, opting for Master instead.

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Danny Baker was fired by the BBC after tweeting about the royal baby using a photo of a chimpanzee.The former BBC Radio 5 Live host was criticised for the post, which he shared moments after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.The tweet featured a black-and-white photograph of a couple holding hands with a chimp dressed in a suit alongside the caption: Royal baby leaves hospital.Baker swiftly removed the post after receiving backlash from Twitter users who branded it as racist due to Meghan's mixed-heritage. The 61-year-old later apologised, writing: Sorry my gag pic of the little fella in the posh outfit has whipped some up.Never occurred to me because, well, mind not diseased. Soon as those good enough to point out its possible connotations got in touch, down it came. And thats it.Now stand by for sweary football tweets.

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The BBC showed a comedy programme, Tonight With Vladimir Putin, which portrayed the Duchess of Sussex saying Stay the f*** out of my trailer or Ill cut you, Kate.Both episodes of the programme included a feature entitled "Meghan Markles Royal Sparkle". In one episode The Duchess of Sussex's character was asked what makes her angry. The character replied with an anecdote about the Duchess of Cambridge asking to borrow her hairbrush.I say no because thats gross and then I leave my room and come back and I can tell shes used my hairbrush anyway because its covered in skanky hair thats going grey and I say, Stay the f*** out of my trailer or Ill cut you, Kate, she yelled.The show also made fun of the Duchesss relationship with her father, Thomas Markle.

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In June 2019 the Duke and Duchess of Sussex received criticism after it was revealed that their home was renovated with 2.4m of taxpayer-funded costs.Frogmore Cottage in Windsor was turned into a single property for Harry and Meghan, from five separate homes.While the couple, who moved from Kensington Palace in April before the birth of their son Archie, paid for any upgraded fixtures and fittings themselves, royal accounts showed that the public fund met the cost of replacing heating, electric, gas and water main systems, as well as replacing ceiling beams and floor joists.Frogmore Cottage is owned by the Crown Estate and was a gift to the couple from the Queen, who was kept updated on the work. It had not been the subject of work for some years, and had already been earmarked for renovation.

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Meghan and Harry chose to christen Archie at an intimate ceremony attended by close family. Royal baptisms are traditionally private but the couple went one step further by going against convention and deciding not to announce Archies godparents."The godparents, in keeping with their wishes, will remain private," a statement from Buckingham Palace read.Speculation remained rife as to who had been named the godparents of Meghan and Prince Harry's son, with contenders including media mogul Oprah Winfrey, fashion stylist Jessica Mulroney and Hollywood actor George Clooney.The duke and duchess' decision sparked huge criticism among royal watchers. They have to give the public something, wrote one person on Twitter. We are paying them and it feels like they do not care about the public.

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Harry and Meghan were heavily criticised for using private jets to go on holiday with Archie to the south of France. Many people accused the couple of hypocrisy given their staunch views on environmentalism. It came after two other European trips, including one to Ibiza for Meghans birthday and another to Sicily where Harry flew to discuss climate change at a conference.Harry later defended the use of the transport by claiming it was to ensure their safety. Meanwhile, Sir Elton John publicly defended the couple.Speaking in Amsterdam for a new flying scheme, Harry said: "I came here by commercial. I spend 99 per cent of my life travelling the world by commercial. Occasionally there needs to be an opportunity based on a unique circumstance to ensure that my family are safe. It's genuinely as simple as that."

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Prince William and Harry had been at the centre of rift rumours for months, ever since it emerged that the Sussexes were moving to Windsor. In August, the speculation came to a head with royal sources and experts claiming the brothers have drifted apart. Appearing on Channel 5s documentary William & Harry: Princes At War? royal expert and editor of Majesty magazine Ingrid Seward said: I would think it might bother William a little bit, because he might see the way that Harry and Meghan do things as being detrimental to the business of the monarchy as a whole. Seward added that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were surprised by Harry and Meghan's whirlwind romance, saying: "It was all so quick that William and Kate didn't have a moment to get to know Meghan because Harry hardly knew Meghan. "And of course William and Kate would have quite naturally thought 'oh she's been married before, she's older than Harry, I hope she's going to make him happy'. Anyone would think that."

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In August it was announced that Meghan Markle was to guest-edit the September issue of British Vogue magazine. The cover of the special edition featured a grid of 15 women selected as Forces for Change and articles inside that had been commissioned by the duchess. While the response was largely positive, some people criticised her choice of women, which did not include the Queen, and questioned whether or not a member of the royal family should edit a magazine, despite several others having done so before. I feel like I need to bring a bit of reality to the situation. We're talking about Vogue magazine. Probably the most elite, expensive, snobby, fashion-dominated, skinny-dominated magazine in the entire world. This is not some great mainstream force for good. This is a magazine for the elite. Brexit Party MEP Ann Widdecombe also took aim for picking political stars, saying: Royals have not only got to keep out of politics but they have got to be seen to keep out of politics.

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In October 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex took part in an ITV documentary about their royal tour to southern Africa.In Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, Harry opened up about his aversion to paparazzi and confessed that he and his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, are on different paths, fuelling speculation that the two have grown apart.Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex revealed she had been struggling with criticisms in the media, telling ITVs Tom Bradby that she was not really okay.Bradby later said that the couple seemed vulnerable and bruised during the filming and revealed he knew that things werent entirely rosy for the couple ahead of filming.The reality I found was just a couple that seemed a bit bruised and vulnerable, Bradby told Good Morning America. That was the story I found and it seemed the right journalistic thing to do, to try and tell that story as empathetically as I could.

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Following the ITV documentary, Meghan and Harry issued an official statement, in which the duke said he could no longer be a "silent witness" to Meghan's "private suffering".There is a human cost to this relentless propaganda, specifically when it is knowingly false and malicious, and though we have continued to put on a brave face as so many of you can relate to I cannot begin to describe how painful it has been," the statement read.In the same statement, it was confirmed that Meghan had filed a claim against Associated Newspapers "over the intrusive and unlawful publication of a private letter written by the Duchess of Sussex, which is part of a campaign by this media group to publish false and deliberately derogatory stories about her, as well as her husband."The proceedings in the Chancery Division of the High Court related to the unlawful publication of a private letter from Meghan to her father.

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In December, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released their first Christmas card with their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor.The seven-month-old took centre stage in the black-and-white photograph, staring right down the camera lens while his parents laugh behind him with a Christmas tree in the background.While many royal fans were overjoyed by the image, others accused Meghan of using Photoshop to sharpen her own face so it would stand out more.Meghans close friends, Janina Gavankar, who captured the photo, spoke out to defend the couple on Instagram, writing: So proud to have taken the Christmas photo for one of my best friends and her family." She also clarified that the photo had not been edited.The couple enjoy a six-week break in Canada with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland.

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Meghan and Harry are pictured at Canada House in London to thank the Canadian high commission for their warm hospitality following their trip over Christmas. One day later, on Wednesday 8 January, rumours about the couple possibly moving to Canada begin to surface, which Buckingham Palace initially refused to deny.At 6pm on Wednesday evening, Meghan and Harry announce their decision to relinquish their roles as senior members of the royal family in an Instagram post on @SussexRoyal. Their statement is followed by one from Buckingham Palace describing discussions regarding the move as being at an early stage. It is later understood that the couple did not consult any members of the royal family prior to releasing their statement and the mood at Buckingham Palace was one of disappointment.

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Meghan and Harry met through mutual friends in London in July 2016 when one of the former-actor's confidants, Markus Anderson, reportedly introduced them.Anderson is linked with private members club Soho House, of which Harry is a member, but it wasn't until months after the initial London meeting that their burgeoning romance made headlines.

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Photographs of the couple together were published in the press, showing them on holidays, at friend's weddings and eating out in London making the news.But it was by way of an unprecedented statement that their relationship was officially announced. Kensington Palace, writing on behalf of Harry, stated that the harassment being experienced by Meghan and her family, saying a line had been crossed.His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment, the statement continued, citing "sexism" and "racism". "He knows commentators will say this is the price she has to pay and that this is all part of the game. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game - it is her life and his," the statement read."He has asked for this statement to be issued in the hopes that those in the press who have been driving this story can pause and reflect before any further damage is done."

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In October 2017, Meghan conducted her first public interview since news of the relationship emerged with Vanity Fair, in which she opened up about what it is like to date a member of the royal family. It has its challenges, and it comes in wavessome days it can feel more challenging than others, she told the publication.And right out of the gate it was surprising the way things changed. But I still have this support system all around me, and, of course, my boyfriends support.

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The couple announced their engagement in November and were interviewed by the BBC's Mishal Hussain at their home, Frogmore Cottage, in Windsor, about the news.During the interview, Harry opened up about how much he enjoyed being with someone from outside his inner circle."It was hugely refreshing," he said before discussing the trip they took to Botswana together shortly after meeting. "To be able to start almost afresh right from the beginning in getting to know each other step by step and then taking that huge leap of only two dates and then going effectively on holiday together in the middle of nowhere and sharing a tent together and all that kind of stuff. It was fantastic. It was absolutely amazing to get to know her as quickly as I did."Harry proposed to Meghan with a custom ring made by court jewellers Cleave and Company using one diamond sourced from Botswana and two smaller stones from Princess Diana's collection.

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Princess Michael of Kent apologised for wearing a racist broach to the Queen's Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, that was also attended by Meghan and was her first Christmas with the royal family.The princess, who is married to the Queen's cousin, was pictured wearing a prominent piece of "blackamoor" jewellery pinned to her coat as she arrived at the annual royal family gathering.The princess was widely condemned for wearing the "blatantly racist" piece to the Palace and a spokesperson for the royal said she was very sorry and distressed that it had caused offence. They added that the brooch was a gift and has been worn many times before.

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On 19 May, Meghan and Harry married at St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle. The bride and groom continued to defy convention at the wedding by putting a modern spin on everything from the cake to ceremony itself. The couple chose Reverend Michael Curry, the first black presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church, to deliver a powerful sermon about love. The joyous day was somewhat dampened after it was revealed that Thomas Markle Sr, Meghan's father, would not be there to walk her down the aisle. Instead, Meghan walked herself down the aisle until she was joined by Prince Charles, who gave her away. In an interview with TMZ, Meghan's father admitted to conspiring with a photographer to pose for staged paparazzi photos. As a result of his admission, he felt it would be best to not walk her down the aisle because he didn't want to embarrass the royal family or his daughter. He also shared that he had suffered a heart attack six days prior due to the stresses of the situation.

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Since their wedding, speculation had been mounting that Meghan and Harry were expecting their first child but confirmation didn't come until 15 October, just as the couple were about to kick off their autumn tour of Australasia.Kensington Palace announced that the newlyweds were very pleased to be expecting a baby in the spring of 2019.Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019, the palace said in a statement. Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public.However, some people accused the royal couple of insensitivity over the decision to reveal the news during Baby Loss Awareness Week.

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During her pregnancy Meghan, like many prospective mothers, would cradle her bump or place her hand on her stomach during public events.But the royal mother was criticised with some saying she was doing it for photo opportunities.Meanwhile conspiracy theorists took to Twitter with hashtags like #Megxit and #DuchessofDeception, claiming that Meghan was not pregnant and had been strapping on a pillow or a bespoke prosthetic.

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On 6 May 2019, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born at the Portland Hospital in London after Meghan went into labour in the early hours of the morning.The birth was a break from tradition with previous royals, including the Duchess of Cambridge, who have previously used the Lindo Wing at St Marys Hospital in London to give birth.Meghan also chose not to pose for an '"on the steps" moment after leaving hospital like other royal mothers. Instead, the duke and duchess presented baby Archie to the world at a press briefing at St Georges Hall at Windsor Castle.The couple later revealed they chose not to use the courtesy title Earl Dumbarton, which Archie was allowed to use, nor to style him Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, opting for Master instead.

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Danny Baker was fired by the BBC after tweeting about the royal baby using a photo of a chimpanzee.The former BBC Radio 5 Live host was criticised for the post, which he shared moments after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.The tweet featured a black-and-white photograph of a couple holding hands with a chimp dressed in a suit alongside the caption: Royal baby leaves hospital.Baker swiftly removed the post after receiving backlash from Twitter users who branded it as racist due to Meghan's mixed-heritage. The 61-year-old later apologised, writing: Sorry my gag pic of the little fella in the posh outfit has whipped some up.Never occurred to me because, well, mind not diseased. Soon as those good enough to point out its possible connotations got in touch, down it came. And thats it.Now stand by for sweary football tweets.

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The BBC showed a comedy programme, Tonight With Vladimir Putin, which portrayed the Duchess of Sussex saying Stay the f*** out of my trailer or Ill cut you, Kate.Both episodes of the programme included a feature entitled "Meghan Markles Royal Sparkle". In one episode The Duchess of Sussex's character was asked what makes her angry. The character replied with an anecdote about the Duchess of Cambridge asking to borrow her hairbrush.I say no because thats gross and then I leave my room and come back and I can tell shes used my hairbrush anyway because its covered in skanky hair thats going grey and I say, Stay the f*** out of my trailer or Ill cut you, Kate, she yelled.The show also made fun of the Duchesss relationship with her father, Thomas Markle.

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In June 2019 the Duke and Duchess of Sussex received criticism after it was revealed that their home was renovated with 2.4m of taxpayer-funded costs.Frogmore Cottage in Windsor was turned into a single property for Harry and Meghan, from five separate homes.While the couple, who moved from Kensington Palace in April before the birth of their son Archie, paid for any upgraded fixtures and fittings themselves, royal accounts showed that the public fund met the cost of replacing heating, electric, gas and water main systems, as well as replacing ceiling beams and floor joists.Frogmore Cottage is owned by the Crown Estate and was a gift to the couple from the Queen, who was kept updated on the work. It had not been the subject of work for some years, and had already been earmarked for renovation.

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Meghan and Harry chose to christen Archie at an intimate ceremony attended by close family. Royal baptisms are traditionally private but the couple went one step further by going against convention and deciding not to announce Archies godparents."The godparents, in keeping with their wishes, will remain private," a statement from Buckingham Palace read.Speculation remained rife as to who had been named the godparents of Meghan and Prince Harry's son, with contenders including media mogul Oprah Winfrey, fashion stylist Jessica Mulroney and Hollywood actor George Clooney.The duke and duchess' decision sparked huge criticism among royal watchers. They have to give the public something, wrote one person on Twitter. We are paying them and it feels like they do not care about the public.

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Harry and Meghan were heavily criticised for using private jets to go on holiday with Archie to the south of France. Many people accused the couple of hypocrisy given their staunch views on environmentalism. It came after two other European trips, including one to Ibiza for Meghans birthday and another to Sicily where Harry flew to discuss climate change at a conference.Harry later defended the use of the transport by claiming it was to ensure their safety. Meanwhile, Sir Elton John publicly defended the couple.Speaking in Amsterdam for a new flying scheme, Harry said: "I came here by commercial. I spend 99 per cent of my life travelling the world by commercial. Occasionally there needs to be an opportunity based on a unique circumstance to ensure that my family are safe. It's genuinely as simple as that."

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Prince William and Harry had been at the centre of rift rumours for months, ever since it emerged that the Sussexes were moving to Windsor. In August, the speculation came to a head with royal sources and experts claiming the brothers have drifted apart. Appearing on Channel 5s documentary William & Harry: Princes At War? royal expert and editor of Majesty magazine Ingrid Seward said: I would think it might bother William a little bit, because he might see the way that Harry and Meghan do things as being detrimental to the business of the monarchy as a whole. Seward added that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were surprised by Harry and Meghan's whirlwind romance, saying: "It was all so quick that William and Kate didn't have a moment to get to know Meghan because Harry hardly knew Meghan. "And of course William and Kate would have quite naturally thought 'oh she's been married before, she's older than Harry, I hope she's going to make him happy'. Anyone would think that."

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In August it was announced that Meghan Markle was to guest-edit the September issue of British Vogue magazine. The cover of the special edition featured a grid of 15 women selected as Forces for Change and articles inside that had been commissioned by the duchess. While the response was largely positive, some people criticised her choice of women, which did not include the Queen, and questioned whether or not a member of the royal family should edit a magazine, despite several others having done so before. I feel like I need to bring a bit of reality to the situation. We're talking about Vogue magazine. Probably the most elite, expensive, snobby, fashion-dominated, skinny-dominated magazine in the entire world. This is not some great mainstream force for good. This is a magazine for the elite. Brexit Party MEP Ann Widdecombe also took aim for picking political stars, saying: Royals have not only got to keep out of politics but they have got to be seen to keep out of politics.

British Vogue/Peter Lindbergh

In October 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex took part in an ITV documentary about their royal tour to southern Africa.In Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, Harry opened up about his aversion to paparazzi and confessed that he and his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, are on different paths, fuelling speculation that the two have grown apart.Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex revealed she had been struggling with criticisms in the media, telling ITVs Tom Bradby that she was not really okay.Bradby later said that the couple seemed vulnerable and bruised during the filming and revealed he knew that things werent entirely rosy for the couple ahead of filming.The reality I found was just a couple that seemed a bit bruised and vulnerable, Bradby told Good Morning America. That was the story I found and it seemed the right journalistic thing to do, to try and tell that story as empathetically as I could.

Getty

Following the ITV documentary, Meghan and Harry issued an official statement, in which the duke said he could no longer be a "silent witness" to Meghan's "private suffering".There is a human cost to this relentless propaganda, specifically when it is knowingly false and malicious, and though we have continued to put on a brave face as so many of you can relate to I cannot begin to describe how painful it has been," the statement read.In the same statement, it was confirmed that Meghan had filed a claim against Associated Newspapers "over the intrusive and unlawful publication of a private letter written by the Duchess of Sussex, which is part of a campaign by this media group to publish false and deliberately derogatory stories about her, as well as her husband."The proceedings in the Chancery Division of the High Court related to the unlawful publication of a private letter from Meghan to her father.

Getty

In December, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released their first Christmas card with their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor.The seven-month-old took centre stage in the black-and-white photograph, staring right down the camera lens while his parents laugh behind him with a Christmas tree in the background.While many royal fans were overjoyed by the image, others accused Meghan of using Photoshop to sharpen her own face so it would stand out more.Meghans close friends, Janina Gavankar, who captured the photo, spoke out to defend the couple on Instagram, writing: So proud to have taken the Christmas photo for one of my best friends and her family." She also clarified that the photo had not been edited.The couple enjoy a six-week break in Canada with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland.

Sussexroyal/Instagram

Meghan and Harry are pictured at Canada House in London to thank the Canadian high commission for their warm hospitality following their trip over Christmas. One day later, on Wednesday 8 January, rumours about the couple possibly moving to Canada begin to surface, which Buckingham Palace initially refused to deny.At 6pm on Wednesday evening, Meghan and Harry announce their decision to relinquish their roles as senior members of the royal family in an Instagram post on @SussexRoyal. Their statement is followed by one from Buckingham Palace describing discussions regarding the move as being at an early stage. It is later understood that the couple did not consult any members of the royal family prior to releasing their statement and the mood at Buckingham Palace was one of disappointment.

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On the other side, they are no longer playing the kind of role in charity and official business they once did. They have been, so far, much less successful in this than Diana was. Their anomalous position means they cant do what they used to do in Britain or the Commonwealth, or at least not so seamlessly in conjunction with the Palace, government and the armed forces.

The Sussexes then find themselves in limbo, and often enough a luxury lifestyle version of purgatory. It all has an air of impermanence about it. The best thing might be for them to live a more modest, anonymous, life, renouncing all their inherited or acquired celebrity. But even if they tried, the world wouldnt choose to forget them, and would always be curious about them. The title of the latest book about them is apt for, in their own terms, they probably never will find freedom.

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The Meghan and Harry drama is just like Brexit theres no cherry picking and itll all end in tears - The Independent

Its time India paid reparations to its Dalits – The Indian Express

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Written by Suraj Yengde | Updated: July 26, 2020 8:55:54 am Representation through reservation is just one way to render justice to the oppressed castes whose labour and dignity were reduced to nothing by the ruling castes of India. (File)

India as a nation owes a huge debt to Dalits upon whose backs its civilisational columns have been raised. Dalit talent, skill and stamina make India one of the most desirable places for outsiders, including the British. Various art forms, literature, music, poetry originate from the Dalit, Adivasi and Shudra worlds. In their inventive genius and performative zeal, the Dalits have hymned and hummed to the rhythms of their tragedies, preserved their culture amidst the torture of untouchability.

They have cried and prayed, protested and fought back. In all of this, they have paved the path for new forms of sensorial experiences.

Almost all the classical Indian art forms have Dalit origins. There are examples of Dalit art being stolen and Brahminised. And to stop the Dalits from reclaiming the same, they were barred from practising and participating in many of the arts.

This eliminated any competitive edge that Dalit talent might have posed. That is why, even today, many classical art events are bereft of Dalit participation.

Even in other innovations, the Dalits have helped science flourish and rationalism take precedence. In their spiritual practices and prayers, the belief in the Almighty is rooted in the essence of enlightenment.

How then do we reconcile our past mistakes of murdering the Dalit existence so as to remedy the situation for future work?

One possible way is to think about reparations, making amends for the wrongs one has done, by paying money to or otherwise helping those who have been wronged. It is one of the means to correct the past and on-going injustices. Reparations can be categorised in three broad types:

Moral reparation: Acknowledgement of past mistakes and seeking forgiveness to establish a healing process for the wounded souls and traumatised minds.

Spiritual reparation: Giving leadership and respect to communities whose attempts at spirituality were declared a crime.

Conditional reparation: This is a reparation in the form of money and material reimbursements. It flows from the social and economic factors that stole the land, labour and value of an entire community.

Reparations are an international demand of colonised countries. The Lancet Commission on Reparations was set up at Harvards Medical School to examine the moral, legal, economic, historical, and political evidence for various global claims to reparations and redistributive justice. Alongside the African Americans, Roma, Caribbean Slavery, victims of Indias caste system were also given a hearing. The Indian case was presented by the economists Sukhadeo Thorat and Amit Thorat.

Reparation facilitates an occasion for the country to come together to reflect on the enormous weight of unpaid labour by the Dalits, who put their sweat and blood to raise the nations economy, from farm to industries. The soul of the country continues to be torn. To stitch it back we need redistributive justice and reparations to piece it together. Redistributive justice in the form of land redistribution and taking into account the toil of Dalit womens wombs.

In the fiestas of protests and justice movements, the Dalits have not yet come around demanding reparations. It is a chance to show a mirror to the society that continues to see anti-Dalit violence and hatred due to its own intrinsic insecurities.

These insecurities have been built over generations. Reparations are an opportunity for us to come together as a nation and help rebuild the broken promise that Independence held out.

Each institution in this country is implicit in this crime of Dalit violence. This has easily transfused into the structures that hold this country together.

Representation through reservation is just one way to render justice to the oppressed castes whose labour and dignity were reduced to nothing by the ruling castes of India.

As a nation, we need to be able to grieve collectively to overcome. This country can mourn for the victims of the Nazi genocide, even the victims of the India-Pakistan Partition, but it becomes hard as stone at the mere mention of atrocities against Dalits.

To change this blatant apathy, we need to start anew. The constitutional promises through reservations and land reforms were one of the few ways for us to get together. But these remain hotly contested. Reparation is one of the most viable ways to secure justice for all.

Suraj Yengde, author of Caste Matters, curates the fortnightly Dalitality column

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Its time India paid reparations to its Dalits - The Indian Express

Consultancy for Ecosystem System Mapping of the Emergency Medical Services within Nairobi Metropolitan Services – ReliefWeb

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Terms of Reference

Ecosystem System Mapping of the Emergency Medical Services

within the Nairobi Metropolitan Services

Background

Malteser International (MI), the worldwide relief agency of the Sovereign Order of Malta for humanitarian aid, works in more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas for people in need, regardless of their religion, origin or political affiliation. Its mission is to provide emergency relief as well as to implement rehabilitation measures and to facilitate the link between emergency relief and sustainable development. Christian values and humanitarian principles of impartiality and independence form the basis of its work in: Relief, Reconstruction & Rehabilitation; Health & Nutrition; Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH); Livelihood & Social Programs and Disaster Risk Reduction. In Africa. MI is active in eight countries: DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Guinea with a regional office in Kampala, Uganda. MI works closely with the government, civil society and the private sector in all the countries.

The German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through MI in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) stakeholders is implementing the Upesi Health Project which seeks to improve emergency medical care with focus on pre-hospital care through promotion of appropriate legislation, enhanced private public partnership, standardized training curriculum, accreditation ,improved coordination of relevant actors and strengthening of systems and associations within Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) emergency services providers.

Project objective: Contribute to a decrease in direct and premature mortality and invalidity due to preventable medical emergencies by improved EMS in Kenya

Outcome 1: Contribution to the development and implementation of appropriate legislation and binding framework for regulation of EMS in Kenya

Outcome 2: Enhanced mechanisms to promote human resource development for EMS in Kenya

Outcome 3: Enhanced Emergency Medical Service System at National and County Governments

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to define the strategic direction of the project through conducting an Ecosystem Mapping of the EMS services within Nairobi Metropolitan Services and further build up to a unified system for EMS in Kenya. The consultant is expected to assess, document and share initiatives that provide new approaches and good practices relevant to a wider scale in the enhancement of Emergency Medical Services in Kenya.

Specific tasks

Define the building blocks for a unified EMS System within Nairobi Metropolitan Services

Identify, define and categorize EMS stakeholders within Nairobi Metropolitan Services and establish an efficient and adaptable linkage and collaboration framework

Define the priorities and strategic next steps within the EMS context in Kenyan

Explore the potential and conditions required for concrete partnerships and scale of EMS in Kenya

Expected Results

The selected consultant/firm will be expected to deliver on the scope of work below:

Timeframe and deliverables

The work detailed in these terms of reference is to be conducted within ten working days between 12th and 25th August 2020. Key deliverables for the assignment include the following:

Review Stages, Deliverables, Timelines

Preparatory Stages

Review and agreement on the technical and financial proposal

ToR (Final) and Final proposal agreed upon by MI

1 day

Inception Stage

Inception: documents review, mapping all stakeholders and key documents

Inception report

2 days

Data Collection Stage

Stakeholders data collection

Draft Report

3 days

Reporting Stage

Compilation/Analysis of the findings/recommendations

Draft documentation of good practices

2 days

MI reviews and feedback

MI responses

1 day

Submission of final assessment reports

Consultant to present final report

1 days

Key Competence

The consultant/firm should have expertise in assessment of EMS and/or public health projects as well as knowledge in the Kenya healthcare system. The team members should have at least 5 years of relevant experience in public health, Emergency Medicine, emergency medical services, rescue engineering, health systems management or another health-related field.

Evaluation

**Technical evaluation criteria (***This shall be weighted at 70%)*

No, Criteria, Score

Qualifications and Professional experience of the team - 30%

Approach and Methodology - 30%

Experience of the consultant/firm - 40%

**Financial evaluation (***This shall be weighted at 30%)*

Maximum number of points will be allocated to the lowest price

Financial Score = (Lowest Bids/ Bids being scored) * 100

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Consultancy for Ecosystem System Mapping of the Emergency Medical Services within Nairobi Metropolitan Services - ReliefWeb

Madrid-based GeoDB smashes Seedrs campaign by 150% with 1.6 million, aiming to reward users for their big data – EU-Startups

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Spanish startup GeoDB has announced achieving a 150% overfunding of its recent Seedrs equity crowdfunding campaign, landing around 1.6 million. Founded in 2018, GeoDB aims to revolutionise the way big data is commercialized, making the system fairer for both users and buyers.

GeoDB is effectively taking on the big data industry as a whole, heading first with a platform that is going to change the way people consume, share and access big data. The team plans to change the rules for both sides with its new blockchain-based data-sharing model. Users consent to share their data anonymously and automatically, making it accessible to buyers who can consume this data together with analytical tools available on the platform. This will make it possible for ordinary users to be compensated for their data generation, in a unique way.

The company is set to return value to its users for sharing data, which will be done via their tokenized platform and to allow data buyers to access trusted, quality and accurate data. The rewards are compensated with tokens that can be converted to crypto, fiat, or on-platform discounts and perks. The team aims to close the gap between data generators and data buyers, therefore solving huge inefficiencies in the industry, eliminating intermediation and allowing faster and frictionless transactions. GeoDB has already attracted an active user base of over 12 million users from 150 countries and established a number of strategic partnerships with the leading industry representatives, such as Grupo Next, Wola and others.

To maximize value and user rewards, GeoDB has deployed targeted apps to collect user data. One example is GeoCash, which captures location data and information about the users mobile device, such as the screen size and operating system, without violating privacy. As reported by the GeoDB team, GeoCash is showing an impressive growth potential generating over 100k active users in more than 50 countries worldwide.

The crowdfunding campaign launched at the beginning of March 2020 has once again proved the effectiveness and the growing demand for their solutions. More than 650 investors have joined the campaign and the results turned out to be outstanding.

The company is now heading to an active business development phase to continue onboarding new strategic partners and building a global presence of GeoDB. The GEO token, which is a representation of datas value in the form of a tradable virtual asset, is already listed on several crypto exchanges and the team is also focused on constantly negotiating with more leading exchanges to provide enough liquidity for the ecosystems participants.

Considering the fact that only 5-10% of the data is being exploited today, GeoDB is taking a step towards a 100% data usage, whereby all the parties within the ecosystem are encouraged by transparency and data efficiency.

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Madrid-based GeoDB smashes Seedrs campaign by 150% with 1.6 million, aiming to reward users for their big data - EU-Startups

Oxford Biomedica Signs Three Year Clinical Supply Agreement with Axovant Gene Therapies for Manufacture and Supply of AXO-Lenti-PD – PharmiWeb.com

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Oxford, UK 31st July, 2020: Oxford Biomedica plc (LSE:OXB) (Oxford Biomedica or the Group), a leading gene and cell therapy group, announced today that it has signed a three year Clinical Supply Agreement (CSA) with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Axovant Gene Therapies Ltd. (Axovant) (Nasdaq: AXGT). The CSA builds on the worldwide license agreement signed between the two companies in June 2018 for the Parkinsons disease gene therapy program OXB-102, now called AXO-Lenti-PD.

Under the terms of the CSA, Oxford Biomedica will manufacture GMP batches for Axovant to support the ongoing and future clinical development of AXO-Lenti-PD, a clinical-stage gene therapy product to treat moderate to severe Parkinsons Disease based on Oxford Biomedicas LentiVector platform. Axovant is currently conducting a Phase 2 SUNRISE-PD trial with AXO-Lenti-PD. Dosing of all patients in the second cohort is completed with 6-month safety and efficacy data expected in the fourth quarter of 2020. OXB expects to manufacture AXO-Lenti-PD in its commercial-scale GMP manufacturing facilities including Oxbox in the UK, and additionally in other OXB GMP facilities as required to ensure security of supply.

John Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Biomedica, said: This new Agreement builds upon our existing worldwide licensing agreement with Axovant and highlights the strengths of Oxford Biomedica's commercial GMP manufacturing capabilities. We are pleased with how the partnership is progressing and excited by the clinical progress to date. The agreement today signals our commitment to the efficient ongoing development of this much needed product for patients with Parkinsons disease.

We are now at a stage in the partnership where we can determine the manufacturing activities and infrastructure required to support the mid and late-stage development of AXO-Lenti-PD in a way which is compatible with later commercialisation and we look forward to this next phase of our partnership.

Pavan Cheruvu, Chief Executive Officer at Axovant Gene Therapies, said: This Agreement with Oxford Biomedica means that together we can continue to advance the development of AXO-Lenti-PD in Parkinsons disease. We are pleased to extend our partnership with Oxford Biomedica, a world leader in lentiviral vector development and manufacturing, as we scale-up AXO-Lenti-PD production to support our Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical studies and enable commercialization of the product. This marks another mutual accomplishment for our Parkinsons disease program where we expect to enroll the first subject in a randomized, sham-controlled trial in 2021.

About Oxford Biomedica

Oxford Biomedica (LSE:OXB) is a leading, fully integrated, gene and cell therapy group focused on developing life changing treatments for serious diseases. Oxford Biomedica and its subsidiaries (the "Group") have built a sector leading lentiviral vector delivery platform (LentiVector), which the Group leverages to develop in vivo and ex vivo products both in-house and with partners. The Group has created a valuable proprietary portfolio of gene and cell therapy product candidates in the areas of oncology, ophthalmology, CNS disorders, liver diseases and respiratory disease. The Group has also entered into a number of partnerships, including with Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi, Axovant Gene Therapies, Orchard Therapeutics, Santen, Boehringer Ingelheim, the UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium and Imperial Innovations, through which it has long-term economic interests in other potential gene and cell therapy products. Additionally the group has signed a Clinical and Commercial Supply Agreement with AstraZeneca for manufacture of the adeno based COVID-19 vaccine candidate, AZN1222. Oxford Biomedica is based across several locations in Oxfordshire, UK and employs more than 550 people. Further information is available atwww.oxb.com

About AXO-Lenti-PD

AXO-Lenti-PD is an investigational gene therapy for the treatment of Parkinsons disease that is designed to deliver three genes (tyrosine hydroxylase, cyclohydrolase 1, and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase) via a single lentiviral vector to encode a set of critical enzymes required for dopamine synthesis, with the goal of reducing variability and restoring steady levels of dopamine in the brain. The investigational gene therapy aims to provide patient benefit for years following a single administration. The SUNRISE-PD Phase 2 trial is ongoing with dosing completed for all patients in cohort 2, with 6 month safety and efficacy data expected in Q4 2020. Axovant expects to dose the first patient in the Part B randomized, sham controlled study in 2021.

About Axovant Gene Therapies

Axovant Gene Therapies is a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing a pipeline of innovative product candidates for debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. Our current pipeline of gene therapy candidates targets GM1 gangliosidosis, GM2 gangliosidosis (also known as Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease), and Parkinsons disease. Axovant is focused on accelerating product candidates into and through clinical trials with a team of experts in gene therapy development and through external partnerships with leading gene therapy organizations. For more information, visit http://www.axovant.com.

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Oxford Biomedica Signs Three Year Clinical Supply Agreement with Axovant Gene Therapies for Manufacture and Supply of AXO-Lenti-PD - PharmiWeb.com

CPI, the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and MicrofluidX announce development of technology to rapidly scale up cell and gene therapy manufacture -…

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London UK, 27th July 2020 CPI, MicrofluidX and the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult) announced today their collaboration in a project to develop bioprocessing technology for the rapid scale-up of cell and gene therapies.

The technology has the potential to overcome a major bottleneck in the development of these novel treatments, and reduce the time and costs associated with bringing such therapies to market.

Significant advances have been made in recent years in the use of cell and gene therapies in disease areas with unmet clinical needs. However, reliable methods are still required to scale up the manufacture of these complex technologies to commercial levels. Cell and gene therapies are produced from inherently variable living cells. As such, it is highly challenging to achieve consistent performance at different scales, which can lead to prolonged development times. In turn, this can significantly raise the cost of these therapies upon entry to the market.

The microfluidic cell culture technology being developed by MicrofluidX will provide manufacturers of cell and gene therapies with fine process control throughout development, ensuring consistent quality. The technology can be used to optimise cell characteristics and growth conditions early in development, before rapidly transitioning to large-scale manufacturing without the need to invest time in redesigning processes. Crucially, using microfluidics greatly reduces the consumption of expensive reagents, cutting down overall development costs. MicrofluidX recently closed an initial funding round raising 1.4 million for its microfluidic platform. The company is now working with CPI and CGT Catapult to secure further funding and validate its prototypes.

CPI is an independent technology innovation centre and founding member of the UK Governments High Value Manufacturing Catapult. CPIs state-of-the-art facilities provide expertise and advanced equipment for developing GMP-compliant bioprocessing technology. In addition, CPI has drawn from its extensive experience in securing public funding to help MicrofluidX secure 500k of grant funding from Innovate UK for development of the microfluidic bioprocessing platform.

CGT Catapult have more than 230 experts in the industrialisation, manufacturing and clinical adoption of cell and gene therapies, and support industry and academic partners to develop and commercialise these transformative medicines. In this collaboration, the organisation will support MicrofluidX to implement, test and optimise the microfluidics platform, utilising the technology and expertise at the CGT Catapult development centre laboratories in London.

Dr Antoine Espinet, Founder and CEO, MicrofluidX, said:

We are excited to be working with CPI and the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult on the development of our innovative microfluidics platform. Our technology will cut the time and costs required to bring cell and gene therapies to market, improving access to these novel treatments.

Lucy Foley, Director of Biologics, CPI, said:

We look forward to working with MicrofluidX, following our successful grant application. This technology could play an important role in the future development of cell and gene therapies, and our expertise in the manufacturing of biologics will help to ensure that the technology is market-ready as quickly as possible.

Matthew Durdy, CEO, CGT Catapult, commented:

We are delighted to be supporting the development of this microfluidic bioprocessing platform, technology which shows significant promise for scaling up cell and gene therapy manufacture. The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult is looking forward to working with MicrofluidX and CPI, innovating together to overcome barriers in the UK industry.

About CPI

CPI works with partners to translate inventions into products and processes that enhance health and wellbeing, protect and improve our environment and increase productivity across industries. With a deep understanding of technology fore-sighting, innovation processes and funding, outstanding technical expertise and industry-relevant assets, we enable the accelerated development of transformational products and processes that have the potential to disrupt and revolutionise markets. We also engage in incremental technological innovation that allows established products and processes to be optimised for better performance and efficient manufacture. Through the breadth of our technology platforms, we support our partners across many diverse markets, including pharmaceuticals, speciality chemicals, food and drink, electronics and transportation. http://www.uk-cpi.com

About the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult

The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult was established as an independent centre of excellence to advance the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry, by bridging the gap between scientific research and full-scale commercialisation. With more than 230 employees focusing on cell and gene therapy technologies, it works with partners in academia and industry to ensure these life-changing therapies can be developed for use in health services throughout the world. It offers leading-edge capability, technology and innovation to enable companies to take products into clinical trials and provide clinical, process development, manufacturing, regulatory, health economics and market access expertise. Its aim is to make the UK the most compelling and logical choice for UK and international partners to develop and commercialise these advanced therapies. The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult works with Innovate UK. For more information please visit ct.catapult.org.uk or visit http://www.gov.uk/innovate-uk.

About MicrofluidX

MicrofluidX is tackling the problems of process control, scalability, and cost associated with cell bioprocessing, in particular for autologous cell and gene therapy. Its automated, closed technology allows biologists to easily carry out process development by running dozens of cell culture conditions in parallel with extreme process control, and to scale up seamlessly up to several billion cells for manufacturing at a fraction of the current costs. https://www.microfluidx.co.uk/

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CPI, the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and MicrofluidX announce development of technology to rapidly scale up cell and gene therapy manufacture -...

Expression Therapeutics Announces Bill Swaney as VP of Manufacturing and the Construction of Cell and Gene Therapy Manufacturing – BioSpace

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ATLANTA, July 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Expression Therapeutics has announced the appointment of Bill Swaney as the Vice President of Manufacturing. He comes to Expression Therapeutics from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center where he was the Director of the Vector Production Facility & Viral Vector Core. Mr. Swaney is an internationally recognized expert in GMP cell and gene therapy manufacturing and has conducted over 70 GMP production runs for academic and commercial clients.

"We are pleased to welcome Bill, a pioneer in cell and gene therapy manufacturing, to Expression Therapeutics. Under his leadership, we now have a complete manufacturing team, making us one of the few biotechnology companies with its own therapeutic pipeline and in-house manufacturing, with the capability to provide CDMO services to commercial clients," said Mohan Rao, Ph.D., CEO of Expression Therapeutics.

Expression Therapeutics has also announced today the construction of a 43,000-sq ft manufacturing facility in Cincinnati, Ohio. The facility will manufacture lentiviral (LV), retroviral (RV), and adeno associated viral (AAV) GMP vectors,with a mix of 30-180 liter runs in cell stacks and up to 1,000 liter runs in bioreactors, and will have the capability to manufacture up to 100 GMP vector products per year. Additionally, it provides the necessary infrastructure to fulfill Expression Therapeutics' ex vivo cell processing and recombinant protein production needs. Expression Therapeutics is using prefabricated PODs from G-CON Manufacturing, Inc. for its ISO Class 7 cleanroom suites.

"We decided to utilize advanced pre-built modular cleanrooms from G-CON to accelerate our buildout and commence vector manufacturing this year. With vector GMP manufacturing backlogs today typically exceeding 18 months, we wanted to bring on additional capacity as soon as possible to serve clients," said Bill Swaney, Vice President of Manufacturing for Expression Therapeutics.

Expression Therapeutics is a biotechnology company based in Atlanta and Cincinnati. The current therapeutic pipeline includes advanced gene therapies for hemophilia, neuroblastoma, T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and primary immunodeficiencies such as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).

For manufacturing inquiries, please contact Bill Swaney at wswaney@expressiontherapeutics.com.

For all other inquiries, please contact:Ashley WalshDirector of Corporate DevelopmentExpression Therapeutics1860 Montreal RoadTucker, Georgia 30084awalsh@expressiontherapeutics.com+1 312.637.2975

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SOURCE Expression Therapeutics

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Navigating Complexity in Oncology Cell and Gene Therapy Clinical Trials – Clinical OMICs News

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As more knowledge is revealed about the genetic underpinnings of cancers, cell and gene therapies (CGT) are playing an increasingly important role in treating oncology patients.

The development of chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T cell) therapiessuch as Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) and Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel)and their success in combating hematological malignancies, has paved the way for a surge in investment in CGT, especially adoptive cellular transfer (ACT), in oncology. While in the beginning, we were somewhat limited to CAR-T monotherapies anchored in single antigen targets for CD19-expressing lymphomas and leukemias, research has grown to include expanded and multi-targeting modalities, including additional adoptive cell therapy immune cell vehicles (e.g. NK cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, CD 4+ T cells, etc.). Therefore, it is likely CAR-T cells may be used as both monotherapy, or in combination with novel agents.

Estimates as of February 2020 suggest there are more than 1,000 CGT trials globally, with nearly 600 of those in oncology. Whats more, recent market intelligence projects the global CGT market will continue to rise at a compound annual growth rate of 36.25 percent between 2019 and 2025. The investment in oncology emphasizes the importance of developing innovative and accelerated ways to deliver CGT trials and address the challenges of scaling to commercialization. As such, the demand for understanding how to solve these challenges will continue to increase over the next decade.

The success of CGT has transformed the delivery of clinical trial services, requiring the design of new workflows, processes, and tools to address the nuances and complexities of how CGT trials are executed compared to traditional trials. As the industry evolves, the next generation of adoptive cellular transfer products will move closer to becoming a front-line treatment, as opposed to being limited to relapsed or refractory patients, and will have improved safety and durability of response. Developing improved investigational products requires the use of laboratory services to better identify targets and biomarkers, such as advancing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and liquid biopsy techniques.

Here, we outline the challenges in designing and executing oncology CGT clinical trials and potential solutions to those complexities.

Challenges in designing and executing CGT clinical trials

Cell therapies are living medicines, with many being autologous, requiring each patient sample to have its own process. This personalization creates a more complex development cycle than other biologic drugs. One of the main challenges in this approach is developing well-defined characteristics or attributes (i.e., cell phenotype of functional measurements) that are well correlated with outcomes for these investigational products, as there are many causes of variability. For example, there may be differences in cells from donor to donor, which can make it difficult to determine which factors drive efficacy and safety. Notably, with CAR-T therapies, significant side effects include cytokine release syndrome (caused by the production of a large number of inflammatory molecules by CAR-T cells) and neurotoxicity, both of which are related to therapeutic efficacy. New characteristic safety profiles could emerge, which need specific considerations on how to manage patients.

Moreover, as biotech companies start to move toward solid tumor targets, the treatment of patients with advanced solid tumors has become more dependent on tissue biomarkers to help guide management decisions. As a result, the ability to obtain tissue for the production or expansion of cell therapies adds another burden. Further, targeted therapies are associated with superior clinical outcomes, but to obtain updated biomarkers and targets, large biopsy specimens are often needed. This is not always feasible, either because lesions are not safely accessible to a surgeon or an interventional radiologist, or because the patient declines further invasive procedures.

Allogeneic therapies, or those using cells from healthy donors, may avoid some complexities of modifying a patients own cells. For example, Gracell Biotechnologies recently presented preliminary results of a first-in-human, universal CAR-T therapy, GC027which targets CD7 on malignant T cellsfor treating adult patients with relapsed/refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The ability to produce hundreds of viable cells for multiple infusions can overcome issues related to the time it takes to manufacture T-cells, costs to generate a product for each patient, failures in the ability to generate a product from a patients immune cells, and the heterogeneity of T-cell products. However, allogeneic approaches will need to circumnavigate challenges in tissue-matching, which means that human leukocyte antigen typing becomes important in many cases, possibly limiting the target population.

Gene editing and other engineered products, such as T-cell receptor (TCR)-engineered T cells, to treat cancer, are entering into safety and feasibility trials. For example, the first clinical trial using CRISPR-Cas 9 editing to engineer T cells in patients with refractory cancer launched in the fall of 2019. These experimental technologies will raise similar challenges as they move forward through early phase clinical trials.

Conclusion

Over the next 10 years, we will continue to witness significant advances and excitement as CGT saves the lives of patients. First, the industry will conquer the challenges created by the tumor microenvironment, opening opportunities to successfully tackle a broader range of solid tumors. Second, new strategies will emerge to improve the manufacturing and delivery of autologous and allogeneic therapies, improving cost-efficiency. These future advances will be assisted by enhanced diagnostic assays and other tests to improve our understanding of targeting and treating cancer.

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Navigating Complexity in Oncology Cell and Gene Therapy Clinical Trials - Clinical OMICs News

Orchard Therapeutics to Webcast Conference Call of Second Quarter 2020 Financial Results – BioSpace

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BOSTON and LONDON, July 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orchard Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ORTX), a global gene therapy leader, today announced that the company will host a conference call and live webcast on Thursday, August 6, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. ET to review business updates and its second quarter 2020 financial results.

A live webcast will be available under "News & Events" in the Investors & Media section of the company's website at http://www.orchard-tx.com. The conference call can be accessed by dialing (866) 987-6504 (U.S. domestic) or +1 (602) 563-8620 (international) and referring to conference ID 7392139. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the Orchard website following the presentation.

About Orchard

Orchard Therapeutics is a global gene therapy leader dedicated to transforming the lives of people affected by rare diseases through the development of innovative, potentially curative gene therapies. Our ex vivo autologous gene therapy approach harnesses the power of genetically modified blood stem cells and seeks to correct the underlying cause of disease in a single administration. In 2018, Orchard acquired GSKs rare disease gene therapy portfolio, which originated from a pioneering collaboration between GSK and the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan, Italy. Orchard now has one of the deepest and most advanced gene therapy product candidate pipelines in the industry spanning multiple therapeutic areas where the disease burden on children, families and caregivers is immense and current treatment options are limited or do not exist.

Orchard has its global headquarters in London and U.S. headquarters in Boston. For more information, please visit http://www.orchard-tx.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Availability of Other Information About Orchard

Investors and others should note that Orchard communicates with its investors and the public using the company website (www.orchard-tx.com), the investor relations website (ir.orchard-tx.com), and on social media (Twitter and LinkedIn), including but not limited to investor presentations and investor fact sheets, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. The information that Orchard posts on these channels and websites could be deemed to be material information. As a result, Orchard encourages investors, the media, and others interested in Orchard to review the information that is posted on these channels, including the investor relations website, on a regular basis. This list of channels may be updated from time to time on Orchards investor relations website and may include additional social media channels. The contents of Orchards website or these channels, or any other website that may be accessed from its website or these channels, shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933.

Contacts

Investors

Renee LeckDirector, Investor Relations+1 862-242-0764Renee.Leck@orchard-tx.com

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Orchard Therapeutics to Webcast Conference Call of Second Quarter 2020 Financial Results - BioSpace

Genprex CEO Participates in a Second-Round Live Interview on the Big Biz Show – Business Wire

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AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genprex, Inc. (Genprex or the Company) (Nasdaq: GNPX), a clinical-stage gene therapy company developing potentially life-changing technologies for patients with cancer and diabetes, today announced that its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Rodney Varner, has participated in a second-round live interview on the Big Biz Show, an emmy-award winning nationally syndicated TV and radio show. A replay of the interview is available for viewing on the Companys website at https://bit.ly/2Esvq05.

During this interview, Mr. Varner discusses:

The Big Biz Show covers current business events, internet-related issues and other hot topics in the business world. The Big Biz Show is seen and heard in over 100 million broadcast TV homes, 150 radio stations in the U.S. and in 175 countries. The Emmy Award winning show was named by TALKERS Magazine as one of the Top 10 Most Influential Financial Shows.

The Big Biz Show can be seen and heard every weeknight on YouTOO America Television Network at 8 p.m. ET, the following morning at 7 a.m. ET, and every weekday on BizTalk Radio at 2 p.m. ET. Additionally, the show can be accessed digitally by visiting BizTVClub.com, where you can watch the Big Biz Show every weeknight at 9 p.m. ET.

To watch Mr. Varners first live appearance on the Big Biz Show in June 2020, visit Genprexs website.

About Genprex, Inc.

Genprex, Inc. is a clinical-stage gene therapy company developing potentially life-changing technologies for patients with cancer and diabetes. Genprexs technologies are designed to administer disease-fighting genes to provide new treatment options for large patient populations with cancer and diabetes who currently have limited treatment options. Genprex works with world-class institutions and collaborators to in-license and develop drug candidates to further its pipeline of gene therapies in order to provide novel treatment approaches. The Companys lead product candidate, Oncoprex, is being evaluated as a treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Oncoprex has a multimodal mechanism of action that has been shown to interrupt cell signaling pathways that cause replication and proliferation of cancer cells; re-establish pathways for apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in cancer cells; and modulate the immune response against cancer cells. Oncoprex has also been shown to block mechanisms that create drug resistance. In January 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Fast Track Designation for Oncoprex immunogene therapy for NSCLC in combination therapy with osimertinib (AstraZenecas Tagrisso) for patients with EFGR mutations whose tumors progressed after treatment with osimertinib alone. For more information, please visit the Companys web site at http://www.genprex.com or follow Genprex on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the effect of Genprexs product candidates, alone and in combination with other therapies, on cancer and diabetes, regarding potential, current and planned clinical trials, regarding the Companys future growth and financial status and regarding our commercial partnerships and intellectual property licenses. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include the presence and level of the effect of our product candidates, alone and in combination with other therapies, on cancer; the timing and success of our clinical trials and planned clinical trials of GPX-001, alone and in combination with targeted therapies and/or immunotherapies, and whether our other potential product candidates, including GPX-002, our gene therapy in diabetes, advance into clinical trials; the success of our strategic partnerships, including those relating to manufacturing of our product candidates; the timing and success at all of obtaining FDA approval of GPX-001 and our other potential product candidates including whether we receive fast track or similar regulatory designations; costs associated with developing our product candidates and whether patents will ever be issued under patent applications that are the subject of our license agreements. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully under the caption Risk Factors and elsewhere in our filings and reports with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. We undertake no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

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The adventure app Randonautica has led users to dead bodies, haunted houses, and other bizarre destinations – Boing Boing

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Living through a pandemic may not feel predictable, but your quarantine routine probably does. However, even beyond lockdown life, the world can be "close to deterministic," according to the Fatum Project theory. "All things in the world are causally connected and everything that happens, including our thoughts, is usually determined by the sum of all environmental factors."

Randonautica is an app that borrows from the Fatum Project's research to break away from the probability-tunnels our everyday choices create. Using a quantum number generator to send users to a set of mysterious coordinates, Randonautica has become a "fully functional reality-tunnel creating machine that digs rabbit holes to wonderland." Perhaps it sounds enchanting, but for some, the trip to wonderland can be unnervingly ominous.

If you're not into quantum physics and philosophy, this may seem like a jumble of nonsense. Maybe you are into quantum physics and philosophy, but it still sounds like a jumble of nonsense. Either way, I'll offer a quick summary of what helped me make sense of some of the internet's "Randonauts" adventures and get to the fun (spooky) stuff.

No matter what choices we make, there are simply some places we can never be because our chain of decisions will never lead us there. The app can measure different magnetic fields around you called voids, attractors, or a pseudo (more on those later). Meshing the physical energy, or lack of it, around you with the power of the human mind can show you something you would never have found otherwise.

Many users of the app have generated trip reports saying they got what they wanted. Before beginning a trip, the app asks the user to "set an intention." Popular intents are somewhat mystical, like "adventure," "peaceful," or asking for some sign from the universe. A large portion of Randonauts say they were led to hidden waterfalls, lush greenery, or did indeed receive a message from the universe.

My intention was "Glitch", kind of looking for a sign to know if the reality we live in is a simulation. Guess I found it. from r/randonauts

More recently, though, the app's adventurous mix of technology and spirituality has taken on a somewhat sinister reputation after @ughhenry posted a video on TikTok of their coordinates leading to a suitcase on a beach with two dead bodies stuffed into it.

Something traumatic happened that changed my life checkkkk @natthecvt ##fyp ##viral ##crime ##murder ##randonautica ##randonauting ##scary ##washington

Creepy, scary, horror, synth, tension - Sound Production Gin

In a live stream after the video was posted, the TikToker reportedly said their intention was "travel" and had chosen an attractor to generate their quantum points. Attractors are areas with dense quantum points and have high human mind-matter interactions. When the video appeared on my TikTok For You Page, I thought the build-up would be anticlimactic. If anything, a hoax, but Seattle police confirmed the app had led the teens to a crime scene, according to Heavy.

The Randonauts Reddit page has existed since March of 2019 and currently has 121,000 members. Since the viral video, Randonautica has gained a tremendous new following, many who have ditched the mystical for the macabre.

In another unsettling video, a young woman's trip report shows her sobbing while explaining that her intention of "death" led her to a man who lay dying in his wife's arms after being shot by the side of the road.

this just happened in aurora colorado. please do not go randonauting, you never know what youre going to come across. ##randonautica

original sound - mykenarae

One user says they went Randonauting on their daily walk and wanted to manifest "something depressing." Along the route they take every morning they suddenly found this:

So I used to Randonautica app again this morning on my walk (same route i take every time), my intention was set on something "depressing". Half hour later I find this graffiti art piece on a wall I walk pass at least 4 times during my normal walk. I've never seen it before. from r/randonauts

A group of friends asking for something creepy came across this worrisome find:

Tried randonauting for the first time yesterday. Intent was creepyand bag. Our coordinates landed in the woods behind an old farm where we found strange rock piles, tires, and a bag that contained about 20 different ids, credit cards and residency cards belonging to different women. Creepy bag?! from r/randonauts

Initially, it would seem the ID cards belong to murder victims, but the Randonaut who discovered them decided they belonged to women using fake IDs as a way to immigrate.

One user believes they came across something paranormal on a night drive to see something interesting. They say that they arrived at a house with a single red light bulb illuminating a tall figure staring at them from the end of the driveway. They say that since then, they have been receiving calls and voicemails from unknown numbers. The app asks that you do not go Randonauting at night.

This Randonauter says they captured evidence of the paranormal (zoom into upper left window):

Intention: ghost from r/randonauts

Some Randonauts have less chilling supernatural finds. This couple asked for something "otherworldly" and arrived at a celestial underground scene:

Set intention for "otherworldly" GPS took us to a point on a very busy street near our house. We heard faint, bizarre music and my boyfriend pointed out the bike path that ran under the road below us. Meandered down to find this! from r/randonauts

This one found God:

First Time - I was looking for God. Took me to the top of a hill overlooking the city and etched deeply in the dirt read Jesus Christ is God hahaha from r/randonauts

Finally, some intentions manifest in the way a tricky genie would make your wish come true.

This Randonaut had the intention of "safe," as in "safety," and was brought to a literal safe:

Intention: safe (as in safety) - it brought me to a literal gd safe from r/randonauts

This couple asked for Ariana Grande:

My Intention: Ariana Grande from r/randonauts

These examples are a tiny portion of the meaningful coincidences and strange happenings the Randonaut subreddit offers.

However, with the increased appetite for the dark side of Randonauting, I've seen multiple stories about some eerie finds such as smashed phones, women's clothing strewn about, children's toys, and sometimes even bones. Another frequent occurrence is users saying the app led them somewhere a disturbing death previously took place. These findings are all in line with what the users said were their intentions.

Some Randonauts are actively seeking something on the dark side, but even those who aren't may manifest something called a "despair meme". Randonautica defines it as "an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person." If a user only sees Randonauting negatively, their mind will take those connections and apply it to their own experiences with the app. This may contribute to the influx of unsettling trip reports.

If you are still skeptical, well, why wouldn't you be? With the clout that comes with a good ole viral video, it makes sense that some users would put out a false narrative. For example, one video showed two young men who say the app led them up a narrow hillside where they could not turn around. When they get out of the truck, a small boulder comes hurtling down the hill to the road. After watching a second time, it became clear that there is a third person behind a tree, chucking the rock down. This post was one of the only ones I could find with others agreeing it was fake. Otherwise, many of the creepier posts have arguments in the comments between believers and skeptics.

If Randonauting manages to break the user out of probability tunnels, chaos theory would say that the one small change can make the system behave entirely differently. The invitation to new possibilities coupled with any synchronicity the human mind could gather offers some validity to much of the Randonauts community trip reports.

It seems to me that where you go Randonauting will also profoundly influence your results. I have tried about 26 times intending to find a stray dog I could adopt and call Chubba or Beef Wellington, but exploring suburban areas doesn't seem optimal for this. Maybe that was also a bit too specific, but I had hope after hearing stories of people finding their new pets with the app.

To generate your trip, Randonautica asks you to choose a void, an attractor, or a pseudo. These types of points influence where you will go and what you will find. A void has a sparse number of quantum points, meaning it does not have much influence by human mind-matter interaction. According to Randonautica, "the more sparse the void, the stronger its power is, and the higher significance it has towards your intention." When I chose to venture towards a void, it would take me to places like Mulholland Drive or hiking trails.

An attractor is the opposite of a void. When I chose trips to an attractor, I would end up at apartment complexes, homes, or other properties I couldn't go in.

Pseudos are a truly random point that has you explore your blind spots. You are also able to choose what type of generator to use. Choosing ANU means a machine at the Australian National University generates numbers based on "fluctuations in the magnetic field of virtual particles in a vacuum." The temporal option provides random numbers generated by a CPU.

I do believe that the truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. Falling down the Randonaut rabbit hole has opened my mind to an alternate thought process that is open to randomness and meaningful coincidences. Perhaps, that in itself invites an entirely new set of possibilities I would never have found otherwise.

[Although the above paragraph was supposed to be my last, I had to send Boing Boing a new bit of last-minute information. After I last went Randonauting Wednesday morning, for my full-figured new pet, a friend reached out to ask if I could foster her Rottweiler, Helga. I said yes.]

Image: @ughhenry / TikTok

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The Irish Times view on Brexit: the risks have not gone away – The Irish Times

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The coincidence of the hit to the economy from Covid-19 and the risk of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union trading regime at the end of year without a deal are, correctly, concerning the Government. Briefing papers drawn up for Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney warn of the difficulty of households and businesses absorbing a second shock, in the midst of the ongoing economic impact from Covid-19. It is a threat, in particular, for rural Ireland.

It is hard to believe that, in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis, we might still be facing a kind of hard Brexit at the end of the year. The UK has already left the EU, of course, but is in a one-year transition period when it remains in the EU trading bloc and many associated agreements continue in place. This all ends on December 31st and the UK decided not to extend the transition period.

Even if there is a deal, there will be disruption for Irish companies trading with the UK, involving new bureaucracy and, initially, quite probably delays and some uncertainty.

For Northern Ireland, a special regime outlined in a protocol agreement has to bed in and there is, as yet, a lack of detail as to how this will operate in practice.

If there is no new trade deal between the UK and EU, the damage to the Republics trade with Britain would be worse and the Northern Ireland protocol will be more difficult to implement.

A lot of work went into planning for a hard Brexit last year, so some preparation has been done. The problem is that since then the economy has been faced a massive economic shock, depleting the resources and leeway in the finances of businesses and some households. As the civil service briefing warned, Ireland is now facing into Brexit from a fundamentally different economic starting point than for a no-deal Brexit in 2019.

While the officials are correct that protecting the 85 billion trade link with the UK is important to our economic future, short-term damage would inevitably worsen in the event of no trading deal being reached.

In particular, the imposition of tariffs on trade, particularly on food products, threaten a big hit to Irish food exporters and higher prices in the shops here. Beef exports, and thus cattle farmers, are particularly exposed.

The Covid-19 crisis is impacting heavily on parts of rural Ireland which, unlike the main cities, do not have many other big employers to soften the blow from losses in tourism and hospitality. Another sector vital to rural Ireland agriculture and food faces the biggest threat from Brexit. We can only hope that, even if late in the day, some kind of Brexit trade deal is agreed which, as the briefing to the Minister concludes, will require movement on both sides, but more particularly from the UK.

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The Irish Times view on Brexit: the risks have not gone away - The Irish Times

‘Brexit can be reversed!’ Whinging Labour MP’s claim UK will rejoin EU laid bare – Daily Express

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The UK left the EU at the end of January this year after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's resounding victory in the 2019 general election. As the country was preparing for a new chapter, Labour MP Ben Bradshaw told German press that the UK will be back. He made the claim just weeks before the UK finally left, signalling that some Remainers hadn't given up the fight. He said in January: Everything is possible. And in politics you should never say never anyway.

Unfortunately, re-entry into the EU is not an issue in the short term.

You just have to take note of the current facts in British politics.

But once the difficult decisions that Brexit brings are on the agenda, the debate will change.

That could eventually lead to full membership again.

Mr Johnson's victory in the 2019 election made Brexit a formality and this led Mr Bradshaw to criticise his former party leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

He blamed Mr Corbyn not just for the election drubbing, but also Brexit.

Mr Bradshaw continued: He is not only responsible for the crashing defeat of the Labour Party in December.

It is also due to Jeremy Corbyn that the 2016 EU referendum was lost.

In the middle of the referendum campaign, he took two weeks off on vacation.

At the time, he was not fully committed to remaining in the EU.

READ MORE:How EU was warned 'you will live to regret appointing Juncker'

Figures in the Labour Party aren't the only people who think the UK could rejoin the EU one day, as prominent leaders in Brussels have made similar predictions.

Former President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker laid out how he believed the UK could reverse Brexit and rejoin the EU.

He made the provocative claim in 2017 as the UK prepared for withdrawal talks, a year after the country opted to leave the EU. Mr Juncker told reporters that he regretted Britains decision to leave but held out hope that it would return in the future.

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He said: I dont like Brexit. I would like to be in the same boat as the British. The day will come when the British re-enter the boat. I hope.

A senior aide later said the option of Britain returning to the EU will always be open and outlined various ways in which it could happen.

They added: There are different ways you can join. You can be a full member, you can be a partner, you can be related to us in the customs union, or through a trade agreement.

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'Brexit can be reversed!' Whinging Labour MP's claim UK will rejoin EU laid bare - Daily Express

Brexit and beyond: trade mark protection strategies in an uncertain global marketplace – Lexology

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Brexit planning for your trade mark portfolio needs to be back on the agenda particularly after the delays caused by coronavirus to get the most cost-benefit out of the current regime, before the end of the transitional period.

This was the message delivered by Womble Bond Dickinson's James Love and Rose Smalley (both Leeds, UK) who, along with WBD colleague Nicholas Hawkins (Baltimore, US), and Scott Schwartz, General Counsel at Dansko, presented at the Association of Corporate Counsel 12th Annual In-house Counsel Conference, which took place virtually on 28 and 29 July 2020.

The topic of their presentation was "Brexit and Beyond: Trademark Protection Strategies in an Uncertain Global Marketplace", and the session included a series of audience polls concerning various issues rights-holders will face for IP protection coming out of Brexit.

It was revealed that 82% of respondents knew that changes were coming to trade mark protection as a result of Brexit, but that they had not put into place any plans to deal with these changes.

Rose noted that these results did not seem all that surprising; in the years since the referendum result, many updates have circulated about the potential impact of Brexit on IP protection but, in recent months (and for good reason) Brexit has taken a back-seat whilst the world grapples with cCoronavirus. Further, James noted that there has been little urgency in putting those plans in place at least not until the recent emphasis by the United Kingdom (UK) government that it does not intend to seek another extension for the trade agreement negotiations.

Attendees surveyed identified a potential loss of rights in the UK as their primary concern arising from Brexit.

James reiterated that, whether or not a trade agreement with the European Union (EU) could be achieved, the UK would unilaterally provide for continued protection in the UK of local rights previously protected under an EU trade mark. This will be done by granting automatically and free of charge a new comparable UK trade mark right after the end of the transitional period. This new right will ensure that rights-holders are given continuing protection in the UK, whilst their EU trade mark registration continues to protect their mark in the remaining 27 member states. James explained the new UK right will inherit the filing (or priority/seniority) date from the EU registration, but will be a wholly independent right, capable of being licensed or assigned separately from the EU trade mark.

Another issue high on the agenda was 'squatters', i.e. third parties who might seek to register a mark in the UK before the EU rights-holder has the opportunity.

As well as receiving a new comparable UK trade mark right in respect of each EU trade mark registration, James noted that applicants for EU trade mark rights (i.e. where the right has not achieved registration by the end of the transitional period) will have a nine-month priority period to file in the UK. This gives legitimate right-holders a longer period than usual (priority claims are normally six months), to prevent squatters from registering conflicting rights in the UK, but does come at the additional cost of applying for a separate UK trade mark.

Rose added that it would be sensible to keep a close eye on how EU trade mark applications are progressing particularly given the delays and backlog that have been caused at the EU Intellectual Property Office (IPO) by closure of its headquarters due to the impact of COVID-19. It is obviously preferable to obtain your EU trade mark registration before the end of the transitional period, in order to avoid the additional UK trade mark filing fees and obtain your comparable UK right for 'free' but this window of opportunity is due to close shortly, given the normal timescales for registration at the EU IPO.

The vast majority of respondents suggested that the UK should adopt international exhaustion after the end of the transitional period, allowing goods to be imported into the UK without restriction.

James noted that the issue of exhaustion is very much still on the negotiating table. The only agreed point is that rights which are exhausted as at the end of the transitional period i.e. rights protecting goods already in circulation in the European Economic Area (EEA) as at that date will remain exhausted. However, this leaves open the issue of exhaustion of rights protecting goods that enter into circulation either in the UK, or the remaining 27 EU Member States after the end of the transitional period.

Rose noted that a model of international exhaustion under which right-holders would be required to justify why genuine goods placed on a market elsewhere (by it or with its consent) should not be permitted to be imported into the UK is generally perceived to be more consumer-friendly, by increasing competition (amongst the right-holders and lawful importers), thereby driving prices down. This would be a significant departure from the regional exhaustion (i.e. free movement of goods legitimately placed on the market in the EEA only) which the EU (including UK) currently operates, but would be in line with the UK's wish to strike out as an open and global trading nation, particularly given pressures from other potential trading partners (such as the US).

Overall, attendees were not in agreement over whether Brexit presented opportunities for the UK, and/or the US, but it was noted that remaining uncertainties are likely a significant reason for the differences in opinion. The overriding message was to "keep calm and carry on" and to start implementing plans now for trade mark protection in the EU and UK.

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Brexit and beyond: trade mark protection strategies in an uncertain global marketplace - Lexology

North-South body meets in Dublin to discuss coronavirus and Brexit – The Irish Times

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The first meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) since before Northern Irelands powersharing administration collapsed is taking place on Friday.

Taoiseach Michel Martin and members of his cabinet will meet the Norths First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill and their colleagues for talks on Covid-19 and Brexit at Dublin Castle.

It allows the new Government and the restored Northern Ireland Executive to converse formally for the first time and exchange views on issues of mutual interest and concern.

This is the first plenary session since November 2016 of a body set up under the Belfast Agreement to deepen co-operation across the island.

The Taoiseach said: I will also take the opportunity to emphasise the Governments full support for preserving and strengthening North-South co-operation and the Governments commitment to ensuring that the New Decade, New Approach Agreement is implemented in full.

The Government is focused on working with the Executive through the North South Ministerial Council to deliver projects that benefit people across the island, including greater connectivity between North and South; investing in the North West region and in border communities and supporting reconciliation as an integral part of the peace process.

Ms Foster is expected to share a platform with the Deputy First Minister in a post-meeting press conference for the first time since a row soured relations between the pair.

Ms ONeills attendance at a veteran republican Bobby Storeys funeral in west Belfast, despite restrictions on numbers due to coronavirus regulations, angered unionists.

Police are investigating possible breaches of social distancing rules by mourners as the cortege was brought through west Belfast.

Ms ONeill has stood by her decision to go to the service but did say sorry to families bereaved during lockdown for any hurt caused by scenes of hundreds of people lining the route. - PA

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North-South body meets in Dublin to discuss coronavirus and Brexit - The Irish Times