Focusing on next-gen comms in the new digital world – KnowTechie

2020 has been a year of an overhaul, bringing all but the most archaic of businesses into the new, digitally-driven world. Figures reported by Inc indicate that only 12% of businessesnow feel they do not need a digital presence, meaning that the vast majority of American enterprises will find themselves online.

This poses a challenge tothe world of communications. Firstly, this is a lot of new business that wants to connect with customers how best is that achieved? Secondly, with a market so heavily saturated, only those businesses who have the best channels internally and externally will net the prize of new custom. Next-gen tech is driving business forward in this regard.

Chief in these innovations is the virtual business both internally and externally. The necessity of conducting business through digital mediums has created a demand for staging and collaboration done entirely through the web. TheHarvard Business Review term this virtual office, and its a new way of thinking and working that is only enabled through cutting-edge comms technology.

Hardware phone systems and call centers simply dont cut it anymore, and in order to have the speed and clarity of communication to be able to speak to colleagues first and then customers after the fact, cloud-based communication systemsare king. The cutting edge of this tech combines several disparate technologies cloud comms, VoIP, and conferencing under one banner. This has already been achieved, but questions remain over the safety and security of these solutions.

There are a few big names in the online comms arena Zoom, Facetime, Skype, and Signal among them. For casual organization, see Houseparty and Jitsi. The problem that has arisen is that half of these services were never intended for the huge scale use they see today, and security flaws have been located and run with on multiple occasions as highlighted by The Guardian.

A big challenge for businesses is finding an affordable solution that also has high levels of security assurance. As a result, businesses are increasingly turning to proprietary and privately developed software to help enable their business comms. This has been to the benefit of both the business and its consumer base.

For inspiration, look no further than Crestron. Lauded by Forbes as one of theoriginal players in office automation, they have, nevertheless, been a minor player since their foundation 30 years ago. However, they are rapidly building interest through their bespoke systems that have been offered to businesses with one huge focus security. Along with factors that other businesses prioritize, such as comfort and quality, they have reportedly put the security factor at the center of their development of new software and hardware.

As long as communications firms continue to follow this trend, theyll help businesses get ahead. The security issues with those most famous video conferencing tools are now well understood and have made an impact on consumer markets. Having systems that are fit for purpose and express a level of assurance that customers can rely on will help businesses to flourish in the hotly contested digital age.

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Focusing on next-gen comms in the new digital world - KnowTechie

This Y Combinator startup aims to be the Zoom alternative for all Indian startups, SMEs – YourStory

Abhishek Kankani, Kushagra Vaish, and Palash Golecha would participate in several coding events and hackathons while at VIT Vellore, much like many other blue engineers and coders before them.

While they landed lucrative jobs after completing their engineering Abhishek (Accenture Analytics), Kushagra (Paypal), and Palash (CloudSek) the trio had decided, if they would ever build a startup, they would do it together.

However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and a dramatic shift to remote working, they realised most of their meetings were not productive and were very tiring.

"We discussed it with each other and realised that it was something that all three of us felt, and we decided to look for a solution. After not finding a platform that offered what we were looking for, we decided to build it ourselves, Abhishek Kankani tells YourStory.

This led them to start Dyte a Made in India video calling platform that allows you to integrate plug-ins (apps) right into your video call. The Delhi-NCR-headquartered startup was founded in September 2020 and has been selected for Y Combinator - Winter 2021 batch.

At present, the co-founders work remotely, where Abhishek works out of Faridabad, Kushagra out of Haridwar, and Palash is based out of Rajasthan.

Kushagra, Founder of Dyte

On Dyte, users can choose from pre-built plug-ins or even build their own set of plug-ins to suit their use-cases. Nearly all the online meetings end up non-productive as most of the time users are watching a screen-share, and the process seems slow and laggy.

Abhishek explains, "We feel that video calls need to be more than what they are right now. You should be able to collaborate right in a call rather than having to move between multiple tabs or even have back and forth meetings for the tiniest things. We help overcome this with a plug-in approach. For example, if you need to have a sprint planning meeting, you can just add a Trello instance to the call and everyone can add their tasks to it right away. This makes such calls more productive. We're also a purely Indian replacement to video platforms like Zoom.

Palash, Founder of Dyte

Dyte has an in-house video calling stack built on top of WebRTC one of the best technologies for video communication that allows the team to customise and include additional features as and when needed.

To use Dyte, users can hop on to the website and can get started. When on the call, users can add a plug-in from the Dyte plug-in store by simply clicking on the plug-ins button present on the bottom right of the call. Presently, it has a Google Drive plug-in, where everyone on the call can view the files and make edits if they have access to the file. It also has WhiteBoard as a plug-in.

The next set of plug-ins will include Chess, Trello, Figma, and Miro Whiteboard.Users can choose the required plug-in, which gets started for everyone present on the call.

We're pre-traction as such, but we have had a simple video calling service running since September 7, and we've had over 6.7K sessions created ever since. It was a friends' and family launch, and now, we see people coming back to use the platform because of its ease of use, as well as the quality of the call even with lower bandwidth, Abhishek adds.

Remote working has transformed the way teams meet and communicate. Owing to this, many startups are entering the video calling space, and US-based Zoom has seen 30X growth in users since the pandemic began.

Other players like Google Meet, GoToMeeting, Bengaluru-based Airmeet, VideoMeet, Jitsi Meet, and MeetFox have also risen to prominence in recent months.

In fact, Airmeet recently raised $3 million in funding to push its offerings in the aftermath of the pandemic that forced widespread event cancellations.

Dytes team says the startups offerings are different as it has the ability to have an entire plug-in on the call, so people will not have to move out of the call. However, its key differentiator lies in the fact that it allows users to create their own plug-ins suited for their needs.

At present, Dyte is in its pre-revenue stage. It plans to launch the Beta version of the application to an initial set of customers and subsequently, work on the feedback received from them.

Abhishek says the startup plans to onboard developers on its "Dyte Developer Programme" to build their plug-ins and make it available to the users.

"Our primary focus is India and the Indian startups in the first phase, and we plan to become the default app used for collaborative meetings, team stand-ups, as well as quick catchup with friends, says Abhishek.

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This Y Combinator startup aims to be the Zoom alternative for all Indian startups, SMEs - YourStory

A summer of solidarity: Looking back on the Black Lives Matter marches in Japan – The Japan Times

Osaka This year will most certainly be remembered for the coronavirus pandemic, which began notably spreading around the world from February, wreaking havoc on economies, industries and, most importantly, people.

Amid the tumult, at the end of May, came a video from Minneapolis that would send shockwaves of its own around the world. The video depicted the attempted arrest and subsequent murder of George Floyd, a Black man who was accused of passing a $20 counterfeit note, after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds.

The video spread to populations that were sequestered indoors due to the pandemic and, in reaction to the injustice, protests followed. In Japan, this resulted in several marches that aimed to bring the issue of racial discrimination to people in this country, leading to the establishment of Black Lives Matter (BLM) movements in several cities.

The Japan Times takes a look back on the movement with some of the organizers, and speculates on how a brush with activism could unfold here in the decade to come.

Though support came from various quarters of Japanese society, these six individuals are among those who devoted a good chunk of their time to organizing and mobilizing their peers to show support for Black people in the United States and Japan, as well as biracial Japanese citizens and members of other minority groups.

For the future: A young girl holds up a sign at Black Lives Matter solidarity march near Yoyogi Park in Tokyo on June 14. | RYUSEI TAKAHASHI

Rino Fujimoto, 19, is the founder of bilingual Instagram account hanasou.jp, which introduces BLM and other progressive issues in Japanese and English. She is currently living in Houston.

Michele Keane, 34, is a Jamaican-born artist who recently graduated from Kyoto University of Art & Design. Her stop-motion short film, Tamrind, is a commentary on diversity.

Athena Lisane, 31, was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is an organizer for BLM Fukuoka. She has lived in Japan for seven years.

Paul Richardson, 46, is a musician who goes by the stage name Paulie Rhyme, an educator and a father, based in Aichi Prefecture.

Jaime Smith, 25, was born in Maryland and is the vice chairperson of BLM Tokyo. She has lived in Japan for nearly four years.

Ayana Wyse, 34, was born in New York and is an organizer for BLM Kansai, as well as the founder of the Black Creatives Japan collective. She has lived in Japan for more than nine years.

The moment when a person moves from the passive taking in of information to active attempts at support differs for everyone. We asked our six interviewees what that moment was for them.

Michele: Im not sure if there was one particular moment. When I first learned of the sheer number of police shootings happening in the U.S., I was in my final year of university and they partially influenced me in making my film. When I heard about the BLM Kansai march, I knew I had to go.

Rino: The initial reason I began making my own BLM posts on Instagram was because of the lack of coverage and information that Japanese speakers had access to. This isnt just an American fight. I believe the disconnect Japanese people have with the movement is a result of ignorance, miseducation and anti-Blackness within our own community. I hope to provide more accurate translations and information, as well as discussion and application in the long run.

Paul: Seeing that there were two marches in Tokyo, I thought that there should also be some sort of event or march in Nagoya. I felt like not having one in Nagoya would be doing a disservice to the area.

Jaime: I was planning on joining the smaller solidarity march initially being planned by Sierra Todd in Tokyo after the murder of George Floyd. When it became apparent that it was going to become bigger, I accepted her offer to lead a volunteer graphic design team to create material leading up to the march.

Ayana: After years of watching the movement on the internet it was during the beginning of the pandemic that when I began to pay even more attention. The marches and the protests this past summer got bigger and more international. Once I saw a couple of friends online make a poll asking if people would want to have a march in Osaka, that is when I decided to step up and be more involved with spreading awareness in Japan.

Athena: I always had the desire to be a part of the BLM movement, but Id already moved to Japan maybe six months after it was established. Id participated on a much smaller scale in other socio-political marches, but this was the first time I did anything on such a grand scale, let alone being a figurehead of said demonstration.

Specific to BLM Fukuoka I grew increasingly restless and began looking for opportunities to march in my area but there were none. By the time I couldnt stand to wait anymore, Id seen that Tokyo and Osaka had made their moves and it was time Fukuoka made its move, too. And since no one else was willing, I stepped up. I knew I was capable. God gave me two good legs and thus I must walk.

Speaking up: The Black Lives Matter marches in Tokyo resulted in high turnout, as did rallies held in other major cities in the country. | RYUSEI TAKAHASHI

After BLM organizations sprung up and organized several successful and peaceful marches in cities across Japan, have those actions led to any change in perception among the public here in Japan?

Ayana: People are becoming more aware but to me it is a tiny circle of Japanese people who truly understand it. Im happy to see that news outlets here wanted to broadcast our marches. So I hope we can continue to positively influence change, but it is difficult since we are foreigners. The Japanese nationals are the ones who really need to open their eyes and want it.

Athena: At this point, I dont feel theres any visible change. However, it didnt exist at all before, so its progress. I think it sent a chill down the spine of Japan. Seeing that America has a sordid and repetitive history of racism, marginalization and outright violent response to Black and Brown bodies was an affront of sorts to Japan, forcing them to have a small amount of introspection.

Paul: I believe that the marches brought like-minded people together and sparked some much-needed dialogue between the various foreign and Japanese groups. I also felt like underlying issues of how other minority groups (especially mixed-race Japanese people) and refugees are treated here gained more traction.

Jaime: There has been a change in that a conversation that was barely being had in Japan has become mainstream. BLM Tokyo and other grassroots organizations have held bilingual talks and webinars that have been attended by many. Naomi Osakas U.S. Open masks were constant news. NHK created segments about Black Lives Matter and the experience of Japanese-Black youth in Japan. Nike recently came out with a commercial not only about Black discrimination, but discrimination and bullying in Japan in general.

Michele: I dont really know how big the change is on the ground but there are little things that have happened that suggest something is changing albeit very slowly. For instance, the new Miss Japan being half black and the runners up also being mixed is something I never saw coming at all (not that I keep up with beauty pageants). Also the inclusivity that is slowly increasing in media makes me smile on the inside. I dont know if that has anything to do with what people have done or said here but I sure hope it has!

Also Id like to think people are becoming more aware of the fact that they dont exist in a bubble

Rino: The rise of international coverage of the BLM movement has facilitated conversation about racial topics, even in Japan where there might not be as much open exposure to racial division. I hope the momentum that the movement has gained will continue on as we approach a new year.

The United States held a presidential election in November and on Dec. 14 it was officially acknowledged that Joe Biden will become the new president in 2021. Do our interviewees believe that things will change under a Democratic administration?

Michele: I couldnt watch the debates, personally. As bad as this may sound, it felt farcical. But I was hoping for anything but Donald Trump partially because of how divided hes made the U.S. and partially because of the danger he poses to the rest of the world environmentally, especially as it relates to small island countries like my own.

Im not sure really if there will be any change. I dont particularly trust politicians and honestly we can only wait and see. I do think its quite amazing that the vice president-elect (Kamala Harris) is a Black woman. That is a huge first, and I love that.

Rino: Bidens victory in the U.S. was a celebratory event for many. Trumps presidency represented someone that should have never been given authority. That said, Bidens presidency wont be the solution that will fix everything. This election has further highlighted the ills of the lesser of two evils in politics and the corruption of both the Republican and Democratic parties.

Athena: There is no reason that the margin should have been as small as it was. For that reason, I believe very little will change. Just like (Barack) Obama, Biden is a centrist Democrat. Middling politics have won Democrats nothing in the fight for a more socially conscious government, but its almost always what Democrats choose as the candidate of choice.

Ayana: Joe Biden may have done good things in the past, but he seems to miss a lot of what the younger generation wants and needs. I can only hope he doesnt cause more damage. As for U.S. citizens, we need to weed out the politicians who have no intentions of improving the livelihood of the people. The president is not the only one to make change.

Get the message: The march in Tokyo on June 6 wound through bustling Shibuya Ward. | RYUSEI TAKAHASHI

Where do we go from here? Its a question most organizers ask of themselves after their first big achievements. At a time when the world is engulfed in uncertainty, what do our six interviewees think people should do next?

Paul: Well, my plan is to live in Japan for the long term, so I would love to see it be more open and welcoming to long-term residents. I would love to see more people having opportunities to open up businesses and create community in a way that encourages more people from all walks of life to come here and stay.

A city or towns that are welcoming to helping foreigners get established, own property, start businesses in Japan that would be the dream.

Michele: I am hoping to see more tolerance of others as a society. And on an individual basis I just want people to stop being awful to each other, especially on the internet. I try to be the best me I can be. Maybe we should all just listen to a whole lot of Bob Marley as well, I advocate that.

Rino: The fight is not over and it wont be over any time soon. I believe the best we can do is to continue the movement and not let it become a thing of the past. That means still showing up at protests, donating, sharing and, most importantly, constantly educating yourself. For Americans, dont be satisfied by Bidens win. Your allyship doesnt stop at voting. For Japanese people, it not only means supporting BLM overseas but also applying it to Japan. Japan has a long way to go, especially when it comes to combating racism and xenophobia.

Jaime: Its hard to say what the next steps are for people around the world because it is vast and diverse with different issues depending on where you are. I think people will have to become comfortable with facing some discomfort. If your response to someone pointing out bullying, discrimination or racism is, This makes us look bad. Other countries have these problems too. Why would you talk about this? Then, youre missing the point.

Athena: For every nation, seeing whats considered the ultimate mixture of different creeds, races, religions, etc., fail so spectacularly should make them immediately think about how this applies to them at home. What darkness lurks in the annals of your countrys history? What people are consistently oppressed where youre from? Do you do anything to alleviate that pressure? Are you a part of that discriminatory system?

For the Japanese, its addressing their treatment toward the Ainu, the Burakumin and the now third-generation Koreans living in Japan due to displacement and kidnapping during World War II. Japan is quick to say theres no discrimination in Japan, but Japanese people often fail to empathize beyond their own personal experiences. Stop worrying about what the man to your left and the woman to your right are doing; act for yourself so that you dont present a lie to the world or yourself. If you know something is wrong, say something. If you have the power to help, do it. If you can end an unjust attack, stop it.

Ayana: There needs to be a revolution of some sort. I dont know how but Id like to see some radical change for the better. I just want to see more empathy, compassion for others and programs to help people live in this world happily. There should be equity. There should be enough food for all. There should be shelter. We are all humans. I dont understand why some need to make others suffer.

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A summer of solidarity: Looking back on the Black Lives Matter marches in Japan - The Japan Times

Black Lives Matter has brought a global reckoning with history. This is why the Uluru Statement is so crucial – The Conversation AU

History has been brought to the forefront in 2020. We have witnessed not only a once-in-a-century pandemic, but also a global protest movement for racial justice following the death of a Black man, George Floyd.

Such protests have happened before, but not with this immediacy or level of intensity. The Black Lives Matter movement garnered support in at least 60 countries across all continents bar Antarctica.

Floyds death epitomised the power and violence of colonialism and slavery, reminding us their legacies are all too real.

And the Black Lives Matter movement has catalysed a reckoning with history. Activists have toppled celebratory statues of white slave owners and exploiters, and forced a global discussion of how we remember and repair histories of racial prejudice and colonialism.

For the Black poet Benjamin Zephaniah, this is not just about tearing down statues. It is about being honest.

The uprisings we see [] are happening because history is being ignored and ultimately, its all about history.

His view is that Black people will not be respected until their history is.

This reckoning with history has been palpable in Australia, too. The pandemic scuttled the costly re-enactment of Captain James Cooks voyage to the Pacific in 1770 to mark the 250th anniversary.

And as Black Lives Matter protests erupted in Australian cities, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia should not import them, that there was no equivalence here. He declared Australian history slavery-free.

Historians and commentators were quick to correct him. Not only had there been slavery in Australia, but Australia has a long history of police violence toward Indigenous people.

Read more: Explorer, navigator, coloniser: revisit Captain Cooks legacy with the click of a mouse

We share a history of Black resistance to white oppression, too. A century ago, Indigenous activists joined a Black nationalist movement around the globe fighting for racial equality and self-determination in the context of police brutality, powerlessness and racism. That protest never ended.

Floyds well-publicised death amplified the systemic racism Indigenous people face every day, particularly in the justice system.

The family of David Dungay Jr, a Dunghutti man who died in jail in 2015, have been fighting over years for justice. The Black Lives Matter movement shone a light on his death, as well as the more than 430 other Indigenous deaths in custody since a royal commission on the issue delivered its report in 1991.

It is little wonder that, as we leave 2020, Indigenous leaders speak of changing the narrative of the nation and remind us of the gift of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, now over three years old.

The statement made First Nations sovereignty the foundation for a fuller understanding and expression of Australian nationhood. And history was critical to its formulation. Truth-telling preceded the call for reform at the First Nations National Constitutional Convention in 2017 and was placed on the agenda by the participants themselves.

This should not be surprising. Stories have always shaped relationships in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. They speak to connections between language, culture and land, influence behaviour and serve as a roadmap for living.

This is why story is at the centre of the Uluru Statement. As Galarrwuy Yunupingu argues in his essay Rom Watangu, which was submitted with the Referendum Councils final report on the deliberations at Uluru, storytelling and songlines are the bedrock of Aboriginal law, sovereignty and identity.

It is through the song cycles that we acknowledge our allegiance to the land, to our laws, to our life, to our ancestors and to each other.

The Uluru Statement is meaningless outside this context.

Read more: The Uluru statement showed how to give First Nations people a real voice now it's time for action

The Uluru Statement consists of three parts: the central frame of the statement, the history it contains, and the surrounding artwork.

Created by a senior Anangu representative, Rene Kulitja, the artwork depicts two creation stories of the Anangu, traditional custodians of Uluru.

The first is of two snakes, Kuniya, a female python, and Liru, a poisonous snake, who create the landscape of Uluru in the context of a fight at Mutijula spring.

The second is of the Mala people, represented by the prints of the rufous-hare wallabies. They were holding a ceremony on top of Uluru and became involved in an altercation with men from the west. Those men created Kurpany, the Devil Dingo, whose prints are also on the canvas.

The Referendum Councils final report synthesised the Australian nationhood story in three parts, all characterised by ancestral journeys:

the discovery of the continent by ancient tribes who established one of the worlds oldest and most enduring civilisations

the establishment of the colony of New South Wales by the British in 1788

and the migrants who have journeyed across the seas since then to make the continent home.

The task for us is to understand and weave all sides of the story together, including the spectacular achievements of Indigenous peoples and, as the report describes it, the post-colonial years

replete with triumph and failure, pride and regret, celebration and sorrow, greatness and shame.

At a time when history is so contested, part of the gift of the statement is that it allows us to rethink historys purpose.

The Indigenous participants at Uluru understood what the British historian, EH Carr, did. History, he said, is not about facts alone.

The facts [] are like fish on the fishmongers slab. The historian collects them, takes them home and cooks and serves them.

Rather, history is about interpretation, negotiation, subjectivity and complexity. It is a dialogue between past, present and future, acknowledging contested versions of the past which are ongoing, stories that are told and retold.

It is impossible to imagine the Uluru Statement without the artwork the story that frames it. Its composition suggests that Kuniya and Liru bring the statement into being, as a new truth not replacing, but reimagining the old.

Read more: Instead of demonising Black Lives Matter protesters, leaders must act on their calls for racial justice

But truth-telling is not just about recounting history alone. It is about acknowledging The Law that was violated by dispossession but endured. Yunipingu reminds us that history and law are the foundation for social and cultural responsibility and governance.

The generosity of First Nations people is their willingness to share their stories. Those of Kuniya and Liru are powerful reminders that in writing our history, we create the landscapes we share and leave inscriptions of the past for the future.

The Uluru Statement provides an opportunity to bind law, history and politics anew. Situating Indigenous sovereignty as the basis of a fuller expression of nationhood is about recognising the myriad songlines of Australian history. Acknowledging this truth enables others.

Indigenous people have been gifting non-Indigenous society for a very long time. There is a political vision in such acts of rapproachment: a new relationship that recognises Indigenous sovereignty as the basis of redefining and retelling the stories of the nation.

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Black Lives Matter has brought a global reckoning with history. This is why the Uluru Statement is so crucial - The Conversation AU

New WA Black Lives Matter Alliance agenda aims for ‘liberation’ – KUOW News and Information

A statewide coalition is calling on lawmakers to address racism as a public health crisis in Washington state.

Members of the Washington Black Lives Matter Alliance say their legislative agenda is the next pressing step after this summers protests for racial justice.

The new alliance is a non-partisan coalition linked to Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County, but with steering committee members in the Tri-Cities area, Ellensburg, and Spokane as well.

It calls for celebrating Black culture, promoting economic freedom, and prioritizing the physical and mental health and safety of Black people. Also, honoring treaties because Indigenous sovereignty and Black liberation are intertwined.

Steering committee member Andrea Caupain Sanderson is also the CEO of Byrd Barr Place, a social service nonprofit in Seattles Central District. She said the Alliance established its priorities around enhancing the health, wealth, and well-being of Black people and communities through ongoing Zoom calls this fall.

We are creating a vision of a Washington state that we need by working cooperatively, she said. It made sense for us to consolidate and build this unified agenda that spoke to the range of experiences of Black folks across our state.

Caupain Sanderson said shes undaunted by legislators warnings that the upcoming session beginning Jan. 11, 2021 will pass fewer bills than normal since it will be held remotely.

Never you mind how many bills or how little bills get passed we want to upend how that process works, she said, by helping their supporters become civically engaged.

She said those people have stories of resiliency to tell lawmakers.

We are doing this by us and for us, she said We know theres a reckoning that needs to happen, and were talking across all 39 counties in Washington state.

For her part, Caupain Sanderson said shell be most focused on increasing food access and rental assistance to people at or below the poverty line in the wake of the pandemic. She said Byrd Barr Place is seeing lots of new clients as people seek help after job losses and other impacts of the pandemic.

We were seeing, before the pandemic, 500 households per week in our food bank. Now were seeing 800 per week and were projecting that to go up to 1,100 by February.

She said 42% of their clients are Black.

HyeEun Park is a senior policy analyst with the Alliance. She said its not clear how many items on their agenda will translate into legislation in the next session. But she said members of the Senate Law and Justice Committee have signaled their interest around proposals related to the court system.

Weve had really good conversation with many different legislators, Park said. We are cautiously hopeful, given the restraints on the session and logistics of carrying out an all-remote session.

She said that while traditional in-person days for advocacy on specific issues in Olympia will be replaced with calls to action via social media, the Alliance will help Black people from around the state talk about their lived experience in advocating for these priorities.

We really are hoping to galvanize," Park said. "To take that energy we saw over the summer with people out on the streets shouting, demanding for change.

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New WA Black Lives Matter Alliance agenda aims for 'liberation' - KUOW News and Information

Black Lives Matter 757 organizing toy drive and distribution – WAVY.com

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) This holiday season, a local organization more known for its activism is making sure kids have gifts under the tree.

The president of Black Lives Matter 757 says they really want to do something positive for the community this year. The organizations members acknowledge that 2020 has been a crazy year, so a toy drive and distribution is a way they can give back to the community and spread some holiday cheer.

Just delivering a smile now because, like I said, 2020 was rough, said Japharii Jones, president of Black Lives Matter 757. We just want people to smile, we want to bring something positive back to the 757.

To deliver those smiles, the organization is playing Santa and is collecting toys for kids who may not have a lot under the tree.

Its very crucial that we fulfill that need, Jones said.

Over the weekend, the group set up inside of the Patrick Henry Mall in Newport News. Jones says they collected toys and spoke with people walking by.

If people do have issues, we want them to feel comfortable contacting us and letting us know and we will do whatever is in our power to solve it in some way, shape, or form, said Jones.

Also, its not just about political activism, they want to show that they care.

Were more than protesters, you know, we are trying to build a community, Jones said.

That shared spirit is another reason they are collecting toys.

It just brings joy to kids and at this point, we really feel that like that should be the main focus: the children, said Jones.

They plan to collect gifts at area businesses throughout the week, and then drive them into specific neighborhoods early next week.

The areas hardest hit by gun violence and the type of misfortune that seems to be ignored, Jones said of where they will take the gifts.

Also, BLM 757 doesnt want distance or a lack of transportation to stop any child from getting a gift.

We feel its more important for us to take it directly to the neighborhood because some people dont have transportation, some people just cant get there, some people hear about it late, said Jones. So we want to make sure the people that need it are getting it.

You can find more information on their website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

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Black Lives Matter 757 organizing toy drive and distribution - WAVY.com

Black Lives Matter Protests Spur Creation of Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice – Rutgers Today

A $15 million Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant funds work led by executive director Michelle Stephens

Michelle Stephens believes that society needs to redefine what it means to be human to finally begin to dismantle racism and enact policies that correct long-standing inequities.

That is the challenge she is ready to take on as the founding executive director of the new Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice at Rutgers.

It all comes back to how we are thinking about ourselves and others. The need to redefine the concept of being human and movetoward global racial justice begins by understanding and addressing the ways we resist recognizing people who live under different circumstances than our own, said Stephens, a professor of English and Latino and Caribbean studies in the School of Arts and Sciencesat Rutgers University-New Brunswick. The problems we are facing today from impoverishment to COVID-19 require a different way of thinking.

Stephens is steering the work of the new institute, funded through a $15 millionfive-year grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, that will bring together scholars from across the university to use humanistic theories, methods and approaches to study global issues of race and social justice.

It will be a space, she said, where faculty can work to evaluate the past in order to address the embedded issues of the present and determine how we can create a more racially just future.

The hope here is that by drawing upon expertise across all fields of the humanities, from law to language, from philosophy to history and gender studies, the institute will stand at the forefront in helping to inform policies to confront and address global inequity, injustice, racism and intolerance, said Stephens, the former dean of humanities at Rutgers-New Brunswick. It will also be accomplished through artistic and cultural endeavors that encourage imaginative solutions for influencing public opinion and inspiring cultural transformations.

Stephens, who migrated to the United States at 18 from Jamaica, West Indies, to attend college, received her doctoral degree in American studies from Yale University where she first met Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway. At the time he was a few years ahead of her earning his doctoral degree in history.

The author of several books on race and how it is culturally portrayed and a licensed psychoanalyst, Stephens teaches courses in African American, American, Caribbean and Black Diaspora literature and culture.

She has been at Rutgers since 2011. During her tenure as dean of humanities, Stephens saw that there were a number of scholars researching and working in global Black thought studying the racism and discrimination that dehumanize Black and brown peoples around the world, depriving them of their dignity, security and even their lives. But they were doing the work on their own in their individual silos.

Then came the killing of George Floyd in May, followed by the Black Lives Matter protests that continued into the fall in the United States and throughout the world. The events highlighted the need to bring together the work of these scholars to address the systemic issues that led to this moment of racial reckoning, Stephens said.

While Stephens had lived through the killings of Black men and women by police before, this past summer she was forced to view the racially motivated violence through the eyes of her 18-year-old daughter, a first-year student at Rutgers University-Newark.

Stephens worried about how her daughter, who took up the BLM mantel and participated in the protests, would feel proud, ashamed or scared about what it means to be Black, in this place and at this time. Stephens wanted her daughter to feel empowered, not helpless.

If for no one else, I feel an urgency to show her that thinkers and writers and scholars can also be activists whose values and commitments can do real work in the world in influencing how others think, and what they feel compelled to do, for racial justice, said Stephens, who credits Holloway for making the institute a reality.

Stephens reached out to Holloway when she learned he had information about the Mellon Foundation grant. I knew there was a wealth of scholars at Rutgers working in the area of racial and social justice, and that similar work was being done by scholars and thought leaders at Camden and Newark, Stephens said. I wrote a proposal that he really liked and thought that we should move forward.

With seed money in hand, Stephens and a team of Rutgers scholars will begin surveying the work that is being done across all university campuses, and build an infrastructure where scholars can interact with the public on important issues ranging from K-12 education, social justice, policy reform, public health and criminal justice.

The institute and its leadership team overseen by the universitys executive vice president for academic affairs, Prabhas Moghe will support the recruitment, retention and mentorship of faculty at all Rutgers campuses and create a diverse and inclusive postdoctoral fellowship program of early career academics in the fields of social and racial justice studies.

While racist ideologies will provide a strong starting point for the new institute, other discriminatory practices based on social class, caste, gender, sexuality, religion, ability and language that occur andlead to segregation and disenfranchisementwill also be studied.

We will encourage the study of the geographic and historic links between the global and the racial, with the aim of intervening in national and local conversations about racial justice, said Stephens. This is not simply a black-white thing.' Racialist thinking crosses national lines, links with other modes of oppression and injustice, infuses almost all of our social institutions, and most disturbingly, forces us to question the notion of humanity our societies are actually defined by that could authorize such acts of violence and hatred without cause against a human being defined as other.

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Black Lives Matter Protests Spur Creation of Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice - Rutgers Today

Asking the Clergy: Black Lives Matter movement and Kwanzaa – Newsday

Kwanzaa, the African-American history and cultural festival celebrated from the day after Christmas through Jan. 1, originated during the late 1960s Civil Rights era, and it once again will be observed at the close of a year marked by demonstrations against the oppression of Black Americans. This weeks clergy discuss how the Black Lives Matter movement will both inform and enrich Kwanzaas message, as Long Islanders of diverse creeds, racial and ethnic backgrounds follow its traditions while sheltering at home.

The Rev. Natalie M. Fenimore

Minister of Lifespan Religious Education, The Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock

In these cold, dark winter nights our traditions call us to come together for warmth, comfort and community. Our faith is strengthened as we realize that we are not alone. While Hanukkah and Christmas are religious celebrations, they include distinct cultural traditions. Kwanzaa is not religious but a celebration of African American culture. As a home-based cultural practice, pluralist and accessible to Black people of all faiths, Kwanzaa is welcome in these times of sheltering at home.

Kwanzaa was conceived and developed during the Civil Rights and Black Power movements of the 1960s and is now celebrated alongside the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black Lives Matter movement can bring new focus for those practicing Kwanzaa. During this time when Black people are being killed and these deaths mourned and protested, Kwanzaa can give spiritual grounding and provide quiet reflection. Kwanzaa rituals can build a healing space for those experiencing racial trauma. Resilience and strength can be gained by celebrating Black survival and creativity. Kwanzaa is a ritual expression that Black lives matter.

The Rev. Henrietta Scott Fullard

Presiding elder (retired), Long Island District, African Methodist Episcopal Churches

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Kwanzaa has always been a reminder that African Americans can still celebrate our heritage and traditions even in the midst of struggles and hardship, trials and injustice. Racism has led to a lack of employment opportunities, unequal educational resources and many other manifestations of hatred imposed on the lives of Black Americans.

Celebrating Kwanzaa, beginning the day after Christmas, reminds us that Christ himself was born during times of oppression and vexation of Gods children. Kwanzaa reminds African Americans who we are as a people, that we are descended from a great African civilization, and that in spite of the trials that we go through, we can still feel a spirit of oneness, kindness and true fellowship.

Our ancestors struggled as slaves and then as sharecroppers and were prevented from enjoying all of Americas freedoms. Kwanzaa gives us the confidence to express our feelings about those injustices as it unites our spirits and our hearts. As the Black Lives Matter movement helps us to move forward in our goal of confronting and ending racial injustice, Kwanzaa offers a moment to stop and celebrate ourselves, our vision and our dreams for the future.

The Rev. William F. Brisotti

Pastor emeritus, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Roman Catholic Church, Wyandanch

Kwanzaa is a holiday born of the experiences of people of African ancestry in the United States of America, but the observance has a message of solidarity for everyone. It is an annual "rebooting" and reconnection with purpose, which we all need right now.

Black Lives Matter arose amid the specific challenges of injustice faced by Black people in the United States, but it helps us come closer to understanding the meaning of the words, "All men are created equal," in our Declaration of Independence, beyond the limited perceptions of race and gender of our nations founders.

We all need Kwanzaa, which proclaims the dignity of every human, based in the seven principles of Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith. Its a celebration of family, community and culture, helping us appreciate our own and others families, communities and cultures. It celebrates true human solidarity. We must learn that whatever is not good for all, is not really good for any exclusive designation of "us."

Kwanzaa facilitates communication of vision, common interest and collaboration, smoothing the hurtful cutting edges between unnecessarily polarized camps in favor of the common good.

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS youd like Newsday to ask the clergy? Email them to LILife@newsday.com.

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Asking the Clergy: Black Lives Matter movement and Kwanzaa - Newsday

Black Lives Matter Backlash: The NYPD’s War on Protesters Intensifies – The Indypendent

Read This is how You Stymie a Movement for a catalog of recent protest arrests made with excessive force.

On the evening of September 17, a group of 60 immigrant rights protesters left Foley Square in lower Manhattan heading toward the 9/11 Memorial. They were trailed closely by 50-60 police officers including 11 white shirts lieutenants, captains and inspectors who were ready to rumble.

When the protesters turned onto Broadway, they were chased down and tackled in the street by the police within 10 minutes of having set out. Shortly after, protesters were kettled in front of the 9/11 memorial, where additional police units showed up: 50 additional riot cops, bike cops, plain-clothed officers, detectives and a helicopter.

Tameer Peak, a Black Lives Matter organizer, was filming live on Instagram when the cops pulled him from the sidewalk into the street. He soon found himself face down on Broadway with a half dozen police officers piling on top of him as they put him under arrest.

They kept trying to rip my fucking arm off, Peak recalled. One put his fucking foot in my back. Its ridiculous to even think that you cant walk on the sidewalk and record them.

Following the videotaped murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in late May, massive Black Lives Matter protests erupted across New York City. They continued a near daily basis over the next month. The NYPD was frequently overwhelmed and, like many other embattled police departments across the country, responded to protests against police violence with more violence shoving peaceful protesters to the ground, clubbing them with batons, driving police SUVs into crowds, kettling protesters and then arresting them en masse even when they tried to comply with police orders.

Here in New York, large Black Lives Matter protests subsided by the end of June. At about the same time City Council approved an annual budget that pretended to cut $1 billion from the annual police budget while doing no such thing. The media spotlight moved on.

Since then, protests for racial justice and other progressive causes have still been taking place in the City, usually multiple days of every week. But they are much smaller, averaging 50-200 participants, and present little to no threat to public safety. Yet, over the past four months, an Indypendent investigation has found that on at least 18 occasions peaceful protesters have been violently attacked and/or arrested by police (See sidebar). These crackdowns receive fleeting coverage at most and are invariably treated as one-off incidents not as a part of an ongoing pattern of police repression.

These smaller protests are valuable for movements because they help build confidence and cohesion within and between groups and help prepare the soil from which larger protests and widespread grassroots organizing will spring in the future. When they are violently driven from the streets and participants are deterred from joining in future protests, the whole point of having a First Amendment right to protest is short-circuited.

While the September 17 incident is emblematic of the violence the NYPD has directed at protesters, they have other ways to intimidate and disrupt. On a number of occasions, an overwhelming number of cops have shown up at even the smallest of protests and made them look more like crime scenes than the sight of First Amendment-protected dissent.

This is the new status quo, a NYPD community affairs officer told The Indypendent when 25 cops including a white-shirted commander engulfed a peaceful Nov. 13 sidewalk protest by 20 32BJ SEIU union members outside the downtown Brooklyn office of City Councilmember Stephen Levin.

The protesters, who are security workers at privately-run homeless shelters, were demanding that Levin co-sponsor bills that would bring their wages and benefits into line with what security workers receive who are under direct contract with the City.

A 2007 parade ordinance enacted in response to the Critical Mass bicycle protests makes it illegal for protesters to march in the street without a permit. But kettling protesters, telling them to clear the roadway but not giving them a chance to leave before arresting them, and using excessive force to make arrests is also illegal.

If youve already been kettled, the legality of your arrest is in question. If you cant actually leave, then youre not free to leave. There is a problem once people arent free to leave, explains Gideon Oliver, a lawyer who has been defending protesters First Amendment rights in New York City since the 2004 RNC protests.

There is also a rule, CPL 150.20, enacted in January, that mandates police issue summonses and desk appearance tickets at or near the site of the offense, not by bringing the offender to a precinct. The NYPD insists that the chaotic nature of protests necessitates a temporary detention before they issue the summons appearance tickets.

The Police Department takes protest arrestees through this large-scale arrest process that only happens for protesters, Oliver said. Weve sued them over the years arguing that adding this extra time in custody, prosecutions, etc. are all taxes on First Amendment activities, the purpose of which is to really scare people away from doing it again. Which it frequently does.

Protesters are also being surveilled, particularly those who identify as abolitionists. They target us. Its definitely a pinpoint to have the FBI come to my house, said Peak. I was at Washington Square Park one day and an officer came up to me and called me by full name. Why are you so giddy that you know my name? Thats scary.

In June, an anti-police brutality protest in Mott Haven, Bronx was strategically kettled. The Human Rights Watch wrote a report titled New York Police Planned Assault on Bronx Protesters. FTP/Decolonize This Place, the organizers, have been some of the most outspoken critics of the NYPD since before the current incarnation of the Black Lives Matter movement.

In 2019, they organized turnstile hopping protests at MTA stations after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he would hire 500 new subway cops in a crack-down on fare evasion.

What happened in Mott Haven is an example of preemptive policing, Oliver told The Indypendent. The police department really seems to have chosen the kettling and other violent tactics used based on the message and based on the organizers. Based on their perceptions about the participants. Not based on a real public safety threat or other factors that might justify more heavy-handed police response.

Policing, Oliver observed, is more violent, more heavy-handed, more repressive when it comes to groups that say fuck the police or have abolitionist messages.

Mayor de Bill Blasio and Police Commissioner Dermot Shea defended the show of force in Mott Haven by alleging that a firearm was discovered in relation to the protest. According to Jennvine Wong, a lawyer with the Legal Aid Society who is defending protesters in Payne et al. v de Blasio, a case that sues the City for its handling of the George Floyd protests, the gun was not related to the march. It sounds like a cover-up, she told The Indy. And from my understanding, it came out later on that that gun was actually recovered hours before and not even near the march.

So why is the NYPD able to get away with such an overbearing response? Alex Vitale, Brooklyn College sociology professor and author of The End of Policing, says Mayor de Blasio has decided the defund the police movement doesnt merit being taken seriously.

Instead of involving them in a legitimate political process, hes turned the problem over to the police, Vitale said.

Three of the citys five police unions endorsed Donald Trumps re-election while more than 70 percent of New Yorkers voted to cancel Trumps presidency. Given that and how the police respond to those who question their authority, its not unreasonable to think of the NYPD as a highly armed group of counter-protesters.

They feel like we hate them specifically on an individual level when thats not the case, we just hate what they represent, said Peak, who was the housing coordinator at Abolition Park, a nearly month-long protest encampment on the sidewalk outside City Hall this summer that drew hundreds of participants.

Not all protesters have been treated badly by the NYPD. Over the summer and fall, there have been various Back the Blue and pro-Trump protests, all of which have been attended by Black Lives Matter counter-protesters.

During one instance at Times Square on October 25, the NYPD urged members of a pro-Trump caravan to leave the premises after a scuffle broke out and then proceeded to arrest their leftist counterparts.

On October 13, Peak was beaten up by a group of pro-Trump protesters who had just unveiled the worlds largest known Trump flag. When he started to defend himself, the NYPD intervened only to arrest him. He was held in jail for 26 hours before being released without a charge.

Have you ever spent time in central booking for 26 hours? Peak asked. If youre not strong minded, then it can break you. So people dont want to deal with that. And people are afraid of ending up in Rikers.

Following the presidential election, the NYPD carried out mass arrests of protesters demanding all votes be counted in key swing states. The first incident occurs at Washington Square Park on November 4 and the second on November 5 outside the Stonewall Inn. For many, it wasnt their first arrest. Since the winding down of the mass marches in early July, many demonstrations have been frequented by the same core group of protesters. Being body slammed to the pavement or barely escaping the grasp of a cop gets old after a while.

The suppression tactics have been working, said Peak, who also noted the economic hardship imposed by the federal governments stingy response to the economic crisis is sapping the movements energy.

People are trying to look for jobs and go back to work, he said.

While the NYPDs war on protest may be new to younger activists, its been a recurring feature of the department throughout its history from crackdowns on 19th century labor strikes to movements of the unemployed during the Great Depression and again with the rise of the Black Panthers and the Young Lords in the late 1960s. In more recent times, the NYPDs heavy-handed treatment of protesters can be traced back to the militarization of the department that took place after 9/11, says Jennvine Wong, lead attorney for the Cop Accountability Project of the Legal Aid Society.

The impact of that militarization would become evident in the following years when the NYPD mustered overwhelming force to suppress protests against the 2002 World Economic Forum and the 2004 Republican National Convention as well as Critical Mass, an anarchist-led initiative to make bicycling safer and more popular for New Yorkers at a time when there were no bike lanes or Citi Bikes.

During the week of RNC protests, more than 1,800 people were arrested and held in pens at a contaminated MTA bus depot including bystanders who were kettled and swept away with everyone else. The city ended up paying out millions of dollars in legal settlements to hundreds of people whose rights were violated.

Critical Mass an unpermitted, monthly Friday evening bike ride drew first hundreds and then thousands of participants during the runup to the RNC. Payback from the NYPD came in the form of beatings, arrests and stolen bicycles. Over the next few years, Critical Mass shrank back down to a few dozen participants who were nimble enough to be able to escape from the cops.

During the Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011, New York City saw a similarly brutal police response. An investigation led by NYU, Fordham, Harvard and Stanford concluded that the NYPD violated OWS protesters on numerous occasions. When then Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the NYPD my own army that fall, he wasnt kidding.

It was under de Blasio and his first Police Commissioner William Bratton that the NYPD army developed a specialized battalion of 800 cops tasked with the dual mission of responding to terrorist attacks and handling protests.

Its an interesting combination of job functions for that particular group, Wong said. Theyve been particularly problematic because weve seen them in video after video in their fancy suits and their mountain bikes being really aggressive. You have to wonder why that is. Because what is their training really focused on?

The overall level of resources the NYPD can deploy is formidable 36,000 officers and 19,000 civilian employees working with a $6 billion annual budget.

In 2021, New Yorkers will elect a new mayor and City Council. A number of organizers who marched for black lives in June are now running for City Council seats in their communities. If there is a sizable leftwing contingent in the next Council, it could move to slash the NYPDs budget and redirect funds to social services that address the causes of crime. However, its the mayor who has the sole power to appoint the police commissioner, who in turn runs the department on a day-to-day basis. So far, the leading mayoral contenders have shown little interest in imposing deep, structural changes on the police department.

For Alex Vitale, now is the time in New York for a surge of community organizing and base building around alternatives to policing that had already been done before the George Floyd protests in places such as Minneapolis, Austin, Los Angeles and Portland, laying the groundwork for big victories that followed

Street protest is not enough, Vitale said. Hopefully what we will see in the next six months is a kind of increase in that base-building, people talking to their neighbors and family members and friends about what these alternatives to policing would look like, the ways they would make communities safer than they are today and then that sets us up for a very different kind of politics where elected officials are getting pressure from their base for less policing.

Please support independent media today! Nowcelebrating its 20th anniversary,The Indypendentis still standing but its not easy. Make arecurring or one-time donationtoday orsubscribeto our monthly print edition and get every copy sent straight to your home.

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Black Lives Matter Backlash: The NYPD's War on Protesters Intensifies - The Indypendent

The hydrogen market and opportunity in Oceania – H2 View

Hydrogen is poised to fulfil its potential as a clean alternative to hydrocarbons in the global pursuit of decarbonisation to address climate change. Australia and New Zealand are both investigating the most appropriate applications and transition pathway for hydrogen within their energy systems and economies, making best use of their existing natural, social, cultural, human and financial resources.

In September 2019, New Zealand revealed its Green Paper A Vision for Hydrogen in New Zealand that lays out the role hydrogen can play in the countrys economy. While hydrogen produced from fossil fuels and industrial processes (brown, blue and grey) may play a role in the transition of New Zealands regions and existing industries, the government considers there is greater opportunity for New Zealand in exploring the use of its renewable energy to produce green hydrogen as an alternative fuel for domestic use and for export.

Two months later (November 2019), Australia released its National Hydrogen Strategy setting out a vision for a clean, innovative, safe and competitive hydrogen industry that benefits all Australians. Australia has the resources, and the experience, to take advantage of increasing global momentum for clean hydrogen and make it the next energy export. There is potential for thousands of new jobs, many in regional areas and billions of dollars in economic growth between now and 2050.

Market AustraliaHydrogen has gained much attention in Australia this year, with the countrys Chief Scientist Dr. Alan Finkel even hailing it the hero fuel in Australias quest to reduce emissions and combat the effects of climate change.

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The hydrogen market and opportunity in Oceania - H2 View

Oceania Cruises’ Immersive New Wellness Concept – World of Cruising

Cruising has done a complete 180 in recent years and no longer is it about eating as much as humanly possible, gorging at every meal and, in reality, walking off the ship feeling worse than when you stepped on. Now, the cruise industry has woken up to the exciting world of wellness, offering cruises that make passengers feel the best version of themselves, and leave feeling relaxed, rejuvenated and glowing with health.

One of the cruise lines championing wellness is Oceania Cruises, a cruise line known for having the Finest Cuisine at Sea and a dreamy selection of shore excursions and on-board activities which allow guests to explore a destination through its food.

The cruise line has long been known for its gastronomic cruise experience, its Michelin-quality restaurants and immersive foodie experiences, but it's its brand-new wellness concept that's now attracting our attention, a concept which debuted on its fleet of six luscious ships last year.

Oceania Cruises now has one of the most fantastic wellness offerings at sea, thanks to its new wellness centre, the Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center and the acclaimed Wellness Discovery Tours. The spa concept has brought Oceania Cruises into a new era of wellness, and paired with the Finest Cuisine at Sea, magnificent destinations and a fleet of intimate luxury ships, now offers one of the most incredible and immersive cruise experiences in the industry.

While travelling the world, guests can once again immerse themselves even more with indulgent and luxuriant spa treatments, which are designed to calm the mind and make you glow on both the inside and out, along with enjoying complimentary classes in the state-of-the-art fitness centre and dining on fresh, whole produce.

The beating heart of Oceania Cruises' new wellness offering is the all-new Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center, the perfect place to spend a morning or sea day, offering luxuriant destination-inspired treatments like aroma stone therapy, Vital bamboo massages and restorative salt stone massages. Bringing out your most radiant self, there are also marine detox wraps, sea lavender and samphire mineralising wraps and sublime beauty treatments like the 'caviar firm and lift facial' and 'line eraser powered by Biotec' a miraculous and powerful anti-ageing and rejuvenating treatment. With its core values being balance, restore, renew, vitality, energise, nourish and enrich, the Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center also offers treatments like acupuncture, and an 'Ionthermie revitalising leg therapy', along with myriad therapy pools and steam rooms for ultimate relaxation.

For those who want to energise before or after a treatment, stay on top of or start a fitness regime, Oceania Cruises Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center is also leading the way when it comes to fitness. Guests can partake in a peaceful sunrise yoga class on deck or work up a sweat in a one-to-one personal training session or a complimentary group fitness class. Equipment includes treadmills with heart-rate monitoring, strength-training machines and free weights, and classes include Pilates and an ever-changing timetable of classes. Oceania Cruises larger ships Marina and Riviera also feature a Kinesis exercise wall, combining cardio, strength and flexibility in one workout.

As we said, it's now possible to leave a cruise ship in better shape and looking more youthful and radiant than before...

Of course, every wellness lover will know that health and wellbeing isn't just relaxation and mindfulness, it's also just as much about what you eat. Delivering the whole wellness experience, Oceania Cruises has been working hard to deliver a superlative healthy food offering with the highest-quality ingredients and whole foods available used. A new introduction for the cruise line is its impressive range of gourmet plant-based menus, which are on offer for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Instead of having an oozing stack of American pancakes, why not opt for fluffy oatmeal banana pancakes? Other delicious additions include creamy avocado toast on fresh, rustic farmer's bread and fresh breakfast blueberry bowls packed with antioxidants.

Some of our favourite lunch items from Oceania Cruises' new wellness-inspired menu include taste-tingling, fresh dishes like Korean kimchi soup, Wakame sesame salad, Hawaiian poke bowl and pesto penne with broccoli and sundried tomato. For dinner, there are gastronomic dishes like gourmet spicy som tam (green papaya kelp and noodle salad), warming roasted butternut squash with rocket, mango, black radish and hearts of palm and crispy falafel fritters with plant-based harissa mayo, cucumber, mint and capers.

For Oceania Cruises, its focus on wellness doesnt end when passengers disembark its ships, and the concept and mindset even stretches to the unparalleled and exotic destinations it sails. The cruise line offers some of the most fantastic wellness-inspired excursions in the industry, especially in Asia, one of the most sacred, historical and fascinating landscapes in the world.

Passengers are able to indulge in excursions like a yoga and biking tour in Vietnams Nha Trang, Saigonese organic food tastings and Tai Chi in Ho Chi Minh City and a visit to an Ibusuki Sand Bath in Japans Kagoshima. Perhaps one of the most special excursions, however, is a mediation experience with a monk in Bangkok. Escaping the buzz of Thailands cacophonic capital in search of peace and relaxation, guests travel to a serene Buddhist temple to learn the art of mediation and see how it can lead to self-liberation and enlightenment.

Sailing with Oceania Cruises is so much more than indulging your body with dining on Michelin-star food, its also about indulgence for the mind and soul. From sunrise yoga and Thai Chi on board through to unique spa treatments, therapy pools, fitness classes, raw and vegan menus and unique and priceless shore experiences, Oceania Cruises is pioneering wellness cruising.

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Oceania Cruises' Immersive New Wellness Concept - World of Cruising

2020 Swammy Awards: Matt Wilson Earns Male Oceania Swimmer Of The Year – SwimSwam

To see all of our 2020 Swammy Awards,click here.

For the second consecutive year,Matt Wilson has earned the Swammy Award for the Oceania Male Swimmer of the Year.

Last year Australias Wilson emerged into the spotlight when he broke countryman Christian Sprengers super-suit era 200 breast Oceanian/Australian record with a 2:07.16 at the Australian National Championships in April. He would go on to win silver at the 2019 World Championships.

For 2020, however, it was the short course arena in which Wilson made his magic happen, with the 22-year-old SOPAC swimmer once again replacing a Sprenger record.

While competing at the multi-location virtual Australian Championships this November, Wilson hit a monster personal best of 56.89 in the 100m breast. The time marked his first effort under the 57-second threshold; in fact, it represented the first time any Australian man had been under 57 seconds. His performance also became the Oceanic Record in the SCM 100m breast event.

Putting Wilsons 56.89 in perspective in the all-time frame, the Aussie now sits just outside the top 25 male 100m breaststrokers ever worldwide.

In no particular order.

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2020 Swammy Awards: Matt Wilson Earns Male Oceania Swimmer Of The Year - SwimSwam

$10+ Billion Baggage Handling System Markets by Mode, Solution, Check-In, Conveying, Tracking – Global Forecast to 2025 – ResearchAndMarkets.com -…

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Baggage Handling System Market by Mode (Airport, Marine, Rail), Solution (Check-In, Screening & Load, Conveying & Sorting, Unload & Reclaim), Check-In (Assisted, Self), Conveying (Conveyor, DCV), Tracking (Barcode, RFID), Region - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Baggage Handling System Market is Projected to Grow to USD 10.3 Billion by 2025 from USD 7.5 Billion in 2020, at a CAGR of 6.6%

Improvement in the current infrastructure of airports and the establishment of new airports would accelerate the growth of the baggage handling system market. The higher cost of maintaining advanced baggage handling systems is restraining the growth of the baggage handling system market.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant decline in revenues of airports, railways, and marine sectors across the globe. Additionally, the decline in passenger footfall after the partial lifting of lockdowns, along with restricted, preferential travel, considering the fear of a second wave of the pandemic, has affected all the modes of transport.

This has resulted in reduced/delayed infrastructure investments, thereby affecting the demand for baggage handling systems and associated solutions in 2020. Thus, year-on-year growth for these segments is negative from 2019 to 2020. However, resuming of various airport development projects may give a modest push to the baggage handling system market.

Self-service to be the fastest-growing baggage handling system market, by check-in service type.

Self-service check-in is projected to be the fastest growing market in the baggage handling market by 2025. Airports are planning to be more customer-centric in terms of their services. Self-service bag check-in technologies such as kiosks are currently the trending technology at all major airports. Passenger IT Insights 2019 reports that passengers are more satisfied when they are using self-service check-in technology. For instance, the automated passport control system had risen from 21% in 2017 to 44% in 2018. Hence, self-service check-in is gaining momentum and is the fastest growing service in the baggage handling system market.

Barcode system to be the largest baggage handling system market, by tracking technology.

Barcode tracking technology is the most widely used technology in baggage handling. Moreover, this system is cost-effective and easy to implement compared to other systems such as RFID. Most airports in developed and developing countries are still using barcode tags and readers because of their low cost and proven efficiency. As per industry insights, the barcode system is expected to continue dominating the overall market, as the RFID system is still in its initial stage of growth. Hence, Barcode tracking technology is the largest segment and will continue to be the highest contributor to the baggage handling system market.

Asia Oceania is estimated to be the largest growing market for baggage handling system, by region.

The Asia Oceania baggage handling system market is driven by the dominating airport industries in China and India. In recent years, the region has seen the highest airport and metro infrastructural growth. Strong economic growth, increasing focus on smart cities, development related to old airports, and favorable government policies have triggered the demand for baggage handling systems in the region. Daifuku (Japan) is the leading baggage handling system player in the region. Due to the ever-growing air passenger traffic, China accounts for the highest share in the total Asia Oceania baggage handling system market.

Additionally, with a significant focus of the government on the development of new airports, India is expected to play a key role in the Asia Oceania baggage handling system market. On the other hand, MEA is estimated to be the fastest growing region of the baggage handling system market. The growth of the MEA baggage handling system market is fueled by factors such as increasing government investments in airport infrastructure, rising demand for air travel in neighboring regions such as Asia Oceania and Europe, expansion of trade and tourism, and centrality of the region in the global trade network.

In recent years, the UAE has become a global leader in trade and tourism, which has led to increased air travel to and from this region significantly. The FIFA World Cup in 2022 is scheduled to take place in Qatar, and the country has undertaken several infrastructural development projects to cater to the global audience. Owing to the above-mentioned factors, Asia Oceania is estimated to be the largest and MEA the fastest growing baggage handling system markets.

Additionally, China has curbed the spread of the virus in the early second quarter of 2020, and hence, the recovery started than other countries like India and Southeast Asian countries. In India, Delhi's IGI airport terminal expansion project has been delayed. The timeline of terminal expansion plan has been impacted by COVID-19 due to lockdown and shortage of workers. Therefore, the deadline is likely to shift from mid-2020 to the end of 2023. Thus, the demand for baggage handling systems is expected to increase post-COVID-19 after the resumption of projects.

However, with the introduction of lockdown relaxations in India, passenger traffic improved in the second half of the year, thereby contributing to the transportation sector. Similarly, in September 2020, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China has resumed construction of all major railway projects, followed by 87% resumption of airport construction projects. This is anticipated to contribute to the demand for baggage handling systems in China during the forecast period.

The baggage handling system market is dominated by global players and comprises several regional players as well. The key players in the high voltage battery market are Siemens (Germany), Vanderlande Industries (Netherlands), Daifuku (Japan), Pteris Global Limited (Singapore), Fives (France), and SITA (Switzerland).

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Restraints

Opportunities

Challenges

Impact of COVID-19 on the Aviation Sector

Impact of COVID-19 on Ground Operators

Baggage Handling System Market Scenario

Companies Mentioned

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lmmiqd

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$10+ Billion Baggage Handling System Markets by Mode, Solution, Check-In, Conveying, Tracking - Global Forecast to 2025 - ResearchAndMarkets.com -...

Further changes to 2021 football calendar – Football in Oceania

The OFC have made additional changes to their calendar for next year.

The OFC have previously announced that several competitions have been postponed until at least June next year. Now two more competitions have been moved.

The OFC U-20 Championship, that was due to be played in Samoa in January-February, will be postponed indefinitely until confirmation has been received from FIFA about the status of the next edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup that is scheduled for May-June 2021, the OFC wrote in a press release.

The Mens U-17 Championship set for Fiji have also been moved.

Next years OFC U-17 Championship, that was due to be played in Fiji in April, has been postponed but is required to be completed by July 5, 2021.

July 5th is the final date FIFA has set for registering a team to send to the U-17 World Cup in Peru later in 2021.

The first ever OFC Futsal Invitational, a tournament set in place to foster futsal development in the OFC region, was originally scheduled for April. This has now been postponed and is set to be played at some point before August 21st.

The changes in the calendar also affects 2022, with the OFC Womens Nations Cup moved forward in the year. Originally scheduled for July-August, it has been moved up to January-February of 2022.

The OFC Executive Committee has also decided to delay the announcement of hosting venues for tournaments scheduled for 2022, due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

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Ryman Healthcare to repay $14.2m Covid wage subsidy, move follows three others – New Zealand Herald

Business

16 Dec, 2020 12:09 AM3 minutes to read

Ryman has a national chain of villages. Photo / Glenn Taylor

New Zealand's biggest retirement village business, Ryman Healthcare, is repaying the $14.2 million wage subsidy in line with other business in the sector.

Today, the Herald asked chief executive Gordon MacLeod and chairman David Kerr if their company would follow Summerset Group, Arvida and Metlifecare.

Within a few hours, Kerr revealed Ryman's decision.

Metlifecare, Summerset Group and Arvida have all announced repayments, sparking questions in the sector about why Ryman and Oceania had not yet moved.

Four listed retirement business have now said they are repaying the money. Sales in the sector rebounded following the lockdowns this year.

Only Oceania Healthcare is keeping its wage subsidy - $1.8m.

Kerr explained why Ryman made the call.

"We'd like to thank the Government for its initiative in introducing the subsidy, which provided help at a time of great uncertainty for us and for thousands of other businesses," Kerr said.

"Since January we have spent more than $50 million on our COVID-19 response, and I'm pleased to say we have not had a single case of COVID-19 among our more than 18,000 residents and staff. The financial certainty the subsidy gave us was a factor in our success during a difficult period.

"During the level 4 lockdown we were unable to sell, market, refurbish, build or admit new residents, which severely impacted our trading, and so we met the criteria to qualify for the subsidy.

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"We have regularly reviewed our position in relation to retaining the wage subsidy. The improved outlook in New Zealand means we are now committed to repaying the subsidy. Once again, we'd like to thank the New Zealand Government for its help," Kerr said.

Summerset said today it would repay the $8.6m subsidy. Metlifecare had already announced that under new owner EQT, it had decided the right thing to do was repay its $6.8m.

Arvida Group also repaid $400,000, leaving only Ryman and Oceania to act.

Earl Gasparich, Oceania chief executive, today said his business would keep the $1.8m state money because it was a small amount and was necessary.

In the company's annual report for the year to May 31 2020, Oceania said it got the wage subsidy in mid-April for a small number of sales and property development staff, he said.

"We did not consider it appropriate to claim for our staff working in aged care, who were essential workers and not at risk of losing employment," Gasparich said.

"A total of $1.8m was received, which was a fraction of the total amount that Oceania was actually eligible to claim given the scale of our workforce. Oceania has incurred significant costs managing the risk of Covid-19 across our business and the wage subsidy, as well as a minor amount of additional Government funding, have only partially compensated us for these costs," Gasparich said.

Others to return the money include Napier Port, Briscoe Group, Bell Gully, MinterEllisonRuddWatts, a group of private schools, Simpson Grierson and Alliance Group which repaid half.

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Ryman Healthcare to repay $14.2m Covid wage subsidy, move follows three others - New Zealand Herald

Australia and India Economic Relations: The Stars Have Aligned – The Diplomat

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On December 18, India launched its much-awaited Australia Economic Strategy (AES) report, authored by Anil Wadhwa, former secretary (East) of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). AES is the only strategy report ever produced by the Indian government for a specific country, and is a reciprocal report to Australias India Economic Strategy to 2035 (IES 2035) report, authored by Peter Varghese, the former head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and released in 2018. The IES2035 set a target for India to become one of Australias top three export markets, to make India the third-largest destination in Asia for Australian outward investment, $100 billion by 2035, and to establish a bigger, better trade basket with balanced trade relations between both countries.

The economy is at the very center of Indian diplomacy today. It emphasizes Indias major economic reforms across diverse sectors (including agriculture, mining, defense production, railways, space and atomic energy) and focuses on international outreach to attract foreign investment. With severe disruptions in industrial production and consumption, the Indian governments economic focus has been on spurring demand and building infrastructure, which are key drivers to help India achieve its $5 trillion economy target by 2024. Most recently, the MEA has launched an Economic Diplomacy Website to showcase Indias economic, sectoral, and state-wise strengths that make India an attractive economic partner. India is focusing on weaving its regional aspirations with its national ambitions.

For Australia-India ties, 2020 has been a year of promise. The year started with the Australia India Business Exchange (AIB-X), one of the largest trade missions to India in the past five years, followed by the historic virtual summit between the Australian and Indian prime ministers in June, which led to the elevation of the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Indo-Pacific provides a meeting point for Australian and Indian interests, capturing a mix of Indias broadening horizons, widening interests, and globalized activities, on display through the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (Australia, India and Japan) and the Quad grouping (United States, India, Japan and Australia), supplemented by Australias recent participation in the Malabar exercises. The growing significance of these ties is also evident from the recent creation of a new vertical in the Ministry of External Affairs, which has an Oceania territorial division with Australia at its center. The new division also includesASEAN and the Indo-Pacific divisions within it.

The release of the AES is timely, covering a wide range of sectors and keeping in mind post-COVID-19 recovery, which both Australia and India will need to work on. The emphasis in the document is on a wide variety of sectors as well as other emerging fields for the future. It offers creative ideas for advancing ties in areas in which Australia and India have not engaged with each other, like cost effective clinical trials, traditional medicines like Ayurveda, IT-specific visas for talent flow, healthcare, trauma care, and aged-care support.

Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific.

The AES strongly recommends a six-month review of the strategy and IES 2035 implementation for the next two years. It asks for sector-specific specialized delegation exchanges, sharing of more success stories between both countries, and a focus on matching of businesses with similar goals. It also focuses on achieving a more operationalized and granular approach to execution, developing corporate Australias interest in Indias growth story, ensuring regular engagement between trade bodies, sector-specific joint working groups, mutual investment funding across key sectors, the setting up of startup and innovation and humanities funds, more direct flights between Australia and Indias major business hubs, and a renewed focus on negotiating an Australia-India free trade Agreement (FTA).

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The two reports (IES 2035 and AES) together create a perfect roadmap for the future economic engagement between India and Australia. The shift that is categorically needed for Australian businesses is from Why India? to How-to in India? What would be the drivers of that shift?

First, a goods, services, and investment-focused FTA with Australia would boost key Indian exports like textiles, clothing, auto parts, and jewelry, and offer an independent venue for negotiation with Australia. It will also facilitate investment flows from Australia, which has the worlds third-largest pool of investment funds under management. An FTA could bolster the confidence that businesses have in the Indian operating environment. The welfare gain from the FTA could be in the range of 0.15 and 1.14 percent of GDP for India and 0.23 and 1.17 percent for Australia, further enhancing key engagement in sectors like agriculture, food processing, mining, and natural resources.

Second, India is exporting only 10 percent of its GDP and is heavily dependent on domestic consumption. Australias advanced manufacturing accounts for around half of Australias A$100 billion plus annual manufacturing output and is one of the fastest growing export sectors. India can explore synergies with Australia in advanced manufacturing as part of Make in India 2.0 (which includes segments such as robotics, artificial intelligence, genomics, chemical feedstock, and electrical storage). Advanced manufacturing technologies today are vital to gain global competitiveness in cost, speed, innovation, and quality.

Third, the success of Indias e-mobility and renewable-energy goals primarily depend on the availability of critical minerals, used across telecommunications and electronics, healthcare, transportation, aerospace, defense industries in advanced applications. Australia has released a list 24 key critical minerals of which it can emerge as a potential supplier, along with the list of critical minerals projects in the country, which offers off-take and investment opportunities to public and private sector organizations across the world. Indias public and private sector, along with its government consortium (KABIL) on critical minerals, can look at these assets to secure future supplies and build an efficient energy economy and future competitiveness. Australias mining equipment, technology and services sector can offer a range of solutions to the mining industry in India, which lags behind other mining countries across all stages of mininggeoscience, exploration, development, production, and reclamation.

Fourth, the discourses on education partnership between both countries must go beyond enrollment numbers and look at capacity building partnerships in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Fifth, deeper cultural understanding is integral to strong bilateral ties. Australia must make an effort to understand the New India better. The opportunities will not come to Australian businesses; they must be sought out actively and assertively.

Let us hope that the quality of the relationship will catch up with its ambition: that it will share the relentless spirit and ethos of the cricketing ties between the two countries, and bolster economic ties as well. The word engagement is crucial which should become a permanent national project for both countries.

Natasha Jha Bhaskar is General Manager of Newland Global Group, a corporate advisory firm specializing in the Australia-India space, based in Sydney.

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Australia and India Economic Relations: The Stars Have Aligned - The Diplomat

The Sodium Percarbonate Market in South East Asia & Oceania Expected to Grow of over 2% during 2020-2030, Finds Fact.MR – LionLowdown

The global sodium percarbonate market will reflect a CAGR 1.5% over the forecast period, 2020 to 2030. The market has been chiefly driven by growing demand for eco-friendly products, which, consecutively, has been extremely beneficial for sodium percarbonate as a disinfectant. On the other hand, irrespective of a slight dent to the market growth amid the COVID-19 crisis, the sodium percarbonate market is projected to foresee gradual growth in value terms during the assessment years.

Investments towards increase in manufacturing of coated sodium percarbonate are projected to be greatly beneficial for the market players. Increase in infrequent nature of demand for bleaching agents is projected to be extremely beneficial for coated sodium percarbonate says a Fact.MR analyst.

Request a report sample to gain comprehensive market insights at:https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=2527

Key Takeaways

Drivers

Constraints

Anticipated Market Impact by COVID-19 Outbreak

The COVID-19 outbreak has had low sway on the sodium percarbonate market, with lesser imposition of regulations and trade volumes. Sales amid the third quarter reflected a notable recovery because of growing demand from the commercial industry. Residential demand amid the crisis was slightly impinged on due to inventory shortages in some regions, however the overall effect amid 2020 is expected to be minimal.

Long-term influence of the crisis will be positive on demand, owing to increasing demand for cleaning supplies and disinfectants.

For More Detailed Information about Methodology @https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RM&rep_id=2527

Competition Landscape

The sodium percarbonate market is moderately consolidated in nature, with major players holding around 40% of revenue share. Major players identified in the Sodium Percarbonate market are Solvay SA, Evonik Industries, OCI Peroxygens LLC, AG Chem Group s.r.o, Khimprom PJSC, Hongye Chemical Group Co. Ltd., JINKE Company Limited, JIANGXI UNIC PEROXIDE CO. Ltd., Jilin Shuang ou Chemical Co. Ltd, Wuxi Wanma Chemical Co., Ltd, Jiangxi Boholy Chemical Co. Ltd., and Ak-kim.

The market has witnessed several fluctuations recently. These market variations have been because of restructuring of top tier players. These variations of top tier players have had a substantial consequence on the sodium percarbonate market, amid the forecast period.

More on the Report

The Fact.MRs market research report provides in-depth insights into the sodium percarbonate market. The market is scrutinized on the basis of type (coated and uncoated) end use (laundry, cleaning water treatment, chemicals, textiles, pulp & paper, and others), across seven major regions (North America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA).

Press Release:https://www.factmr.com/media-release/1730/sodium-percarbonate-market-trends

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The Sodium Percarbonate Market in South East Asia & Oceania Expected to Grow of over 2% during 2020-2030, Finds Fact.MR - LionLowdown

Competitive Oceanic League of Legends returns with ESL and Guinevere Capital – Esports Insider

ESL Gaming has partnered with Guinevere Capital to reintroduce a top-tier Oceanic League of Legends league in 2021.

RELATED:Riot Games dissolves Oceanic Pro League

Earlier this year, LoL publisher Riot Games pulled the plug on the regions top competitive league, discontinuing the Oceanic Pro League (OPL).

However, in a new development, ESL and Guinevere will obtain a three-year license to operate a LoL competition in the region, with an option to extend a further three years. There will be eight teams in the new league in 2021 the same number as the previous OPL.

When the OPL was disbanded in October, an official Riot Games statement read that the publisher [does not] believe that the market is currently able to support the [OPL] in its current form. Riot was not prepared to front the costs associated with the league given the demand in the region.

From running the first official tournaments on the Oceanic servers to helping produce the OPL Finals at the Melbourne Esports Open, the ESL team have always had competitive League of Legends in our DNA, said Nick Vanzetti, ESL Senior Vice President, Asia-Pacific Japan. So when the opportunity to build a new league, and create new opportunities for League of Legends players in Oceania presented itself, we jumped on it.

RELATED:Rebuilding the OPL in Riot Games absence

Dave Harris, Managing Director of Guinevere Capitalalso commented on the agreement: OPL was our first step into esports back in 2016 through a team investment and despite having moved on to be involved in other regions, titles and projects since, we have always been parochial supporters of the OCE scene and LoL in particular. Our philosophy has been based around developing young talent.

We genuinely believe this new league can be a case study for elsewhere in the world with the freedom to innovate and build a sustainable esports model in what is still an emerging region.

This year Oceanic org Legacy Esports impressed by reaching the Worlds 2020 play-in stage, subsequently placing second in their group behind Team Liquid before being eliminated by Chinese team LGD Gaming.

More information on the league will be shared in 2021, according to a release.

Esports Insider says: Nobody was glad to see the OPL discontinued, but it was clear Riot didnt feel the investment was worth it. This new third-party licensing agreement shows the intent of both ESL and Guinevere: despite issues such as poor connectivity in parts of the region, both are willing to fork out for Oceanic League of Legends, and Riot is more than happy to let them.

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Competitive Oceanic League of Legends returns with ESL and Guinevere Capital - Esports Insider

Canadian astronaut to join NASA’s first crewed Artemis mission around the moon – Spaceflight Now

The moon as seen from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

A Canadian space flier will join three NASA crew members on the first piloted flight of the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft around the moon, becoming the first non-U.S. astronaut on a lunar voyage, officials announced last week.

There will be a second flight opportunity for a Canadian astronaut on a later NASA mission to the international Gateway station in orbit around the moon.

NASA and the Canadian Space Agency announced the agreement for Canadian astronaut flights Dec. 16, as the agencies affirmed details of Canadas contribution to the Gateway station, which is intended to serve as a waypoint, spacecraft refueling station, and deep space research outpost in the vicinity of the moon.

Canada will join the U.S. on the first crewed mission to the moon since the Apollo missions, said Navdeep Bains, Canadas minister of innovation, science and industry. Launching in 2023, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut will be part of Artemis 2, the first mission to carry humans to lunar orbit in over 50 years. This will make Canada only the second country after the U.S. to have an astronaut in deep space.

Monica Witt, a NASA spokesperson, said the Artemis 2 crew will consist of three NASA astronauts and one Canadian space flier. The Artemis 2 mission is currently scheduled to launch in 2023.

The signature of a final agreement solidifies Canadas participation in the NASA-led Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the surface of the moon in the 2020s. The Trump administration has a schedule goal of 2024 for landing humans on the moons south pole, a timetable widely viewed as ambitious and one that could be reset for later in the 2020s by the incoming Biden administration.

Under NASAs Artemis architecture, astronauts will take off from Earth atop NASAs Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket, fly to the moons vicinity in an Orion capsule, then link up with a human-rated lander for the trip to and from the lunar surface. The astronauts will then return to Earth in the Orion spacecraft.

An outpost named the Gateway, about one-sixth the size of the International Space Station, will be assembled in orbit around the moon. NASA has said the first two U.S.-owned elements of the Gateway could launch as soon as the end of 2023, although a report by the NASA inspector general in November suggested the launch of the stations power and propulsion module and habitation section was likely to slip into 2024.

Canada plans to build an upgraded robotic arm, named Canadarm3, for placement on the Gateway in the 2026 timeframe, according to NASA. The Canadian Space Agency has also formally agreed to provide robotic interfaces for Gateway modules, allowing the elements to host scientific instruments.

Canada was the first international partner to commit to advancing the Gateway in early 2019, they signed the Artemis Accords in October, and now were excited to formalize this partnership for lunar exploration, said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. This agreement represents an evolution of our cooperation with CSA providing the next generation of robotics that have supported decades of missions in space on the space shuttle and International Space Station, and now, for Artemis.

The Canadarm3 robotic arm will be delivered to the Gateway by a commercial logistics mission, NASA said.. NASA has contracted with SpaceX to fly a bigger version of its Dragon cargo capsule to the Gateway in deep space. The Dragon XL will launch on SpaceXs Falcon Heavy rocket.

Gateway will enable a robust, sustainable, and eventually permanent human presence on the lunar surface where we can prove out many of the skills, operations, and technologies that will be key for future human Mars missions, said Kathy Lueders, NASAs associate administrator for human exploration and operations.

Earlier this month, NASA announced the selection of 18 U.S. astronauts to begin training for Artemis lunar missions. NASA has not revealed which of the astronauts will fly on the Artemis 2 mission the first crewed test flight of the Space Launch System and Orion capsule or on the first lunar landing mission.

Canadian officials did not announce which of its four active astronauts would take the seat on the Artemis 2 mission or the later flight to the Gateway.

Canadas fortunate to have a strong corps of highly trained professional astronauts, any one of whom would be an excellent choice, said Lisa Campbell, president of CSA. These decisions are made with all sorts of specific considerations at a moment in time when we get closer to flight.

The Artemis 2 mission will follow an uncrewed SLS/Orion test flight, named Artemis 1, scheduled to launch no earlier than late 2021 on a trip to lunar orbit and back to Earth.

On the Artemis 2 mission, the four-person Orion crew will fly on a hybrid free return trajectory around the moon.

After launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Space Launch System will place the Orion crew capsule into orbit around Earth, where the astronauts will perform checkouts, test out the ships rendezvous and docking systems, and then fire Orions service module engine to fly to the moon a quarter-million miles away.

The crew will not enter orbit around the moon, but the trajectory will naturally bring the Orion spacecraft directly back to Earth after the astronauts arc out to a distance of 4,600 miles (7,400 kilometers) beyond the far side of the moon, farther than any humans have ever traveled into space.

The Artemis 2 mission will last around 10 days, paving the way for future landing expeditions and longer-duration flights to the Gateway.

NASA is also working with other international partners on the Artemis program, although those partnerships have not yet yielded a firm commitment for flight assignments for astronauts from other nations.

The European Space Agency and NASA signed a memorandum of understanding in October for cooperation on the Gateway. ESA will provide a habitation module developed together with Japan, along with a module to support enhanced communications, in-space refueling, and equipped with a window similar to the European-built cupola on the International Space Station.

ESA is also building service modules for Orion missions. The service modules include solar panels to produce the crafts electrical power, and propellant tanks to feed the capsules rocket thrusters.

NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency have signed a joint exploration declaration of intent to begin negotiations for Japanese contributions on the Artemis program. In addition to helping ESA with the habitation module, Japans space agency has also expressed interest in launching resupply missions to the Gateway using the countrys next-generation HTV-X cargo freighter.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last year that his country would provide robotics systems for the Gateway station near the moon. The government has committed 2.05 billion Canadian dollars (about $1.6 billion) over the next 24 years for the Canadarm3 program and associated robotic aids.

Canadas four active astronauts, based at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston, have been training for space missions for years. Only one of the four astronauts, David Saint-Jacques, has flown in space aboard the International Space Station.

Im pretty excited that Canada has had the vision and the leadership to commit to something that we do so very well space robotics (and) to take it into its next evolution, said Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. This is a significant leap in technology. It has a lot of trickle down effects with respect to artificial intelligence.

The international (astronaut) corps here in Houston is over the moon excited by the prospect of these missions and for the opportunity for scientific discovery and innovation that they represent, saidJoshua Kutryk, one of Canadas four active astronauts.

Email the author.

Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.

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Canadian astronaut to join NASA's first crewed Artemis mission around the moon - Spaceflight Now

How does the human body react to being in space? – Sciworthy

Since 1961, more than 500 humans have flown into space. However, only 20 astronauts have stayed more than 90 days on long-duration space missions. If humans will one day travel to and from Mars, the round-trip will take 3 years. It is essential then, before those crew members ever launch, that we understand the effects long duration spaceflight has on the human body.

This unique environment consists of extreme conditions such as weightlessness, high radiation, variations in extreme temperature and pressure, among other health stressors. Long duration space flight significantly affects astronaut body mass index and what genes are expressed. Changes in metabolism, vascular health, the gastrointestinal microbiome, and cognitive performance were also observed during spaceflight. These adverse effects resolve upon return to earth as astronauts maintain vigorous exercise and nutrition programs for rehabilitation.

To study in depth the changes taking place in the human body over such a long mission in space, researchers need to look at everything from genetics to body mass. Among the Astronaut corps, NASA had a unique opportunity a set of genetically identical twin astronauts, Scott and Mark Kelly. For 340 days, Scott would be on the International Space Station (ISS), while Mark remained on Earth, both undergoing the same medical analyses, pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight to catalog the changes between the two.

The results were obtained from samples including saliva, stool, skin, urine and blood. Different molecular level techniques, cognitive tests, and biometric tests were used to understand the genetic, physiological and psychological changes in the astronauts.

The astronauts experienced changes in the expression of over 800 genes during spaceflight. Most of the genes returned to normal after flight, but some did not leading to changes in astronauts genetics and physiology. Space radiation may have damaged their DNA.

The midflight flu vaccination administered by the astronauts worked exactly as it does on Earth. This suggests the primary immune system functions were maintained during the flight, and vaccines were still an effective tool for protection.

Genes related to inflammation were more active, which may result from the human body reacting to long duration space flight. Researchers suggest telomeres (a region of DNA at the end of a chromosome) act as an aging clock in every cell, as we grow older our telomeres grow shorter. Telomere elongation was observed in space, but we cannot conclude that space is a miraculous location that adds to human longevity. Elongation may be due to the exercise and calorie-regulation astronauts maintain inflight.

A rapid shortening of telomeres in less than 45 hours was observed upon astronaut return to Earth, likely due to the extreme stresses associated with landing. Mainly the longer telomeres are associated with healthy lifestyle factors such as good nutrition and regular physical activity. However, it is unknown if telomere lengthening and shortening relate to aging in this case, because of the lack of research conducted on telomeres in microgravity.

Spaceflight might have effects on learning and cognition. The in-space astronaut could complete learning and work tasks with greater speed and accuracy, concluding that spaceflight may affect cognition positively.

Bone density is of great concern for space biology researchers. It is well known that spaceflight causes rapid loss of bone density, decreased muscle mass, and weight loss. These are common physiological changes observed in astronauts due to changes in gene and hormone regulation in space. Furthermore, due to microgravity, blood and fluids move from lower to upper body called headward fluid shift causing an appearance of a puffy face and skinny legs. This fluid shift may lead to increased pressure in the veins and capillaries of the eyes causing vision problems in astronauts.

Research also suggests astronauts are at high risk for dehydration, evidenced by changes in the gene AQP2, which regulates water reabsorption in the body and is a useful indicator of hydration status. On the ISS, the isolated and confined environment of the astronauts puts them in a degree of psychological stress. Meanwhile, eating only freeze-dried or heat-stabilized prepackaged food in space is different from what astronauts are used to eating on Earth. These psychological and nutritional stressors in astronauts negatively affect the function of beneficial gut microbes. This change in the gut microbiome results in alterations of immunity, physiology, and even psychological well-being.

The NASA twin study generated unique biomedical data on the effect of a year-long spaceflight on the human body. Most of the biological changes returned to baseline after the 340-day space mission, suggesting that human health can be mostly sustained over this spaceflight duration. As the researchers suggest, the space environment leads to potential health risks. Exercise, a good diet, and personalized medicine will make multi-year space exploration safe for astronauts. These advancements also have the potential to improve Earth medicine as well.

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How does the human body react to being in space? - Sciworthy