Monthly Archives: April 2021

Pope offers prayers for people on Caribbean island threatened by volcano – The Catholic Spirit

Posted: April 23, 2021 at 12:55 pm

Ash and smoke billow as the La Soufrire volcano erupts in Kingstown on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent April 9, 2021. Pope Francis expresses his solidarity with the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines as the volcano continues to erupt, displacing thousands. CNS photo/Robertson S. Henry, Reuters

His Holiness Pope Francis sends the assurance of his spiritual closeness to all those affected by the recent eruption of La Soufrire volcano and expresses his heartfelt solidarity with the many displaced persons forced to evacuate their homes and seek shelter from the effects of this disaster, said a telegram sent to local church leaders by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

Praying in a particular way for the emergency personnel and volunteers providing relief assistance, His Holiness entrusts the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the loving providence of almighty God, said the message released by the Vatican April 23.

In December, lava began oozing from the volcano, which is located at the northern tip of the island. Then it erupted April 9, and explosions have been occurring periodically since then.

With the eruptions continuing, ash lies thick over much of the island, making it dangerous to breath and severely damaging crops and drinking water supplies.

The United Nations made an appeal April 20 for close to $30 million in disaster relief to provide emergency aid to the people and to help fund the ash removal.

Tags: Caribbean island, Disaster relief, La Soufrire volcano, prayers, St. Vincent, Volcano

Category: Featured, From the Pope

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Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (12-18 April 2021), as of 19 April 2021 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – ReliefWeb

Posted: at 12:55 pm

KEY FIGURES

977.8K NEW COVID-19 CASES IN LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN FROM 12-18 APRIL 2021

78.1M COVID-19 VACCINE DOSES ADMINISTERED IN LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN

REGIONAL

According to PAHO, the slow delivery of vaccines, challenges in vaccination roll-outs, the premature easing of public health measures and the circulation of more contagious variants are leading to a COVID-19 surge in the region. South America continues to be the epicentre of the virus, with cases rising sharply in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and areas in Bolivia bordering Brazil, while Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile also report growing caseloads.

The highly contagious P.1 variant from Brazil is driving the surge in cases and deaths in South America and some neighboring Caribbean countries, including Guyana and French Guiana, with cumulative cases in the sub-region now approaching 23,000,000.

BRAZIL

As the pandemic rages on, largely fueled by the highly contagious P.1 variant, Brazils two biggest vaccine producers are facing supply shortages. Brazil has been largely dependent on the AstraZeneca vaccine, manufactured by the Fiocruz Health Institute, and the Chinese-manufactured CoronaVac.

Against the mounting pressure to scale up their roll-out, the Ministry of Health acquired tens of millions of shots from Sao Paulo states Butantan Institute. However, both the Butantan Institute and Fiocruz now face supply constraints, as the former has suspended production while it awaits the active ingredient from China, while the latter has produced a mere 4 million of the 50 million doses it agreed to deliver by the end of April.

Brazil now faces a worsening public health crisis, with the Government only managing to fully vaccinate 7,506,646 people, the equivalent of 3.5 per cent of the population, as intensive care units (ICUs) are above 90 per cent capacity in most states and 7 out of every 10 hospitals are at risk of running out of oxygen and anesthetic.

MEXICO

According to WHO, Mexico could have avoided 190,000 deaths during the pandemic in 2020. Mexico, which ranks fourth in excess mortality, only behind Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, recorded 43 per cent more deaths in 2020 than expected when compared to trends from 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Recently, the Government itself reported that its real COVID-19 death toll is more than 110,000 higher than the approximately 210,000 COVID19-related deaths officially reported.

As resource-strapped hospitals became overwhelmed amid the pandemic, patients were encouraged not to seek medical attention unless experiencing severe symptoms, which contributed to high mortality rates, with an estimated 58 per cent deaths occurring outside hospitals.

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Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (12-18 April 2021), as of 19 April 2021 - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - ReliefWeb

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Toxic Plume from Caribbean Volcano Wraps Around Earth; Arrives Over India – Weatherboy

Posted: at 12:55 pm

Data captured by Earth Observing satellites can help visualize the SO2 emissions from the erupting volcano in the Caribbean as it travels around the world. Image: ADAM Platform / Meteorological and Environmental Earth Observation

While the very visible ash exploding out of the erupting La Soufriere Volcano on St. Vincent in the Caribbean has led to countless heartbreaking photographs and videos shared online, satellites are tracking another hazard from the volcano as a potentially toxic plume rises from it and wraps around the Earth. Based on data captured by the Sentinel-5 Earth-observing satellite, the toxic plume of sulfur dioxide has made it all the way to India as of yesterday.

The ADAM Platform has been sharing images reflecting the volume of sulfur dioxide (SO2) leaving the Caribbean volcano as it spreads over northern South America, the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, and now Asia. Imagery shared yesterday shows a narrow band of concentrated SO2 emissions reaching as far away as India. The ADAM Platform is using data from the Sentinel 5-Precursor satellite, also known as Sentinel 5P, which was launched into space by the European Space Agency (ESA) in October 2017. As part of the European Commissions Copernicus program, the Sentinel 5P was the first in the series dedicated to monitoring the Earths atmosphere. Using the state-of-the-art Tropomi instrument, it is able to collect data on a variety of gases in the atmosphere such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone, formaldehyde, sulfur dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, and various aerosols.

Sulfur dioxide affects human health when it is breathed in. It irritates the nose, throat, and airways to cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or a tight feeling around the chest. The effects of sulfur dioxide are felt very quickly and most people would feel the worst symptoms in 10 or 15 minutes after breathing it in. Those most at risk of developing problems if they are exposed to sulfur dioxide are people with asthma or similar conditions. Extreme concentrations of sulfur dioxide can be deadly if inhaled. When combined with other substances additional hazards can be created; as an example, rain falling through a sulfur dioxide plume could produce an acid rainfall. Sulfur dioxide is invisible to the human eye, but when it reacts with other gases, aerosol particles can form to cause haze, and according to NASA in extreme widespread events, climate cooling.

During the May 2018 eruption of Hawaiis Kilauea Volcanos Lower East Rift Zone, sulfur dioxide was covering the surface in a residential neighborhood from erupting fissures. During that eruption, a plume of sulfur dioxide was detected by the Ozone Mapper Profiler Suite (OMPS) on the Suomi-NPP satellite. During the height of that eruption during the spring and summer of 2018, authorities evacuated people from the danger sulfur dioxide posed. Hawaii Fire Department reports extremely dangerous conditions due to high levels of Sulfur Dioxide gas in the evacuation area. Elderly, young, and people with compromised respiratory systems are especially vulnerable, warned the Hawaii County Civil Defense in 2018. They added, The high levels detected are an immediate threat to life for all who become exposed. First responders may not be able to come to the aid of residents who refuse to evacuate.

According to the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre and their latest scientific update issued earlier today, the first successful measurements of sulfur dioxide (SO2) flux were taken along the west coast of St. Vincent and yielded an average SO2 flux of 809 tons per day. Flux is the measurement of mass of SO2 in the plume, a stream of gas vented by the volcano, the Seismic Research Centre wrote. They added, The presence of SO2 tells us that fresh magma from a deeper (location) is being degassed indicating that the eruption is continuing.

https://t.co/ThsZzM8InY

the Weatherboy (@theWeatherboy) April 15, 2021

While harmful gas can be an issue near the active vents, as was the case with Kilaueas 2018 eruption, the gas can also rise high and spread far from the eruption, as is the case now with La Soufriere. Large quantities of SO2 in the atmosphere can have significant implications to global climate.

In the journal Thin Solid Films, Peter Ward published a report in 2019on how sulfur dioxide initiates global climate change in 4 ways. All major historic volcanic eruptions have formed sulfuric acid aerosols in the lower stratosphere that cooled the earths surface ~ 0.5 C for typically three years. While such events are currently happening once every 80 years, there are times in geologic history when they occurred every few to a dozen years. These were times when the earth was cooled incrementally into major ice ages. There have also been two dozen times during the past 46,000 years when major volcanic eruptions occurred every year or two or even several times per year for decades. Each of these times was contemporaneous with very rapid global warming.

According to Ward, when major volcanic eruptions do not occur for decades to hundreds of years, the atmosphere can oxidize all pollutants, leading to a very thin atmosphere, global cooling and significant, long-term drought. Prior to the 20th century, increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide followed increases in temperature initiated by changes in sulfur dioxide. But since the 20th century, the atmosphere has become rich with other greenhouse gasses due to the industrial revolution.

It is too soon to determine what impacts this plume of SO2 will have on global climate and whether any significant cooling or even warming could occur.

On June 15, 1991, Mount Pinatubo had a massive eruption that lasted 9 hours; using satellite data of that event, scientists estimated that the total sulfur dioxide released into the atmosphere was roughly 15-20 million tons. Because that single eruption occurred with a tremendous amount of force, ash and gas was ejected high into the stratosphere. Strong stratospheric winds spread the sulfur dioxide and its related aerosol particles around the globe over a two year period. Based on analysis of that volcanic eruption and global temperatures, NASA believes there was a global drop in temperature of about 1 degree F / 0.6 degrees C. Because the stratosphere is above the troposphere where weather occurs, rain wasnt able to wash-out the SO2 from the eruption as efficiently as it would in the troposphere, leading to more significant climate impacts.

Beyond the impacts to St. Vincent and nearby islands from gas and ash, scientists around the globe will help determine what, if any, the global impacts from this Caribbean eruption could be. While the 809 tons/day of SO2 currently coming from La Soufriere pales in comparison to the 15-20 million tons ejected from Mount Pinatubo, La Soufriere continues to erupt with somewhat regular explosive eruptions. Exactly how much gas is released and where in the atmosphere it is inserted will be key to determining what long range impacts this single volcano will have around the Earth.

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Did You Participate In Any Of Caribbean Investment Holdings’ (LON:CIHL) Incredible 423% Return? – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 12:55 pm

For many, the main point of investing in the stock market is to achieve spectacular returns. And we've seen some truly amazing gains over the years. Don't believe it? Then look at the Caribbean Investment Holdings Limited (LON:CIHL) share price. It's 339% higher than it was five years ago. If that doesn't get you thinking about long term investing, we don't know what will.

See our latest analysis for Caribbean Investment Holdings

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

We know that Caribbean Investment Holdings has been profitable in the past. However, it made a loss in the last twelve months, suggesting profit may be an unreliable metric at this stage. So we might find other metrics can better explain the share price movements.

We are not particularly impressed by the annual compound revenue growth of 1.2% over five years. So why is the share price up? It's not immediately obvious to us, but a closer look at the company's progress over time might yield answers.

The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

earnings-and-revenue-growth

Take a more thorough look at Caribbean Investment Holdings' financial health with this free report on its balance sheet.

We've already covered Caribbean Investment Holdings' share price action, but we should also mention its total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. Caribbean Investment Holdings' TSR of 423% for the 5 years exceeded its share price return, because it has paid dividends.

Story continues

While the broader market gained around 32% in the last year, Caribbean Investment Holdings shareholders lost 5.6%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 39% per year over half a decade. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Caribbean Investment Holdings that you should be aware of before investing here.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on GB exchanges.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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Did You Participate In Any Of Caribbean Investment Holdings' (LON:CIHL) Incredible 423% Return? - Yahoo Finance

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Travel Advisory Update for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – US Embassy Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean | US Embassy in Barbados, the Eastern…

Posted: at 12:55 pm

The Department of State has increased the Travel Advisory Level for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines toLevel 4 Do not travel to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines due to COVID-19.

Readthe Department of StatesCOVID-19pagebeforeyou plan any international travel.

TheCenters for Disease Controland Prevention(CDC)has issued aLevel 4 Travel Health NoticeforSaint Vincent and the Grenadines due to COVID-19, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country.

Visit the EmbassysCOVID-19 pagefor more information on COVID-19 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Read thecountry information page.

If you decide to travel to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:

Assistance

By U.S. Embassy Bridgetown | 21 April, 2021 | Topics: Alert

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Streak-buster or not, Union girls just happy to get season-opening win over Prairie – The Columbian

Posted: at 12:54 pm

BRUSH PRAIRIE The streak is over. Or maybe it isnt.

The Prairie girls basketball team came into Thursday with a streak of 219 consecutive league wins dating back to Jan. 31, 2000.

And with the Falcons playing in the 4A/3A Greater St. Helens League this season, Thursdays 50-46 loss to Union could be considered the end of that streak. It was, after all, a league game.

But another way to look at it is that the streak should only include games against league foes from the same classification the parameters by which each of those 219 games were won. So then, the streak continues.

That debate was hardly on the mind of senior Abbey Kaip in Unions season-opener.

All we were thinking about was we needed to focus on rebounding, Kaip said. We knew that they were a good team, and they hustled, pressed us the whole game. So we just needed to focus on rebounding and taking care of the ball.

And a lot of taking care of the ball fell to Kaip, when two of Unions top ballhandlers were out Thursday. Olivia Euverman was playing a club soccer match, and team leader Lolo Weatherspoon turned her ankle in practice two days ago.

I texted Abbey last night and said Were going to need you to be the head of the snake tomorrow, Union coach Gary Mills said. And she said Im ready for it. She hasnt really been in that position before, but she put everybody on her shoulders. She rested for about a minute and a half that whole game. And with the tempo the way it was, thats pretty impressive.

Kaip led the Titans with 15 points, including four 3-pointers. Her last 3-pointer gave Union a 42-32 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Then Prairie senior Claire Heitschmidt, who had a game-high 23 points, put the Falcons on her shoulders. The Central Washington commit scored 13 of Prairies first 14 points in the fourth quarter before Hannah Clouses 3-pointer got Prairie within 48-46 with 2:10 left.

Claire is a really good player, and I thought we did a good job on her in the first quarter and in the second quarter, Mills said. But in the third, we kind of got away from our principles, and she made some shots and got them right back in the game.

And then I thought we did a good job on her in the last couple of minutes.

When Union missed the front end of three 1-and-1s in the final two minutes, Heitschmidt got two looks at go-ahead 3-pointers but missed both. And then Kaneyl Carpenter forced Heitschmidt to take a tough shot in the key that was off the mark with 10 seconds to play.

I think Kaneyl did a great job on Claire, and we just helped out and got the job done, Kaip said.

Mariah Gahl buried two free throws with eight seconds left to seal the win.

And so ended the streak. Or maybe not.

It doesnt really matter to Kaip. To her, it was just like the Titans win over the Falcons in a non-league game in 2019-20.

So let others debate the semantics.

I just think a wins a win, the senior said. And we got it done tonight.

UNION 50, PRAIRIE 46

UNION Kennedy Myers 3, Mariah Gahl 8, Grace Burchette 0, Sydney Cowling 5, Abbey Kaip 15, Kaneyl Carpenter 3, Caitlyn Leake 9, Ariel Ammentorp 7. Totals 16 (9) 9-15 50.

PRAIRIE Kaitlyn Caughey 5, Lauren Sautter 0, Kori Clark 0, Claire Heitschmidt 23, Kylia Caesar 5, Sarah Neal 0, Jordan Peterson 0, Maddie Clouse 6, Taylor Judah 0, Hannah Clouse 7, Alysia Fraly 0. Totals 16 (8) 6-12 46.

Union 11 17 11 1150

Prairie 6 10 13 1746

JVUnion 34-27.

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Philip Roth biography will still be published in Australia despite controversy – Sydney Morning Herald

Posted: at 12:54 pm

Penguin Randomhouse is still planning to publish Blake Baileys life of Philip Roth in Australia despite his US publisher W.W. Norton halting distribution and promotion of the book after several women made allegations of grooming, sexual impropriety and rape against the biographer.

It said those allegations against Bailey, who has denied all wrongdoing, were extremely serious and concerning. At this stage they are allegations, and we continue to publish Philip Roth: The Biography. We are assessing the situation closely. PRH is still expecting 1800 copies to arrive from Britain in late May for a scheduled June 16 publication date. It did not opt to print locally, although some bookstores have ordered in copies from overseas, where it was released in early April.

These are difficult days for publishers. Baileys biography of Philip Roth was immediately controversial on publication in the US earlier this month as it detailed its subjects attitude to women, both in his books and his personal life. There were immediate suggestions that Roth, long a target of some feminists, was also a worthy target of so-called cancel culture.

Now the spotlight has turned on the biographer himself. As a result of the allegations, Bailey has also been dumped by his literary agent, the Story Factory.

Allegations of grooming, sexual impropriety and rape have been made against Blake Bailey.Credit:Getty Images

Another American publisher has this week faced a tricky situation. Staff at Simon & Schuster sent president Jonathan Karp a letter this week demanding the company scrap a seven-figure deal it has with Donald Trumps former vice-president, Mike Pence. Workers at S&S accused the company of perpetuating white supremacy.

By choosing to publish Mike Pence, the letter said, Simon & Schuster is generating wealth for a central figure of a presidency that unequivocally advocated for racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-Blackness, xenophobia, misogyny, ableism, islamophobia, antisemitism, and violence. This is not a difference of opinions; this is legitimising bigotry.

They also demanded S&S end a distribution deal with PostHill Press, which is publishing a book by Jonathan Mattingly, one of three policemen involved in the fatal shooting of a black woman, Breonna Taylor, year, and commit to ongoing reevaluations of all clients, authors, distribution deals, and all other financial commitments that promote white supremacist content and/or harm the aforementioned marginalised communities.

Staff at Simon & Schuster protested against a deal the publisher made with former vice-president Mike Pence.Credit:AP

Karp had already stopped distribution of the Mattingly book, but he was adamant that the Pence memoir would go ahead.

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Letters: B.C. Catholic pandemic coverage praised and blamed – The B.C. Catholic

Posted: at 12:54 pm

Recently we passed another horrible milestone. Three million people worldwide have perished due to COVID-19, many dying a sad and lonely death without any family members around to comfort them. And all we can do is complain about the restrictions placed on us.

Our leaders and health officials are doing their utmost to destroy this silent, invisible, and brutal killer, or at least contain it, while at same time trying to keep the economy going. More often than not, their efforts are met with unfair criticisms.

Emotions are running high, but we Catholics should stop and think. Perhaps we should consider the childrens book, No Rules for Michael, in which children learn there are rules to protect them and guide them toward good behaviour and healthy relationships.

Think about the Israelites who were freed from bondage. Freedom from slavery did not give them the right to do whatever they pleased. They soon received the Ten Commandments. None of those commandments trampled on their human rights. Instead they showed a path to a good life, to think about others, and to practise the golden rule.

This essentially is what freedom means. It gives us the freedom to choose commitments, obligations, and to be considerate toward our neighbours. This is the kind of freedom that will truly bring out our humanity.

Leslie MichaelMaple Ridge

Please excuse my handwriting I am 90 years old, blind in one eye (cancer) and have macular degeneration in the other.

I refrained from writing before, but weve had months of negative letters, complaints, and grumblings, with the exception of Fathers Hawkswells and Hos weekly articles and occasionally others.

A recent letter criticized Maries letter of March 22. I am 90 too. I too have stayed home from church. We were told not to come out of common sense, not just fear.

We have the blessing of two 24-hour Catholic TV stations at a minimal charge. (Many of us cannot afford or use internet and computers.)

Jesus promised us persecution and suffering for him, yet the disciples of the early Church were joyful, hopeful, and loving. Where is that joy, faith, and love today?

We have been living in the western world for a long time with anti-Christianity. Read the history of Roman Catholics in England after the Reformation until 1827, and even since then they were viewed with suspicion. Look to the Soviet Union, China, parts of the Middle East, etc. to see real persecution.

Todays pandemic is unique deadly and even more infectious with variants. If others want to risk their lives, at least let those of us who choose not to the ability to do so. Let us set an example, however unjustly we may feel weve been treated. Let us show faith, hope, love, joy, and encouragement to others, especially our young people, many of whom who offer great kindness and help to us old folks.

Rosemary WhitteyNorth Vancouver

(More than one reader felt Marie was unfairly criticized by a follow-up letter. For the record, I thought the letter was compassionate and expressed concern for her, which is why it was published Editor)

I especially look forward to reading Paul Schratzs columns. They are a light of hope during this crazy time of misinformation.

Premier John Horgan has stated that churches are closed because they are not economic activity. Dr. Bonnie Henry initially said theres no evidence masks are effective and then suddenly they became effective. I am thankful that Mr. Schratz speaks the truth.

Joan DaviesCoquitlam

I would like to express my deep gratitude for your newsworthy and inspiring articles with fresh perspectives. Every week I look forward to receiving my favourite paper, The B.C. Catholic, in the mailbox. I am informed, inspired and challenged by your paper thank you for that!

In addition, I would like to thank you for articles like Brett Powells Jordan Peterson: a reluctant ring bearer in the April 19 issue.

Let me quote a sentence from this article, which in my mind could be a motto for a free and democratic society. (I hope we are still that society.) In order to think, you have to risk being offensive. In other words, to grapple well with the issues of our day in all their layered complexity you have to continually risk offending for the sake of pursuing the truth.

And Amen! to Powells words in the same article: I wish and pray to God that we could give each other that kind of space to process, think deeply, and dialogue through complex matters, instead of cancelling each other as soon as disagreement perceived or real surfaces.

In conclusion, my heartfelt congratulations to Paul Schratz, Agnieszka Ruck, and the whole B.C. Catholic staff for receiving the 2021 newspaper General Excellence Award. You deserve it!

PS. I hope those who write letters to the editor read the B.C. Catholics articles with at least as much attention as they devote to the daily news.

Elizabeth KrawczynskiDelta

(Thank you. Production Coordinator Inca Siojo rounds out the B.C. Catholic staff with her layout and design work Editor)

This is a quick note of thanks for featuring the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines milestone in The B.C. Catholic. The feedback from the Filipino community was overwhelming from being able to read about the celebrations in Vancouver, to sharing the history with younger generations and being recognized as an integral part of the faith community in Vancouver.

Salamat! Thank you!

Eric InigoBurnaby

(Watch for more coverage of the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines in The B.C. Catholic throughout the year Editor)

This morning it was announced in the news that scientists were successful in developing a viable embryo from a combination of human and monkey cells. What worthy purpose will it serve, and how can this discovery benefit mankind?

Gods creation is about diversity. He created a man and a woman separate from the animal, bird, and insect species. Only the former was endowed with a soul. What will be the future spiritual implications?

How soon will it be before the appearance of human hybrids, the types we see in science fiction movies? Some scientists say the deadly Ebola virus originated in infected monkeys and passed to humans. Now they are combining our cells?

In the construction of the Tower of Babel, man in his pride attempted to build it high enough to reach heaven. We know how God chastised them. Anything that interferes, opposes, and undermines Gods creation comes from Satan, that old serpent and father of lies.

The world is already experiencing Gods displeasure for having forsaken him and his laws. We have forgotten the supreme sacrifice Our Lord paid to redeem us all. He has been replaced with materialism and hedonism. We have surpassed Sodom and Gomorrah in depravity.

We are undergoing the third wave of this pandemic. Unless we mend our ways, we shall have a fourth one. Scientists should align their scientific discoveries to the needs and benefit of the world.

John BuenoNorth Vancouver

A recent letter asserted that biased reporting by some media on unfounded negative aspects of China plays a role in the escalating anti-Asian hate crimes. We must be careful in distinguishing two very separate and different issues.

While it is morally wrong to discriminate against any group of people because of their ethnicity, we must also know the importance of continued vigilance on a government such as the Peoples Republic of China.

It is not unfounded negative reporting, but provable fact, to say that China is committing genocide against the Uyghur people; or to say China illegally took over Tibet and is continuing to erase Tibetan culture and religion; or to assert that since 1997, China has slowly but steadily taken away civil liberties from the people of Hong Kong, climaxing in the rubber-stamping of the recent National Security Law, which makes any dissenting voice a threat to Chinese national security.

It is not inaccurate to say China is attempting to suppress and oppress Christianity and other organized religion, replacing God with the state. It is not inaccurate to say that groups such as Falun Gung practitioners have been imprisoned and their organs harvested for profits for the Chinese Communist Party. (For those interested in this subject, you can read the book Made in China or watch the documentary Letter from Masanjia, available in public libraries.)

Closer to home, it is not inaccurate reporting to say Canadians have been arrested and taken hostage by the Chinese government, when the idea of a fair and impartial trial is a foreign concept to Chinese authorities.

China is trying to use the recent upsurge of anti-Asian violence to divert attention from its crimes. Democratic governments, including our own, have been relatively mild in their responses to China and its belligerent behaviour on the world stage. We continue to trade with China, no doubt our eyesight having been clouded by the dollar bill covering our eyes.

As Catholics, we do not discriminate against anyone. Racism and bigotry, just like any evil, will always exist, and we must do our part to combat them. But as Catholics, we also have to be vocal when there is injustice. It is our duty, as Catholics, as Canadians, as citizens of a democratic society, to speak up and call on any government that violates the right of everyone to enjoy freedom and democracy.

Patrick MayVancouver

At Easter, Westside Church opposite the Vancouver Public Library held its services on the sidewalk. What a witness! It then occurred to me that our own outdoor services are great witnesses to those who are agnostic, unchurched, or normally do not attend church.

God has made sure we leave our churches and our comfort to witness to the world. What an unexpected benefit. Alleluia.

Margaretha SmitsVancouver

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Boston Herald boys basketball All-Scholastics and league All-Stars – Boston Herald

Posted: at 12:54 pm

(DREAM TEAM)

Nate Amado (Whitman-Hanson)

Matt Boen (Mansfield)

Aidan Cammann (Andover)

Kurtis Henderson (Catholic Memorial)

James McGowan (Westwood)

(ALL-SCHOLASTICS)

Max Aicardi (Newton South)

Kingsley Breen (Malden Catholic)

Aidan Callahan (St. Johns Prep)

Gabe Copeland (Beverly)

Chris Cronin (Sandwich)

Ethan Daleba (Burke)

Ryan Donahue (Boston Latin)

Tony Felder Jr. (Malden Catholic)

Jaeden Greenleaf (Cape Cod Academy)

Jake Harrison (Boston Latin)

Preston Jackson-Stephens (Belmont)

Tyler Jameau (Concord-Carlisle)

Mason Lawson (Latin Academy)

Cole LeVangie (Whitman-Hanson)

Mike Loughnane (BC High)

Matt Maguire (Abington)

Xavier McKenzie (Central Catholic)

Ryan Mela (Natick)

Ryan Monahan (Hamilton-Wenham)

Brett Okundaye (Wakefield)

Billy Oram (Bishop Feehan)

Mehki Phipps-Dedrick (Boston English)

Jacob Robertson (Newburyport)

Juan Salas (New Mission)

Gabe Spinelli (Watertown)

Tyler Stewart (Taunton)

Philip Sughrue (Winchester)

Isaiah Taylor (Lowell Catholic)

Patrick White (Apponequet)

Vanilton Xavier (Brockton)

DREAM TEAM

NATE AMADO

WHITMAN-HANSON

A year after helping guide Whitman-Hanson to its first state basketball championship, the Babson-bound Amado one-upped his performance for the undefeated Panthers. The senior shooting guard finished the season averaging 24.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while also accumulating an eye-popping 46-percent mark from beyond the three-point line.

MATT BOEN

MANSFIELD

The Hockomock Kelley-Rex MVP averaged 24.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 3.3 steals per game for the 15-1 Hornets. For his career, Boen finished with 1,047 points and 645 rebounds. He hopes to continue his playing career at the next level.

AIDAN CAMMANN

ANDOVER

The 6-foot-9 center averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds a night to go with three assists and three blocks. Only a junior, Cammanns efforts earned him MVC All-Conference honors and a Division 1 scholarship offer from Robert Morris. Also a member of National Honor Society, Cammann is expected to be an integral part of a strong Golden Warriors team next season.

JAMES MCGOWAN

WESTWOOD

A year after helping to lead the Wolverines to the Div. 2 South semifinals, the sharpshooter McGowan averaged 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists to lead Westwood to a 10-1 record. McGowan finished his career with 1,212 points. A two-time Tri-Valley League MVP, McGowan will continue his playing career at Bowdoin College.

KURTIS HENDERSON

CATHOLIC MEMORIAL

Henderson, who finishes his career as a three-time Boston Herald Dream Teamer, averaged 27 points, six assists, and five rebounds a game. A two-time Catholic Conference MVP, Henderson will continue his playing career at Hartford.

ALL-SCHOLASTICS

MAX AICARDI

NEWTON SOUTH

Aicardi averaged 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists a night while shooting 45.8% percent from three to lead Newton South to the Dual County Large championship. The three-time DCL All-Star ended his career with 909 points. Aicardi, who has a 3.9 unweighted GPA, is undecided on his future plans.

KINGSLEY BREEN

MALDEN CATHOLIC

Breen helped make Malden Catholic a legitimate contender in the Catholic Conference for the first time in over two decades. The 6-foot-4 wing averaged 17 points and 8.5 rebounds and scored a career-high 37 points against St. Johns Prep in the conference semifinals. The Lancers took home the league title for the first time in 25 years. A Catholic Conference All-Star, Breen is undecided on his future plans.

AIDAN CALLAHAN

ST. JOHNS PREP

The two-year captain scored 14 points, dished out eight assists, and corralled four rebounds per night. A three-time Catholic Conference All-Star, Callahan helped lead the Eagles to a share of the conference regular season title. Callahan will continue his playing career at WPI.

GABE COPELAND

BEVERLY

One year after being at the center of the most successful year in program history as a freshman, Copeland averaged 17.8 points per game as a sophomore while knocking down 32 three-pointers in leading the Panthers to a 13-0 record.

CHRIS CRONIN

SANDWICH

Cronin averaged 21 points, three assists, and four rebounds per game for the Blue Knights. A key contributor for the past three years, Cronin finished with over 1,000 career points. Also a member of Sandwichs varsity football team, Cronin plans to study business and continue his playing career in college but remains undecided on his future plans.

ETHAN DALEBA

BURKE

The Bulldogs forward averaged an incredible 24 points and 12 rebounds per night to earn All-City honors in the Boston City League. A season ago, Daleba was an integral member of Burkes run to its first Div. 3 state championship.

RYAN DONAHUE

BOSTON LATIN

A season after spending limited time on the court due to injury, Donahue returned to his old form, averaging 16 points, five rebounds, and four steals in leading the Wolfpack to the DCL Small title. The co-MVP of the DCL Small, Donahue finished his career with a per-game average of 16 points, seven rebounds, and four steals. Donahue will continue his playing career at Keene State.

TONY FELDER JR.

MALDEN CATHOLIC

Felder helped return Malden Catholic to the top of the Catholic Conference for the first time in 25 years. The junior point guard used his quickness and pure scoring ability to average 21 points, seven assists, and 3.5 steals per game. A three-year varsity starter, Felder has already received a Div. 1 scholarship offer from UMass and has interest from a number of other schools.

JAEDEN GREENLEAF

CAPE COD ACADEMY

Greenleaf, only a junior, is already one of the top scorers in Eastern Mass. The Cape Cod Academy guard broke the all-time scoring record for the Cape this past winter and currently sits at an astounding 1,784 points heading into his senior season. Against Sturgis West on opening night, Greenleaf poured in a career-high 57 points. For the 2020-21 campaign, he averaged 32 points and eight rebounds over 14 games.

JAKE HARRISON

BOSTON LATIN

The senior forward averaged 13 points and 13 rebounds per game while also dishing out five assists. Harrison helped guide Boston Latin to three consecutive Dual County League Small championships and was named conference MVP. A two-time captain, Harrison will continue his playing career at Western New England University.

PRESTON JACKSON-STEPHENS

BELMONT

Jackson-Stephens was a key contributor towards Belmonts success his sophomore and junior seasons, but he turned into an all-around star his senior year. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 22 points a game to earn Middlesex League Liberty Most Valuable Player honors. Also a member of the football and outdoor track teams at Belmont, Jackson-Stephens will head to UMass in the fall.

TYLER JAMEAU

CONCORD-CARLISLE

The senior point guard averaged 25 points per game to lead Concord-Carlisle to the DCL Large championship game. Jameau finished his career as the fifth-highest scorer in Concord-Carlisle program history, recording 1,015 points. Also a wide receiver for the football team, Jameau hopes to continue his playing career following a postgraduate year.

MASON LAWSON

BOSTON LATIN ACADEMY

A two-time Boston Herald All-Scholastic, Lawson averaged 13 points, six rebounds, dishing out five assists and coming up with five steals a game. Lawsons play led the Dragons to a 30-5 record over the past two campaigns and helped the school capture its first Boston City Championship in over 25 years.

COLE LEVANGIE

WHITMAN-HANSON

After helping Whitman-Hanson capture a Div. 2 state championship in 2020, LeVangie finished the season averaging nearly a triple-double, producing 14 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists a night as the Panthers do-it-all playmaker. Levangie finished his career with over 700 points, a 55-9 record, and as a three-time Patriot League All-Star. LeVangie will continue his basketball career at Suffolk University.

MIKE LOUGHNANE

BC HIGH

The junior guard averaged 21.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while also shooting 48 percent from the field. Loughnane just missed one free throw on the season. Also a 2020 Boston Herald All-Scholastic, Loughnane plays with Middlesex Magic on the AAU circuit in the spring and summer.

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Boston Herald boys basketball All-Scholastics and league All-Stars - Boston Herald

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Over $200 billion wiped off cryptocurrency market in a day as bitcoin plunges below $50,000 – CNBC

Posted: at 12:53 pm

LONDON/GUANGZHOU, China Bitcoin and other digital currencies plunged on Friday as a proposed capital gains tax hike from U.S. President Joe Biden led to a wave of selling.

At as midday EST, bitcoin was down 7.3% at $49,730, according to Coin Metrics data. It's the first time bitcoin has traded below $50,000 since early March. Ether fell to $2,320, down 8%. XRP, the fifth-biggest cryptocurrency, plunged 16%.

This wiped out more than $200 billion of value from the entire cryptocurrency market, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

"The market has run up quite a bit overall, and it'sprobably cooling off before the next leg up," Vijay Ayyar, head of business development at cryptocurrency exchange Luno, told CNBC by email.

President Biden is expected to raise long-term capital gains tax for the wealthiest Americans to 43.4%, including a surtax. That would be higher than the top federal tax rate on wage income. The new tax rate would apply to returns on assets held in taxable accounts and sold after more than a year.

This triggered a sell-off in stock markets overnight, with all three major U.S. indexes ending Thursday's session in the red. Analysts said fears over Biden's capital gains tax proposal may be extending to crypto investors, who have had a great year with the price of bitcoin having climbed more than sixfold in the last 12 months.

Still, one crypto entrepreneur said Biden could be doing his industry a favor.

"It would make even greater sense to play that oldest trick in the manage-your-finances-smart book: borrow against your assets to avoid capital gains taxes," said Antoni Trenchev, co-founder of crypto lender Nexo.

"And what better collateral than one that despite today's price dip, likely caused by the said proposal appreciates in value like Bitcoin?"

"Things are getting more established," Eric Demuth, CEO and co-founder of digital asset broker Bitpanda, told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" Friday. "The more money that gets into the market, the less volatility there will be."

"And for the retail investors who are going in there, the strategy is always never to put everything in one basket and just put a very small fraction of your portfolio into cryptocurrency, into bitcoin. It doesn't matter if you are a strong believer or not, the diversification of your assets is key."

However, concerns over a regulatory crackdown on bitcoin continue to cloud the market. Jesse Powell, CEO of a major cryptocurrency exchange called Kraken, warned governments could clamp down on the use of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

India is planning to introduce a law to ban the trading or even ownership of cryptocurrencies, Reuters reported last month. In February, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called bitcoin a "highly speculative asset" and said she was worried about potential losses for investors.

Authorities around the world are looking into how to regulate bitcoin. The Deputy Governor of the People's Bank of China, called bitcoin an "investment alternative" last week, which marked a more progressive tone on cryptocurrencies after a fierce crackdown by the country's regulators on the industry in 2017 and 2018.

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Over $200 billion wiped off cryptocurrency market in a day as bitcoin plunges below $50,000 - CNBC

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