Revo

As Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took oath as the US President and Vice President on January 20, something else caught the attention of netizens — it was a glimpse of left-winger Bernie Sanders wearing huge knitted mittens. The 79-year-old senator from Vermont was photographed sitting on a folding chair wearing a green coat with arms crossed, covered with the mittens. Turns out, the mittens were made by Jen Ellis of Essex Junction, a teacher, out of an old sweater. She gave the mittens to Sander more than two years ago and was surprised to see him wear them on a campaign trail. The mittens are made from repurposed wool sweaters and lined with fleece from recycled plastic bottles. “I love it that he loves them, and that he wears them. And I’m totally honored that he wore them today,” Eliis told nbcboston.com in an interview. While Ellis works as a full-time elementary school teacher, she also upcycles used wool clothes into mittens as a side business. Her daughter Helen reportedly went to a childcare centre owned by one of Sanders’ relatives. And when they wanted gifts from the staff a couple of years back, the mother had an “in” who could slip a pair to the politician. Ellis, however, said she has never met the senator. “The fact that these mittens, which were made from recycled and repurposed materials, made it to the national stage is really a shoutout to Vermont. I’m really proud that he took them to D.C. and that he was there for this historic moment,” she further said in the interview.

The Belgian playmaker picked up an injury in the 2-0 victory over Aston Villa and his manager is unsure when his star man will be back in action Manchester City briefly returned to the top of the table for the first time in more than 18 months on Wednesday evening, but will hope they did not suffer a painful blow to their title hopes in their hard-earned 2-0 victory over Aston Villa. Pep Guardiola’s side may have extended their winning streak to nine games thanks to goals from Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan but the sight of talisman Kevin De Bruyne leaving the pitch injured will have caused more than a few concerns. The Belgian pulled up sharply after a challenge from Jack Grealish in the 60th minute and it’s feared he may have suffered a muscle strain. Guardiola did not confirm the extent of the injury afterwards and the attacking midfielder will have tests in the coming days to assess the extent of the problem. “I haven’t spoken to the doctor,” the City boss said in his post-match press conference. “Kevin put his hand on his leg, so I have the feeling it will be something muscular. “It is normal, these things happen with this amount of games.” City travel to League Two Cheltenham on Saturday and De Bruyne would probably have been rested for the FA Cup fourth-round tie anyway. However, in a packed title race, Guardiola will be praying that his playmaker will be fit to return to Premier League action the following week. De Bruyne remains the Catalan's creator-in-chief and, with well-manned defences trying to stop an in-form City, he remains the player most likely to force a breakthrough with the kind of incisive pass that no other player in England is capable of producing. In a season when City’s goal count is down considerably – 19 fewer than the 50 Premier League goals they had at the same stage last year – De Bruyne is on target to beat his own assists record. He already has 10 after 18 City games, as he tries to beat the record of 20 he shares with Thierry Henry. Still, Guardiola is in the fortunate position of not having to rush De Bruyne back into action. He is undoubtedly in a position to give De Bruyne some much-needed rest, as City’s next three Premier League games are against relegation-battlers West Brom, Sheffield United and Burnley. That soft run of fixtures is followed by the huge clash with Liverpool on February 7 and Guardiola may decide to wrap De Bruyne in cotton wool ahead of the trip to Anfield, where City have won once in 40 years. Certainly, his side are starting to look like they can cope without the 29-year-old, thanks to the return to form of several key players. Bernardo Silva scored the controversial opener against Villa and the Portuguese midfielder is rediscovering the quality that made him Guardiola's pick for the 2018-19 Player of the Year. “He is one of the most intelligent players I’ve seen,” the former Barcelona boss enthused. “He can do everything and has the quality to score goals too. “He has to be more important in the final third if he wants to be a top player, so I’m happy for him. His performance was really good for him and really good for us. And it was a fantastic goal.” Gundogan, meanwhile, has added a goal threat to his game now that he is being deployed further forward. His latest strike may have come from the penalty spot but the German has now scored five times in his last eight appearances. Academy product Phil Foden has also stepped up to the mark of late by adding another attacking dimension to City's play on a regular basis. Against Villa, the England international created six chances and had five shots – even beating Lionel Messi to become the youngest player in Guardiola's managerial career to have more than 10 shot involvements in a league game. Dean Smith’s side threatened to frustrate City and the visitors deserve immense credit for what was a mightily impressive performance, especially as it arrived just three days after their players had returned to training following a significant Covid-19 outbreak at the club. But City still had 28 shots, including nine on target, and managed to get the job done with De Bruyne off the pitch. They have got by without him before, of course. De Bruyne missed half of their last title-winning season through injury. Any side would miss a player of his quality, of course, but City are better equipped to cope without him than they have been for some time.

Moroccan artist Saad Lamjarrad has announced he is in preparation to record the Muslim call to prayer as well as other religious songs. The singer said he wants his fans to remember him through things that bring them close to God. In an interview with MBC Trending, Saad Lamjarrad noted that the idea of singing religious songs was always present. “We sing about Love, and we dance, but we can’t forget about our God,” said the artist. He said it is important to be involved in “ongoing charity” (Sadaqah Jariyah) and make religious songs in order for people to remember you with beautiful things, such as God and God’s names. “I am planning inshallah to do more religious songs and record Adhan (prayer) – as soon as possible,” said the singer, adding that he will offer these songs and recordings to all Moroccan radio stations. The Moroccan singer’s work was extremely successful in recent years, earning a Guinness World Record achievement after one of his music videos reached 700 million views on youtube within three months, as well as becoming the first Arab African singer to gain the Youtube diamond button in 2020. But his artistic career was interrupted multiple times in 2017, 2018, and 2019 due to a series of rape allegations in France that led to his arrest. In October 2020, the Cairo Show Theatre canceled Saad Lamjarrad’s concert which was scheduled for December 2020 due to a campaign on Twitter and Facebook that called for the Moroccan singer to be canceled. The campaign was launched by thousands of Egyptians because of the multiple rape charges Saad Lamjarrad was facing. Some of the hashtags in Arabic that went viral during the campaign translate, “Saad_Lamjarred_Rapist,” and “We_Don’t_Want_Lamjarred_in_Egypt”

my vote goes to DH1 , good sound

DH1 : 4votes DH2 : 2votes @R E V O- the winner

Nickname : @R E V O- Tag your opponent : @XZoro™ Music genre : Dance Number of votes ( max 10 ) : 7 Tag one leader to post your songs LIST : @XZoro™

Whether you’re a student, a professional or just want to stay connected and productive, a laptop is one of the most important tools of the trade. But some are better than others, with wide differences in keyboards, battery life, displays and design. If you’re looking for a powerful laptop that easily fits in your bag and doesn’t break your back, you want an ultrabook. The “ultrabook” moniker was originally coined by Intel in 2012 and used to refer to a set of premium, super-thin laptops that met the chipmaker’s predefined standards. However, just as many folks refer to tissues as Kleenexes or web searching as Googling, the term ultrabook commonly refers to any premium ultraportable laptop, whether it carries Intel’s seal of approval or not. Of course, there's always new tech coming down the pipe. Intel has announced its 11th Gen Core "Tiger Lake" processors with Iris Xe graphics and Thunderbolt 4, with laptops shipping in time for the holiday season. And its likely that an AMD Ryzen refresh won't be far behind, bringing USB 4 to laptops. That's in addition to the possibility of Apple's first Arm-powered MacBook coming this fall. Quick Ultrabook / Premium Laptop Shopping Tips Get a good keyboard: Whether you’re using an ultrabook to browse the web, send emails, code, write or do other productivity work, the keyboard is one of your primary ways of interacting. Get something with responsive keys that aren’t mushy. Low-travel is ok if the keys have the right feel to them, but the last thing you want to do is “bottom out” while typing. Consider what you need in a screen: At a minimum, your laptop should have a 1920 x 1080 screen. Some laptops offer 4K options, though it’s sometimes harder to see the difference at 13-inches or below. While 4K may be more detailed, 1080p screens give you much longer battery life. Some laptops can be upgraded: While CPUs and GPUs are almost always soldered down, some laptops let you replace the RAM and storage, so you can buy cheaper now and add more memory and a bigger hard drive or SSD down the road. But the thinnest laptops may not have that option. Battery life is important: Aim for something that lasts for 8 hours or longer on a charge (gaming is an exception). For productivity, many laptops easily surpass this number. But be wary of manufacturer claims, which don’t always use strenuous tests. Some laptops are starting to add fast charging, which is a nice bonus. The Dell XPS 13 has long been celebrated for both its form and function. The laptop is tiny, but packs a punch with Intel's Tiger Lake processors and adds some extra screen real estate with a tall, 16:10 display (many laptops have a 16:9 screen). We also like the XPS 13's keyboard, with a snappy press and slightly larger keycaps than previous designs. The screen is bright, and we shouldn't take its thin bezels for granted, as Dell continues to lead on that front. Admittedly, the XPS 13 is short on ports, opting for a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports for booth charging and accessories. Its performance, portability and long battery life are likely to make up for that for those on the go. While some people may still want the power, large display and port selection of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, Apple has proved with the 13-inch version that its own home-grown M1 chip is capable of the needs of plenty of people. This is Apple's first step in breaking away from Intel, and it is extremely impressive. The 13-inch MacBook Pro runs cool and quiet, while the chip is faster than its competition in most cases. It's also efficient and ran for more than 16 and a half hours on our battery test. Many apps run natively on the Arm processor and those that don't use Apple's Rosetta 2 software for emulation. Even then, users will barely know that emulation is being used at all. Everything just works. The big difference between the Pro and the Air, which also uses M1, is that the Pro has a fan. Those who aren't doing intensive work may be able to save a bit and get a very similar machine by going with the Air, and they will get function keys instead of the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar. The MSI GE66 Raider is a gaming laptop, and it’s saying it loud with a massive RGB light bar. It’s new look is aggressive, but it’s not just talk, with options going up to an Intel Core i9-10980HK and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q. For those looking for esports-level performance in games like League of Legends or Overwatch, there’s an option for a 300 Hz display. And while it’s not the slimmest laptop around (or even MSI’s thinnest), it does feel remarkably portable considering the power inside, and we can’t help but appreciate high-end build quality. Lenovo’s ThinkPads have always been favorites, and the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 😎 continues that trend with a slim design, excellent keyboard and an excellent selection of ports to keep you connected to all of your peripherals. If you get the 1080p option, you can count on all-day battery life (the 4K model we tested didn’t fare as well, but that’s often the tradeoff for higher resolution among ultrabooks). Of course, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon also attracts one other audience: fans of the TrackPoint nub in the center of the keyboard. Asus has begun to refine the dual screen laptop. Sure, there's a more powerful version, but for a laptop with two screens, this one is fairly light, and ran for over 10 and a half hours on a charge. Windows 10 doesn't yet natively support dual screen software, Asus's ScreenPad Plus launcher has improved since launch, with easy flicks and drags to move apps around the display. For Adobe apps, there's custom dial-based software. The keyboard and mouse placement are the big compromises, as there isn't a wrist rest and they can feel cramped. But if you want two-screens, this is as good as it gets for now. If you’re going for a big screen, the Dell XPS 17 shines. The display on the laptop is bright and colorful, especially on the 4K+ option that we tested, and with minimal bezels around it, your work (or play) is all that’s in focus. With up to an Intel Core i7 and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, there’s plenty of power here. While it’s not on our list of best gaming laptops, you can definitely play video games on it, including intensive games that use ray tracing. All of that comes in an attractive design similar to the XPS 13 and XPS 15, though the trackpad takes advantage of the extra space. It’s a luxurious amount of room to navigate and perform gestures. One of the first 11th Gen Intel laptops we tested, the Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371 gives you a luxury look and feel. The metal chassis is ritzy, but not tacky. It has a beautiful 4K OLED display, and somehow still pulls off over 8 hours of battery life. While it offers decent sound for such a slim laptop, we still missed the fact that it lacks a 3.5 mm headphone jack. An USB Type-C to 3.5mm adapter is included in the box to plug into a Thunderbolt 4 port, however.

As more users have turned to online dating apps during the pandemic, scammers have taken notice and are now using these apps to trick users into becoming involved in fake investments. In fact, dating app scams have become so prevalent that Interpol recently issued a Purple Notice to its 194 member countries outlining the tactics used by these scammers. According to the notice, scammers have begun taking advantage of “people's vulnerabilities as they look for potential matches” in an effort to lure them into a sophisticated fraud scheme. We've put together a list of the best identity theft protection services Plan for your future with the best personal financial software Also check out our roundup of the best accounting software While Interpol is just now informing member countries of this scam, the number of online dating fraud and abuse-related attacks reached 4m last year according to research from Arkose Labs. Using dating apps for investment fraud The global scam targets new users that have signed up for dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, eHarmony and Hinge. Once these users match with a scammer and communication between them becomes regular, the scam artist then shares investment tips while encouraging them to join a scheme. The scammers also lure potential targets to download a fake trading app, sign up for financial products and “work their way up a so-called investment chain”, all while remaining in contact with them on the dating app where they first met. In order to encourage these users to part with their cash though, the scammers provide incentives such as the promise of reaching either a premium “Gold” or “VIP” status on the trading app through their guidance. Just like with a phishing campaign, the scammers do everything possible to make their scheme appear to be legitimate by using screenshots, lookalike domains and even customer service agents that pretend to help victims choose the right products. However, once a victim has been taken for their cash, they are locked out of the their investment accounts and the scammer cuts off all contact. To avoid falling victim to this and similar online scams, Interpol recommends that users remain vigilant online when someone they don't know asks for money, be skeptical about online investment opportunities, do their research, avoid sharing personal information and think twice before transferring money to someone they've never met online.

Jennifer Lopez has reacted to claims of her having Botox, saying she has never undergone cosmetic surgery. The international singer recently shared a video on Instagram, in which she shows her face after applying a mask from her beauty range. “Honestly, I cannot even see a line on my face, it is glowing and gorgeous and tight and yummy,” the In the Morning singer said. Some social media users, however, dismissed the idea that it was only a mask that contributed to the 51-year-old’s young skin, while some added that it was the result of Botox. “But can I just mention that brows and forehead doesn’t move at all when you talk or try to express… you definitely have Botox. And tons of it. And it’s all good. Just saying,” a follower wrote. Jlo, however, denied the claims and said, “…that’s just my face!!! ….For the 500 millionth time… I have never done Botox or any injectables or surgery!! Just sayin'”. “Here is another JLO Beauty secret: try spending your time being more positive, kind, and uplifting of others don’t spend your time trying to bring others down that will keep you youthful and beautiful too!!!” she added, as quoted by Independent.

Pressure is mounting on the injury-plagued playmaker with his performances coming in for close scrutiny as the Spanish champions struggle for form Loic Remy was bemused by Eden Hazard during their first training session together at Chelsea. "He didn’t defend well in the session," the French forward told Goal. "He gave away the ball and, at the end of training, I asked: 'You train like this?' "He was like: 'Don't worry, I am the boss.' But not in an arrogant way, as he can be casual when he speaks. "Then, along comes the first game for Chelsea and I am on the bench against Swansea City (September 2014). Diego Costa scored a hat-trick, so Jose Mourinho brings me on and I scored a debut goal, but only after Eden danced around the box with the ball before giving it to Oscar to set it up. "I was so happy in the dressing room afterwards. Then, Eden came up to me and said: 'Now you see who is the boss!'" How Real Madrid must wish Hazard still possessed such self belief. In Thursday night's Supercopa de Espana loss to Athletic Club, the Belgium international looked utterly bereft of confidence, a man tormented by doubt. AS observed that, at one point during the game, "he received a ball from Casemiro inside the area, but he clearly didn’t know what to do. "It was a constant feature of his game: he wanted to make something happen but could not – or perhaps did not know how to. Instead, he choked when facing defenders." "The terrible thing is that he is starting to replicate these performances on a regular basis. And the idea that he does not deserve to be a starter is beginning to circulate among the Madrid fans." Indeed, the following day, AS conducted a survey that found that 25 per cent of supporters wanted Hazard benched, while 44% of those polled called for him to be sold at the end of the season. It is not just the fans who are losing faith in the former Chelsea star either. "Hazard shouldn't be starting," Madrid legend Predrag Mijatovic told El Larguero. "But the one who decides and sees him in training is (coach) Zinedine Zidane. "Real Madrid play well without him, though, and that's the worrying thing." Hazard's numbers are certainly a cause for concern. Since joining Madrid in the summer of 2019 for €100 million (£88m/$112m), he has contributed just three goals and four assists in all competitions. There is, of course, one major mitigating factor: Hazard has been beset by injury issues. He has been sidelined eight times in just 16 months, missing more games for Madrid than he did during seven years at Chelsea. His fitness problems are a legitimate excuse for his struggles – but that is a cause for concern in itself. Hazard turned 30 earlier this month. There may be exceptions to the rule such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic but, generally, players only become more injury prone as they grow older. Hazard has been recently compared to Kaka, a world-class talent hobbled by injuries during his time at the Bernabeu. He still has time to turn things around, though. Firstly, despite Madrid's long-held interest in Kylian Mbappe, the club simply does not have the funds to sign the Paris Saint-Germain attacker. Given the current economic crisis caused by Covid-19, it is far more likely that president Florentino Perez will wait until next year before hopefully trying to sign the France international on a free transfer when his contract expires in 2022. Madrid would have to sell Hazard to raise funds for a summer move but, as it stands, there is simply no chance of them recouping even half of the fee they paid Chelsea for the former Lille star two years ago. Secondly, Hazard still retains the support of Zidane. It was the Frenchman who first suggested to Perez that he sign Hazard back in 2009 and, despite the mounting frustration among Madrid's fan base, the coach remains convinced that the No.7 will come good. "I don't think people are tired of him," Zidane told reporters after the 2-1 loss to Athletic. "You have to be patient with him. He wants to get out of this bad period. "It wasn't just Eden who struggled tonight (Thursday) either. We started the game badly, but he did well in the second half." In truth, Hazard was dreadful from the first minute until he was replaced midway through the second half by Vinicius Junior. Indeed, he is lucky that the young Brazilian has lost his way this season; otherwise, there really would be no reason to keep Hazard in the team. Still, he is undeniably facing being dropped. He struggled both as a central playmaker and as an orthodox winger against Athletic, and Marco Asensio, who has had his own injury issues in recent seasons, is now a better option on the left-hand side of the Madrid attack, as the Spaniard underlined against Athletic. Zidane seems set to persist with Hazard for now, which is unsurprising. He knows, more than most, what a game changer a fully fit and firing Hazard could be for a side that is struggling to score goals this season. There remains some sympathy among the fans and within the media for his rotten run of luck, with Zidane revealing that this has been a difficult period for the player "emotionally". But both time and patience are running out, and at a club renowned for its ruthlessness. Hazard remains a special talent but his confidence has understandably been rocked by his succession of setbacks. He is most definitely not the boss at Madrid, and right now, he is just lucky that Zidane is.

Morocco’s Head of Government, Saad Eddine El Othmani, declared today, January 19, that health authorities in the country are still uncertain about when they will receive COVID-19 vaccines. El Othmani made the statement during the monthly general policy session at the House of Representatives. This month’s meeting aimed to discuss the upcoming national vaccination campaign against COVID-19. The head of government blamed Morocco’s lack of awareness about the delivery date of its ordered vaccines on the competitiveness of the global market for COVID-19 vaccines. “At the international level, everyone is asking for vaccines and orders have reached more than one billion doses. Manufacturers do not have the ability to keep up with all the orders at once,” he explained. El Othmani also argued that the countries producing COVID-19 vaccines cannot begin exporting them until they meet their domestic needs. “Just like when we manufactured face masks, we did not export them until we achieved domestic sufficiency. These countries are doing the same thing,” he said. Besides the incapacity of manufacturers to produce enough vaccines, El Othmani mentioned that “rich countries” purchase vaccines by paying up to nine times the normal prices. “The scarcity of vaccines has led countries that have enough money to offer prices that are five times higher, and sometimes even nine times higher, than the normal price,” he claimed. The Moroccan official expressed his hope that the country will receive the vaccines as soon as possible. However, unlike health officials who claimed that the first lot of vaccines would arrive this week, El Othmani did not specify any timeframe. The head of government also promised that the national vaccination campaign against COVID-19 will begin as soon as vaccines arrive. Morocco initially announced the vaccination campaign in November, saying it will begin “in a few weeks.” However, after more than two months, health authorities seem to have no clue when it can finally begin.

Contra

Both are good but my vote goes to DH2 i liked that song so much

DH1 , Legendary song

i'ill vote for DH2 , i liked the song & i listened to it many times

The Corvette C8 is among the hottest commodities of 2020. Despite the on-going pandemic, fans and enthusiasts were crazy for the mid-engine sports car, which keeps Chevrolet so busy producing and fulfilling the orders for the rest of the year. So much so, in fact, that the 2021 model year is already underway. If you're unaware of the new things to see on the 2021 Corvette, Chevy puts its visualizer out there so you can, ugh, visualize what to expect for the next model year for both the coupe and convertible versions. We've configured our own coupe with these updates, which you can see below. Notice what's new? If not, here's a rundown. For the 2021 model year, Chevy adds two new exterior body colors – the Silver Flare Metallic (seen above) and Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat. Both colors will replace similar hues from the outgoing model year. The Stinger Stripe gets three new colors as well, which will be Carbon Flash/Edge Red, Carbon Flash/Edge Yellow, and Carbon Flash/Midnight Silver. For those who like a set of full-length stripes, Blue, Orange, Red, and Yellow will be available as options. Inside, there are only a few things added, led by the new Sky Cool Gray/Yellow Strike interior color. The infotainment system also gets wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto capabilities, which will be standard across the range. The updates aren't all aesthetics for the 2021 model year. The Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension can now be ordered even outside the Z51 package. A Buckle To Drive safety feature will also be standard. This feature won't allow you to shift from Park if you haven't buckled up for more than 20 seconds. There won't be any price change for the 2021 Chevy Corvette, at least for the base model, but there are reports that options and higher trims will cost higher. More importantly, it seems like it will be a long wait even if you order for one today.

It’s hard to imagine a more luxurious place to spend two weeks of quarantine than the Anantara Phuket Suites & Villas in Thailand, where visitors are pampered in private residences that can have their own pool and courtyard. Yet more than three months after the resort and more than a hundred like it reopened to extended-stay travelers in an attempt to revive Thailand’s battered economy, foreign arrivals have failed to meet even rock-bottom expectations. Just 346 overseas visitors have entered the country on average each month on special visas since October, according to the Thailand Longstay Company, which helps facilitate the program. That’s well below the government’s target of about 1,200 and a tiny fraction of the more than 3 million who came before the pandemic. The tepid response to Thailand’s highly publicized reopening illustrates the difficulties facing tourist-dependent countries as they try to shore up economic growth while also protecting citizens from Covid-19 before vaccines become widely available. Thailand had hoped to lure retirees escaping the European winter and others who could stay for an extended period. They would have to go through quarantine, but that could be done in the comfort of high-end resorts in a country that had been relatively unscathed by the pandemic. After two weeks, Thailand would be theirs to roam for as long as nine months. The lack of interest is adding pressure on Thai policy makers, who have struggled to accommodate both industry players calling for relaxed quarantine rules and public-health experts warning against putting people in danger. All the while, as the beaches stay empty, many tourism-related companies are going out of business. To make matters worse, virus cases have jumped in the country. “It’s really challenging to balance the demands of the tourism industry and locals,” said Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, president of the Phuket Tourist Association. “I understand how hard it is to be stuck in a room for 14 days. I’ve done it. But the safety of the people gets priority because tourists come and go but locals live here.” In 2019, Thailand received more than $60 billion in tourism revenue from about 40 million visitors. The industry contributed about a fifth of gross domestic product before the pandemic, compared to about 10% globally. But six months without any foreign arrivals followed by months with just a trickle has battered the sector. At least 931 registered tourism-related companies closed last year, according to a Bloomberg News analysis of data from the Commerce Ministry’s Department of Business Development. The real number is probably much higher as many tourism businesses aren’t registered in any database. On Thailand’s famed resort islands, the situation is particularly bad. Take Phuket, which got about 90% of its tourism income from foreign visitors before the pandemic. At Patong, its main tourist town, a once busy street of bars and nightclubs lies empty. Bangla Road is lined with shuttered businesses, with chairs stacked on tables and chains barring access. Dust gathers on the barstools and countertops. The few places that are open have barely any customers. “When there are no foreigners, the area is just empty,” said Rungarun Loiluen, who works at The Kitchen, a restaurant and bar at the end of Bangla Road. She’s one of eight employees who kept their jobs from about 30 before the pandemic, albeit with fewer working hours. “There’s barely anyone walking down the road.” On the next block over, Hotel Clover Patong Phuket has slashed its prices by as much as 75% to attract domestic travelers instead of its usual clientele of American, Russian and Chinese tourists. Still, it ran at about 10% occupancy in December, a period that used to be overbooked, according to Jessada Srivichian, the hotel’s country financial manager. Despite the government’s efforts to help tourism businesses, such as subsidizing the cost of hotel rooms, meals and airfares, domestic tourists who usually travel just on weekends can’t fill the gap left by foreign visitors. Even though only about half the country’s hotels have reopened, the average occupancy rate is only about 34%, Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said in an interview in December. “I’ve been in Phuket for 20 years and have never seen it this quiet,” Hotel Clover’s Jessada said. “We need international visitors. We’re not thinking of making a profit but instead focusing on minimizing losses, because as long as there’s a quarantine requirement, people won’t come.” The government should consider waiving the two-week isolation requirement for visitors from regions of countries with no local infections for more than 60 days, Vichit Prakobgosol, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said in late September. He was hoping to have the rule relaxed for visitors from some parts of China, Thailand’s biggest source of tourism income. But no such deal was concluded. “It seems impractical to double the duration of a trip to satisfy the local quarantine requirements,” said Ron Cooper, an American photographer and business consultant who traveled abroad for leisure several times a year before the pandemic. “Add to that the cost of staying in a hotel for two unproductive weeks — not a very attractive proposition.” Thailand’s approach contrasts with other tourism destinations that have been less cautious. The Maldives reopened to overseas tourists in July without requiring a quarantine, although a negative Covid-19 test is needed. The archipelago has seen more than 172,000 arrivals since then, according to Maldives Immigration data. While new infections increased in the aftermath, they’ve since declined. “It was bold, daring to open up the Maldives with all the risks attached to it,” said Dirk De Cuyper, chief executive officer of S Hotels & Resorts Pcl, whose December occupancy rate at Maldives properties was 70%. And that might be bad news for Thailand, he said. “Many travelers won’t buy into quarantine, particularly when other countries are opening up and they have no quarantine rules.” But most Thais opposed the reopening plan and are unlikely to want relaxed quarantine rules, partly because local residents live close to the resorts, unlike in the Maldives where properties are often isolated on their own islands. “If I had to choose between health and income, I’d choose health,” said Wiparad Noiphao, a fruit and vegetable vendor at Banzaan fresh market in Patong. “We have to prioritize safety.” As a compromise, the government’s Covid-19 task force discussed shortening the quarantine period to 10 days. But that has yet to be implemented because of concerns about new infections. The government has also approved six golf resorts as quarantine centers. “Any modification to the original plan would mean higher risks,” said Thira Woratanarat, an associate professor at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine. “There are many examples of free international travel that led to a resurgence,” he said, giving the example of Europe. “We should wait until the global virus situation has improved.” A resurgence of the virus has also weakened the case for easing quarantine rules. Thailand has seen Covid-19 infections more than double to more than 12,000 in less than a month. An outbreak that began in seafood markets and migrant communities has spread throughout the country. The government curbed travel in some high-risk regions but has so far refrained from imposing a broad lockdown. It has also extended its travel-subsidy program. Ultimately, the country won’t fully reopen until vaccines are widely available, government officials have said. Thailand plans to offer the shot developed by Sinovac Biotech Ltd. to frontline health workers and those with underlying conditions before the end of February. From May, it will give one by AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford, aiming to inoculate at least 33 million people, about half the nation’s po[CENSORED]tion, by the end of 2021. Questions remain about how international tourism will function as more people become vaccinated worldwide. Vaccine passports are seen as a way to get people traveling again, but whether and how they will be implemented is still unclear. It’s not even known whether vaccinated people can transmit the virus. Taking all this into account, the Bank of Thailand estimates that even in 2022, overseas visitors will still fall well short of the 40 million in 2019. It projects that 5.5 million people will visit this year and 23 million in 2022. The economy is estimated to have contracted 6% in 2020, the biggest decline since the Asian financial crisis. It’s projected to expand 3.5%-4.5% in 2021, according to the National Economic and Social Development Council. Despite the hit to the economy, the Phuket Tourist Association’s Bhummikitti says Thailand’s cautious reopening plan was the correct option, and the embattled tourism industry has little choice but to wait for vaccines to take hold. “We can’t close our borders forever, and we can’t let people in without strict measures in place,” he said. “So this controlled, gradual reopening is the best approach.”

The Blues manager confirmed his star midfielder has a hamstring injury, which raises concerns ahead of a clash with a rival for the European spots Frank Lampard has confirmed that N'Golo Kante isn't ready to return from his hamstring injury, with Chelsea travelling to face his former club Leicester City who sit above them in the table. Chelsea have been on a poor run of form which sees Lampard under increased pressure and the Blues in seventh place, six points behind Brendan Rodgers' side. The absence of Kante will be hard felt after he missed the win over Fulham through suspension upon picking up five yellow cards. The France international was expected to return, but he still isn't over a hamstring issue that bothered him after the 3-1 defeat to Manchester City. "Andreas Christensen's available, and N'Golo Kante, unfortunately, isn't, his hamstring isn't ready," Lampard confirmed in his press conference at Cobham Training Centre. The Foxes' only confirmed absence is Dennis Praet, who is out for three months with a muscle injury. However, Jamie Vardy pulled up and was subsequently substituted in his side's 2-0 win over Southampton and Rodgers confirmed fears about his fitness. "We hope so [that it is only a minor issue]," he told Leicestershire Live. "It was obviously sore and restrictive for him, so we thought we would take him off towards the end and give him some sort of breather. It was that impingement he gets on his hip." Chelsea have yet to progress on talks over incoming signings in the January transfer window but they have been willing to let players go. Fikayo Tomori is set to join AC Milan on a six-month loan that includes an option to buy him for £26 million ($35m). Along with that more, Chelsea flop and £35m ($47m) signing from Leicester Danny Drinkwater has joined Kasimpasa on a temporary deal until the end of the season. Lampard confirmed that the outgoings don't necessarily mean that the Blues will be making new signings in the winter window. "In terms of players, I think it is great for Danny to leave and go and play for himself to try and get some games," he added. "Fikayo's a developing player. As a squad, we had four centre-backs last year, and you can't play four in one game. You try to find consistency at different times. At one point Fikayo was in that, and then later on not so much. "This year we have five centre-backs, so the predicament is difficult for centre-backs who are not playing regularly. That's why he may go out on loan for his development, he's a young player and he's had a huge rise in the last two or so seasons since I've been working with him, and that will continue, and we'll find the best path for that. "I am not concerned with getting players out to bring some in at this point. I am trying to make sure the balance of the squad is right and if players do move on, then that's beneficial for them and our squad, I see that as a positive."

Rabat – The Global Firepower Index has ranked Morocco’s military strength in the 53rd position out of 137 countries across the world. The 2021 report shows that Morocco climbed three spots from the 2020 ranking, with a score of 0.8763. This year’s ranking also marks an improvement from both 2019 and 2020 rankings, when Morocco’s military ranked 61st and 56, respectively. It takes into account the potential war capability of nations based on different factors, including resources; manpower; finances; geography; and the country’s naval, land, and air forces. In terms of manpower, the report ranked Morocco 40th out of 138. It estimated the total available people in Morocco to serve military duty at over 17 million. Fit-for-service personnel in Morocco are estimated at over 14 million, while active personnel stood at 310,000. For airpower, the North African country also has 83 fighters, two tanker fleets, and four special missions. The report shows that Morocco equipped itself with heavy military equipment in terms of land forces. The land forces feature for Morocco shows that the country has 3,003 tanks, 8,000 armored vehicles, 510 self-propelled artillery, and 144 rocket projectors. The country’s defense budget is estimated at $6 billion. Morocco ranked fifth in Africa. Read also: Rabat Hosts 11th Morocco-US Defense Consultative Committee Session Despite an internal economic crisis, Algeria continues to dominate regionally, positioning itself as Africa’s second power in terms of military strength. The report ranked Algeria 27th worldwide and second in Africa in terms of military strength, with a score of 0.4461. In terms of manpower, the report shows that Algeria has over 20 million people ready to engage in military duties, and 1 million personnel fit-for-service. For equipment and logistics, the numbers do not show significant changes in terms of land forces. According to the report, Algeria has 2,024 tanks, and 7,000 armored vehicles, in addition to 300 rocket projects. The significant difference between Morocco and Algeria in terms of military strength exists, however, in their defense budgets. According to Global Firepower, Algeria’s defense budget is estimated at nearly $14 billion, far above morocco’s $6 billion. Both countries have heavy external debt, however. Algeria has an external debt estimated at $6 billion. Meanwhile, Morocco’s debt surpasses that of Algeria considerably. According to the report, Morocco has an external debt estimated at over $51 billion. In Africa, Egypt is the first military power and 13th internationally, followed by Algeria (27), South Africa (32), and Nigeria (35). The US tops the global list, followed by Russia, China, India, and Japan.