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Whether furry, feathery or scaly, critters complete many Kiwis’ lives. Here are the stories of some of Aotearoa’s animals ... and their humans, as told to Sharon Stephenson. James Sullivan, 30, is a landscape designer living in a Grey Lynn, Auckland, flat with three others. He adopted his 11-year-old, three-legged cat Buddy in 2017. I’ve always been an animal lover and had cats growing up. But it’s hard having a cat in a flatting situation. In a previous flat, we weren’t allowed pets so whenever the landlord came over, we had to Uber to a friend’s place with our cat Jojo until the property inspection was over. Poor old Buddy didn’t have the best start in life. A friend lived next door to him in Wellington and saw him limping around the garden. He took him to the vet who had to amputate his back right leg because it turned out his owners had kicked him. My friend also rescued Buddy’s sister who now, ironically, lives across the road from us. About five years ago my friend had to rehome Buddy because of changing circumstances. He put a note on Facebook and I jumped at the chance to adopt him. Not only because I wanted to give him a good life but he’s also such a character – the markings on his face make him look like he’s permanently grumpy. But he’s a really kind boy, almost a therapy animal. He’s so present and compassionate. He sleeps on my flatmates’ beds during the day but on my bed every night. When I come home, he’s always there to greet me and it’s like he’s trying to talk to me. Buddy has a really loud, near constant, purr and sits on the footpath waiting for people to pat him. I’ll be inside and will hear people say: “Hi Buddy,” and stop to pat him. Thankfully, Buddy isn’t good at catching birds, probably because of his missing leg. But he has caught three sparrows. Whenever he does, we put another bell on him. It’s quite funny watching him jingle as he hops around the garden on three legs. Buddy has been huge for my mental health. That unconditional love you get from animals is everything. I helped him and he’s helped me. Kate Mitchell, 33, lives with her partner on her parents’ 40-acre farm in Kaukapakapa, about 50km northwest of Auckland. She’s an award-winning professional body-builder and an account manager who works from home. The couple have 29 pets, including miniature ponies, cats, dogs, cows and a bearded dragon. I’m 100 per cent a farm girl – I was born and raised here and will never leave because it’s my peaceful place. I did live on the North Shore for two years but always felt slightly frazzled and could never get away from other people. In contrast, it’s like a petting zoo here with all these animals free-ranging around the property. They’re all pets and not for the dinner table, because I gave up meat when I was 5. My first pet, a cow called Midnight, disappeared one day and my parents told me he went to live up the road. But then they served me steak and it turns out Midnight had become my dinner, so I stopped eating meat because animals are friends, not food.

Over the course of the decade leading up to pandemic-plagued 2020, the Canadian auto industry’s passenger-car sector lost market share at an average rate of 6.5 per cent per year. As recently as 2009, passenger cars – Civics and Corollas, Mustangs and Miatas, Sentras, and Stingers – actually generated more than half of the Canadian market’s overall volume. But over the next ten years, the rate of car-sales decline in Canada was accelerating down a treacherous path. Car market share decreased by less than 4 per cent in 2013, by nearly 10 per cent in 2016, and more than 11 per cent in 2019, falling 18 points to just 26 per cent during that period. On top of that, 2020 turned that treacherous downhill into a sheer cliff-drop. More than one-fifth of passenger car market share disappeared. Total volume collapsed by nearly 200,000 units compared with 2019. Only around 320,000 of the 1.55 million vehicles sold in 2020 were cars. At 20.7 per cent of the market, the sprawling network of available car nameplates was outsold by full-size pickup trucks for the first time. Put simply, car market share isn’t just shrinking, and the rate it’s falling is gaining steam. Even if the rate of market share collapse was to stabilize, and the car sector loses “only” 21 per cent of its existing share each year, the category’s share of the overall industry would drop to just 10 per cent as soon as 2023. Nevertheless, inside the disaster zone that is Canada’s car market, a handful of automakers are selling tens of thousands of cars. The nature of a declining category actually causes demand to coalesce around the dominant players. As a result, the five highest-volume car brands now produce 60 per cent of Canadian car sales – that’s up four points in just one year. Brands such as Buick and Lincoln have stepped out of the car market entirely; Ford and General Motors only have their toes dipped in; and Stellantis (what we once knew as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) has only a token presence. Spoils to the victor? Well, sort of. The remnants of the car market do increasingly belong to a few top-tier competitors, but there’s not much in the way of spoils. To establish which auto brands still play a leading role in the car market, and which still rely on passenger cars for a significant chunk of their overall sales, we compiled this list by excluding brands that didn’t generate more than 1,000 total sales per month in Canada last year. That leaves out the low-volume marques prone to statistical anomalies. The result is a group of 10 that generated between roughly one-quarter and one-half of their 2020 Canadian sales volume from sedans, coupes, convertibles, hatchbacks, and wagons. What’s the one brand that still needs cars more than any other? Just under one-quarter of Acura’s 14,281 Canadian sales in 2020 came from the car side of the lineup. Of those 3,481 sales, the lion’s share (2,704) were TLXs, which was new for the 2021 model year. Long gone are somewhat affordable sport compacts such as the Integra and its RSX successor, and the outdated ILX serves as a weak sedan entry-point for the brand. Overall, Acura’s car sales were down 34 per cent, year-over-year, in 2020. That actually represents slightly better-than-average results during a horrible year for Canada’s passenger car market.Though critically acclaimed, swathes of Mazda’s lineup produce increasingly insignificant volume. Adding together the Mazda 3, 6, and MX-5 sold in Canada comes to 14,334 cars, a 39-per-cent year-over-year decrease. The 3 does the bulk of the work, with 12,769 sold in 2020. But that was a 40-per-cent drop from 2019 levels, and a far cry from the 50,000-plus sold in 2008. In an abbreviated sales year for the new CX-30, the Mazda 3 still managed to outsell its crossover offshoot in 2020. In 2021, however, that story is likely to change. Through the first two months of the year, the 3 leads the CX-30 by only 209 units. Hyundai: 29 per cent Only two auto brands in Canada sell more passenger cars than Hyundai. However, this Korean brand has rapidly shifted into the crossover era, and cars now account for only 29 per cent of Hyundai’s total volume. Just three years ago, cars such as the Elantra, Accent, and Sonata produced 55 per cent of total Canadian volume, but the Elantra isn’t even Hyundai’s top-selling vehicle these days. Of the brand’s 112,358 sales in 2020, only 32,910 were cars, including 22,000 Elantras. On the crossover side of the ledger, Hyundai sold 23,578 Konas.

As per the Organization of Rare diseases in India (ORDI), 1 in 20 Indians is affected by a rare disorder. More than 7,000 rare diseases are known and reported worldwide; from these approximately 80 per cent are known to have a genetic predisposition. Some of these “common” rare diseases we’ve heard of are inherited cancers (eg. breast, ovarian, and colorectal etc.), hemoglobinopathies (hemophilia, thalassemia, and sickle cell anemia etc.), auto-immune deficiencies, and lysosomal storage disorders among others, says Dr Aparna Dhar, head of department: medical genetics and genetic counselling, CŌRE Diagnostics. “In the year 2020, the world has undergone massive changes. It has made us introspect and re-evaluate our lives. We’ve started looking after our wellbeing by addressing issues associated with mental health and physical health. We’ve consciously tried to bring about lifestyle changes that have been coupled with teaming up with healthcare/diagnostic providers to give us a more personalised approach. One key way of doing this is by understanding if they have a genetic pre-disposition to a hereditary disorder,” she adds. A global study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, USA stated that 1 in 10 people who underwent predictive genetic testing, learned that they had a hereditary risk for a health condition and could actually benefit from preventive care. While no genetic test can accurately predict the exact date and time a disease may present, it will definitely be able to tell if an individual is at a higher risk vs the general po[CENSORED]tion risk. However, Dr Dhar says that there is definitely a lack of awareness around these genetic disorders, misconception about genetic diseases and testing, taboo talking about a potential familial disorder, and cost challenges. Below, she addresses some of these: What is a genetic test? Genetic testing is a type of medical test that identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins. The results of a genetic test can confirm or rule out a suspected genetic condition or help determine a person’s chance of developing or passing on a genetic disorder. More than 1,000 genetic tests are currently in use, and more are being developed. Genetic tests are performed on a sample of blood, hair, skin, amniotic fluid (the fluid that surrounds a fetus during pregnancy), or other tissue. For example, a procedure called a buccal smear uses a small brush or cotton swab to collect a sample of cells from the inside surface of the cheek. The sample is sent to a laboratory where technicians look for specific changes in chromosomes, DNA, or proteins, depending on the suspected disorder. The laboratory reports the test results in writing to a person’s doctor or genetic counselor, or directly to the patient if requested.Genetic testing can provide important, life-saving information. Interpreting the results is critical. It can be difficult for a medical doctor to understand the result if they don’t have specialized training in genetics. That’s why genetic counselors exist. They are trained in both medical genetics and counseling and work closely with your doctor to provide both clinical and emotional advice. They are available to guide, to make sure if you are a good fit for the test and help interpret results. Whereas for some, they might have second thoughts and might not recommend genetic testing as it is not for everyone. While there is perceived stigma of resulting to some disease or bad gene still lies, a counselor will help you understand what the results mean for you and your family. What useful information can genetic testing provide? *Genetic testing can provide clarity on the results, guide therapy selection and monitoring, and allow disease risk profiling *Family health history tells you which diseases run in your family *Identify risks due to shared genes *Understand better what lifestyle and environmental factors you share with your family *Understand how healthy lifestyle choices can reduce your risk of developing a disease The results of genetic tests are not always straightforward, which often makes them challenging to interpret and explain. Therefore, it is important for patients and their families to ask questions about the potential meaning of genetic test results both before and after the test is performed. When interpreting test results, healthcare professionals consider a person’s medical history, family history, and the type of genetic test that was done. A positive test result means that the laboratory found a change in a particular gene, chromosome, or protein of interest. Depending on the purpose of the test, this result may confirm a diagnosis, indicating that a person is a carrier of a particular genetic mutation, identify an increased risk of developing a disease (such as cancer) in the future or suggest a need for further testing. Because family members have some genetic material in common, a positive test result may also have implications for certain blood relatives of the person undergoing testing. It is important to note that a positive result of a predictive or pre-symptomatic genetic test usually cannot establish the exact risk of developing a disorder. Also, health professionals typically cannot use a positive test result to predict the course or severity of a condition. A negative test result means that the laboratory did not find a change in the gene, chromosome, or protein under consideration. This result can indicate that a person is not affected by a particular disorder, is not a carrier of a specific genetic mutation, or does not have an increased risk of developing a certain disease. It is possible, however, that the test missed a disease-causing genetic alteration because many tests cannot detect all genetic changes that can cause a particular disorder. Further testing may be required to confirm a negative result. In some cases, a test result might not give any useful information. This type of result is called uninformative, indeterminate, inconclusive, or ambiguous. Uninformative test results sometimes occur because everyone has common, natural variations in their DNA, called polymorphisms that do not affect health. If a genetic test finds a change in DNA that has not been associated with a disorder in other people, it can be difficult to tell whether it is a natural polymorphism or a disease-causing mutation. An uninformative result cannot confirm or rule out a specific diagnosis, and it cannot indicate whether a person has an increased risk of developing a disorder. In some cases, testing other affected and unaffected family members can help clarify this type of result. Path to well-being Genetic testing is not limited to only helping from a preventive and proactive perspective, but for those affected with disease; there is a shift to personalised medicine paradigm of disease modeling and targeted gene therapy which has yielded excellent results. In addition, the data from the Human Genome Project has helped us understand the stratification of genes as per their penetrance levels and in turn, help us give a personalised risk assessment to our patients.

Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what’s the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes. This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for the weekend of Saturday April 10th and Sunday April 11th. We can hope the forecasters will get it wrong, but it is looking like a cold and rainy weekend ahead of us. At least the first half of it, anyway. According to the National Weather Service, on Saturday there will be nearly a 90 percent chance of rain in the Cedar Rapids area after 8 a.m. The high will be 53 degrees and the wind will be breezy, with wind speeds of 10 to 20 mph gusting as high as 30 mph. There will continue to be a decreasing chance of rain through Sunday morning. Then, during the day on Sunday, the forecast is for it to gradually clear, with mostly sunny skies and a high temperature near 60 degrees. It will remain windy on Sunday, with a wind speed of 15 mph gusting as high as 25 mph. Iowa OSHA last year proposed penalties of nearly $20,000 against the Iowa Department of Corrections for workplace safety violations at the Anamosa State Penitentiary — including for not having reliable radios for correctional officers to call for help during violent attacks. The Eastern Iowa prison is where two inmates are accused of bludgeoning to death two employees March 23 in a failed escape attempt. The state occupational safety agency reported the Anamosa prison didn’t have reliable radios, failed to follow its own emergency response plan and didn’t have a handrail on all stairs, according to citations and notices of penalties filed Aug. 18, 2020. The total proposed penalties for those violations was $20,007. The union representing state workers contends that dropped radio calls may have been part of the reason two inmates were able to use prison-issued hammers to beat to death correctional officer Robert McFarland and nurse Lorena Schulte March 23 at the prison. Last month’s college basketball “madness” carried over to Iowa’s sports betting apps, with wagering hitting a new monthly record of nearly $161.4 million in March. Figures posted by the state Racing and Gaming Commission indicated the March betting topped January’s monthly record of $149.5 million. Most of the wagers -- 86 percent -- were placed via online sportsbook websites. Iowa’s monthly record for sports betting also was fueled by an aggressive marketing effort by the 11 sportsbooks that have entered into agreements with Iowa’s 19 state-licensed casinos to conduct legal wagering since the law took effect in August 2019 and online access expanded Jan. 1. U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson said she wants the president, vice president and House speaker to visit the U.S./Mexico border, as she did, and talk to overworked officials and witness the "human tragedy" of unaccompanied children crossing the border. The Marion Republican said she heard of "violent encounters, human trafficking and drug smuggling" at the border after touring a customs and immigration facility and speaking with Border Patrol agents and other law enforcement. "An agent told me he'd been with Border Control 20 years, and these are the worst conditions he's faced," Hinson said during a Friday call with reporters. "They were very clear their resources are strapped. They are not equipped to handle the emboldened traffickers." On Friday's call, Hinson criticized the Biden administration for undoing many of Trump's border policies, echoing other Republicans who have blamed Biden for the increase in migrants. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? CorridorCareers.com is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at CorridorCareers.com.

In 2021, the market for custom software development services and solutions is expected to enjoy explosive growth. In fact, the global market for business software is forecasted to surpass $600 Billion by 2025. The rapid rise of this highly technical market has already impacted several key sectors, including healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and transportation. As a tech-savvy individual, there has never been a better time to pursue a career in custom software. After all, the recent job outlook for developers is as high as 22%. Pursuing these opportunities, you will access an incredibly high rate of pay, develop a transferable skillset, and challenge yourself with a continuous learning curve. Read on to learn about how the custom software development market is expected to enjoy explosive growth in 2021. INDUSTRY GROWTH & EXPANSION First and foremost, the software industry as a whole has recently experienced massive growth and expansion. Undoubtedly, it is expected to continue to grow over the next couple of years. In 2020, the market size was valued at just over $375 Billion. Of course, this expected to rapidly grow to a massive $600 Billion by 2025, powered by major industry leaders like Microsoft and IBM. Naturally, this has been accompanied by massive job growth. While the industry had less than 25 million positions in 2018, it is expected to surpass 28 million by 2024. Looking further to 2040, the industry may even reach 45 million global jobs. Certainly, the custom software industry has been experiencing explosive growth in recent years. EXPANSION OF SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS In addition, the growth of the software development market can be largely be attributed to the expansion of powerful tools. Development teams across the globe rely on forward-thinking programming tools to maximize productivity, agility, and efficiency. For example, many experienced developers leverage spdlog, which functions as a fast, header-only logging library. This pioneering solution delivers a Python-like formatting API, which will supercharge your flexibility. Using this resource, you can bolster overall performance, accelerate product delivery, and minimize programming risks. Surely, the expansion of powerful software development tools has certainly impacted the industry as a whole. INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES Next, there are plenty of increased opportunities for software developers as the market continues to grow. Traditionally, software developers were limited to a handful of specialized positions. However, now there are plenty of pioneering career paths that programmers can follow. For example, you can work as a developer for smartphone mobile applications, video games, or computer 3D graphics. Simultaneously, many developers pursue careers in software integration, cybersecurity, and database administration. Other important job opportunities include configuration of APIs, WordPress themes, and website design. Indeed, the growing number of career opportunities has certainly impacted the market for custom software development services. GROWING INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS At the same time, custom software solutions have recently experienced a growing number of industry applications. In healthcare, for example, custom information systems are used for medical imaging, diagnosis, and research. Similarly, there are many custom-tailored solutions for ePrescribing, and hospital management. In the retail field, on the other hand, software products are constructed for payment processing, inventory management, and point of sale (POS). In fact, professionals in manufacturing may even use these tools for enterprise resource planning (ERP), computer-aided design (CAD), and product lifecycle management (PLM). Absolutely, growing industry applications have greatly impacted the market for custom software development services. SIGNIFICANT SECTOR CHALLENGES Of course, the software industry has certainly been facing significant sector challenges along its path to growth. Major factors like barriers to entry, high license expenses, as well as costly maintenance fees already act as a major challenge for software developers. Similarly, the industry faces continuous market segmentation based on product type, application functionality, and end-users. By learning to navigate these obstacles, developers like yourself can still remain successful in this thriving industry. Definitely, the growth of the custom software market has been accompanied by significant sector challenges. Several factors have allowed the custom software development market to enjoy explosive industry growth in 2021. First off, the software industry has recently grown and expanded significantly. In addition, the growth of software tools has helped teams across the globe maximize productivity, efficiency, and flexibility. At the same time, there are plenty of growing industry applications driving the expansion of the software sector. For example, many developers have begun programming digital healthcare products and services, as well as for industries like manufacturing or transportation. Of course, the software industry has been facing significant sector challenges along its path to growth. Follow the points highlighted above to learn about how the custom software development market is expected to enjoy explosive growth in 2021.

Lenovo is preparing a custom variant of the Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card for its Legion line of desktop PCs. The graphics card was announced a few months ago and now we get to see more detailed shots of the real product which looks mighty impressive & may even deserve the title of AMD's own BFGPU (Big Ferocious GPU). Lenovo's Radeon RX 6900 XT Legion Is A Huge & Ferocious Graphics Card Designed Specifically For Legion OEM PCs We know that the Lenovo Legion PCs will incorporate both the Radeon RX 6900 XT & RX 6800 XT Legion graphics cards. The overall design of the RX 6800 XT and RX 6900 XT Legion Edition is a rectangular shape and if you didn't notice, they look eerily similar to the Radeon VII, AMD's ultra-premium VEGA 20 GPU.The triple-fan cooler design, as well as the rectangular shroud, are the major similarities between the reference AMD and the Legion Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics cards. One small detail that you wouldn't notice at first glance is the "R" logo in a cube in the bottom corner. That is also a design feature of the Radeon VII. The major difference is that Lenovo has opted to add RGB lighting for the lettering on the card. The shroud features a nice black color scheme which can also be seen on the backplate. The backplate has been modified to feature the Legion brand's logo.Both the Lenovo Radeon RX 6900 XT & Radeon RX 6800 XT Legion are powered by two 8-pin connectors and the max TDP is 300W. Both cards do look to be slightly larger than the reference design and take up 3-slots worth of space. We don't know the exact clock speeds but Lenovo might just go with a small factory overclock considering the custom PCB design and the massive cooling solution onboard the Legion series cards. They both do feature 16GB of GDDR6 memory & 128 MB of Infinity Cache.It's currently unknown whether Lenovo themselves manufacture the Radeon RX 6900 XT & Radeon RX 6800 XT Legion Edition graphics cards or if they outsource to a third party. These cards look to be exclusive to the Savior Blade 7000P gaming desktops. The pairing in the 7000P systems with the Ryzen 5000 series processors will allow the system to take advantage of Smart Access Memory. The announcement of the card and desktop PC indicates that this beast of a card will most likely end up being a China-exclusive product.

Today's horror tech story comes from Reddit user UpvotesKitties entitled, 'An ant is stuck inside my monitor and I CAN'T GET RID OF IT.' As you can see a pesky little critter has decided to ruin this person's day by not just crawling inside their monitor, but also by darting across their screen like it's taunting them. As someone who is as terrified of bugs as much as this lady is afraid of pennies, having a bug crawl across my screen that I can't get rid of would most likely end in me throwing said monitor into a dumpster and lighting it on fire. The issue with bugs getting into your stuff, aside from the obvious cringe factor, is that they could actually cause serious damage to your gear. Bugs have been making their way into PC hardware since the dawn of time. The term 'computer bug' comes from when an actual bug flew into a computer back in the 1940s and we still haven't found a way of keeping them out. The greatest generation, my ass. What are your options for getting creepy little crawlies out of your gear? You can try a few things. Bugs love crawling into places that give off heat because it's safe and a comfortable spot for laying eggs. This is why routers and larger electronics are prime destinations for six-legged tourists. You could try turning off the monitor for a few days, making it a less than desirable hang for squishy squatters, and hope they leave of their own accord. Assuming you're not that lucky, you can use compressed air to try to blow the pest away. In cases like the video above, you run the risk of the ant getting stuck and dying where you can see it. If that happens, you can try this trick with a vibrating toothbrush that might wiggle the corpse out of the way. It won't get rid of the body, but at least you won't see it anymore. That's something. The last thing you want to do is actually try to squish the bug. Then, it'll be next to impossible to clean its smeared corpse without taking apart your monitor, which will surely void your warranty (and frankly is just gross). If that ant is still there, consider that you lost this one and that the monitor is no longer yours. Sorry. Jorge Jimenez is a Hardware Writer from the enchanted lands of New Jersey. When he's not filling the office with the smell of Pop-Tarts, you can find Jorge streaming bad games with his dog or binge-watching an irresponsible amount of superhero TV shows.

Undercover footage of “gratuitous cruelty and abuse” allegedly taken in an animal testing facility in Spain – which has previously secured funding from the EU and Spanish authorities for projects – has been published, provoking calls for the centre’s closure. Madrid-based contract research organisation Vivotecnia conducts experiments on a range of animals including monkeys, dogs, mini pigs, rats, mice and rabbits for the biopharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetic, tobacco and food industries. An animal rights organisation said the footage was taken by a whistleblower who worked at the facility between 2018 and 2020. It appears to show animals housed in barren conditions, being taunted, smacked and shaken, and cut into with no or inadequate anaesthesia. The footage, published by Cruelty Free International (CFI), appears to show technicians shaking and swinging rats vigorously to stun them into submission prior to dosing. Scissors were shown being used to decapitate young rodents. Rabbits were seen struggling in their restraint devices, falling and suffering injuries. Dogs are shown being picked up by the scruff of the neck and thrown into boxes or cages. Vivotecnia CEO Andres König categorically denied that there was a culture of abuse of animals used in experiments at Vivotecnia. “We work at all times to guarantee the quality of our work, always taking into account animal welfare,” he said in a statement sent to the Guardian. Some of the most graphic instances of cruelty include fully conscious rats having blood drawn out of their eyes – which CFI described as a usually “terminal” procedure meant to be conducted under anaesthesia. In another incident, a senior member of staff is seen drawing a “face” on the genitals of a male monkey who was pinned to the table while another staff member practised collecting blood from the animal’s leg. According to CFI, animals were also not always monitored – staff worked 8am–5pm on weekdays, and fewer hours at the weekend – and this led to the death of several animals. CFI said the whistleblower reported their concerns to senior staff but no action was taken. The footage appears to show practices in contravention of Spanish and EU law – directive 2010/63 – that, among other things, mandates suffering in animals used in experiments be kept to a minimum, added CFI, which is campaigning for the closure of the facility and an overhaul of animal experimentation laws. Veterinarian Joan Antoni Fernández Blanco, who works with the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, said he was surprised to hear of the allegations. “I don’t know of this specific case, but I would say that it is something really strange.” In Spain, any experimentation involving animals must be approved by an ethics committee, which often includes vets and researchers who specialise in working with laboratory animals. Legislation also sets out that all personnel working with animals for scientific purposes must have “adequate prior training”. Fernández Blanco contrasted allegations that the laboratory had at times carried out procedures without adequate anaesthesia with the requirement to minimise suffering. The animals must always be monitored, he said, and, if necessary, “you have to euthanise them if you consider they are suffering too much and they cannot be included in the procedure any more”. He added: “It’s not justifiable to allow a live animal to suffer and not take any kind of measure.” Once an animal’s physiology is altered due to stress, any testing data collected on that animal is essentially unreliable – ultimately it is in the best interest of the researchers to ensure the highest standard of animal welfare or risk “using a lot of animals for nothing”, he said. In a statement, CFI’s director of science and regulatory affairs, Dr Katy Taylor, said: “This footage shows yet again the dark side of regulatory toxicity testing on animals. The European commission tells us that directive 2010/63 not only protects animals used in science but that it also provides a strategy to replace animal testing. It does neither. “There are various examples of where the procedures were done so badly or the handling was so bad that they’ve breached directives, but … also we do have instances of gratuitous cruelty and abuse.” CFI has uncovered similar breaches of laws elsewhere in Europe, most recently at a facility in Germany. Facilities such as Vivotecnia that use non-human primates are meant to be inspected at least once a year, including announced visits. König said Vivotecnia has been audited annually and its facilities and processes additionally audited every six months. The facility has worked on projects funded by EU and Spanish authorities. “There’s clearly an issue with facilities not being inspected frequently enough in Spain and this is a good example of why there need to be more inspections,” Taylor said. “This is building a very strong picture that there’s something fundamentally very wrong with animal experiments in Europe.” In its statement to the Guardian, König said: “We would like to stress that at Vivotecnia Research animal welfare is a fundamental priority. The working procedures at Vivotecnia adhere to the European Union directive (2010/63/EU) for the protection of experimental animals, as well as to the royal decree RD 53/2013 establishing the basic rules that are applicable for the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes. “All our technical staff are trained according to the ministerial order ECC/566/2015, we have processes and protocols to control compliance with the internal code of conduct, which is monitored through a chain of command, the quality assurance unit, our designated veterinarians and the ethics committee, as well as by audits from clients and the authorities.” April 8 update: Shortly after viewing the footage, the regional government of Madrid, the authority responsible for overseeing the laboratory, confirmed it had begun a process to inspect the facility. 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Which way is Tesla (Tesla Stock Quote, Chart, News, Analysts, Financials NASDAQ:TSLA) headed? With climate change and electrification becoming more front and centre, you’d think everyone would be on board with the industry’s current EV champion, but opinions continue to be very divided over Tesla as an investment proposition. Some say hold your nose and buy, even at these high prices, since you don’t want to miss out on the sea change in automotives. Others, including Stan Wong of Scotia Wealth Management, say Tesla may be a great company but the stock is just too expensive to warrant your hard-earned dollars. Tesla’s share price rose this week with the release of glowing production and delivery figures for the first quarter of 2021. The company reported delivering 184,800 vehicles and producing 180,338, up from the fourth quarter of 2020 where it delivered 180,570 vehicles and produced 179,757. “We are encouraged by the strong reception of the Model Y in China and are quickly progressing to full production capacity. The new Model S and Model X have also been exceptionally well received, with the new equipment installed and tested in Q1 and we are in the early stages of ramping production,” Tesla said in an April 2 release. The news bounced the stock upwards to take back some of the ground lost in recent weeks with the wider market pullback on tech and growth names. Tesla is now down five per cent for 2021, which follows on the stock’s incredible run in 2020 where it returned a whopping 749 per cent. All those gains have shareholders celebrating and market watchers at odds over where the stock is headed from here. Count Wong among the wary when it comes to Tesla. “What you want to watch with Tesla is what’s happening with the rotation into value from growth,” said Wong, Director of Wealth Management at Scotia, who spoke on BNN Bloomberg on Wednesday. “It seems as though the last week or so, some of these higher growth names have started to pick up a little bit of steam and have stopped falling.” “A lot of that has to do with the fact that long-term yields in the US have stopped moving higher so the growth stocks are not in so much danger given the fact that rates have not moved higher. Rising interest rates do have a negative effect generally speaking on high growth type of stocks, including technology names including names like Tesla,” Wong said The other thing to watch out for is if Tesla breaks down below the 200-day moving average that could show a negative technical indicator,” Wong said. “Right now, that’s at about $527-$530.” Part of the more recent buzz around companies like Tesla has to do with the huge infrastructure package introduced by US President Joe Biden at the end of March. The $2-trillion package would see investment in transportation, water systems, electric grids and broadband, with electric vehicles getting earmarked $174 billion for rebates on car sales, tax incentives as well as the build-out of electric charging stations across the country. That should push Tesla even more into the forefront, says Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jones, who argued in a note on Wednesday that Tesla’s lead over other car companies in the EV space will be a difference maker. “It will likely be complicated by a labyrinth of national and local laws that will present advantages and disadvantages to various automakers, depending on the year that you choose to analyze,” Jones said. “Put it all together and we believe auto investors face greater risk not owning Tesla shares in their portfolio than owning Tesla shares.” Wong is not convinced, however, that even the promise of future dominance in the EV space is enough to justify Tesla’s current share price. “With Tesla you’re paying on a forward price-to-sales basis 13 times. To put that in perspective, the S&P 500 is trading at 3x price to sales,” Wong said. “So, absolutely, you’re paying for future growth and you’re paying for future revenues. The problem is if interest rates keep moving higher, those future revenues means less and less to investors today. To put Tesla’s valuation into perspective, at a $664-billion market cap Tesla is currently worth more than the next half-dozen automakers combined, or roughly, the rest of the auto industry. And while there is some catchup to be done on the part of legacy automakers, Wong says it will happen eventually. “Tesla is absolutely a great company. The product is strong. But, from a fundamental level, is Toyota, is BMW, is Mercedes going to sit on the sidelines and let Tesla continue to take market share in the EV market? Probably not, so competition is also a concern,” he said. “We don’t own [Tesla] in our portfolio [but] I think for investors who want to be more in the high growth/speculative part of the market […] you can hold a little bit depending on your time horizon, your risk objectives and so forth, but we just don’t have it in our portfolio,” Wong said.

Bank of America today said it will raise the salaries of its junior investment bankers amid growing scrutiny over working conditions at major banks. The lender said the pay boost, which will come into effect next month, reflects the heightened workload caused by a flurry of dealmaking during the pandemic. Read more: Pod Point hires Bank of America to help with float plan – report “Given our ongoing remote work environment — coupled with the recent pace of market activity as well as client requests and transactions — your contributions and commitment have become more important than ever to the continuous success of our deal teams and client relationships,” the bank said in an internal memo seen by City A.M. It is understood US-based analysts will receive an extra $10,000, while associates and vice presidents will be handed a raise of $25,000. Salaries for locations outside the US will increase by a similar percentage. Bank of America declined to comment. The bank is also launching a new scheme dubbed “Junior Banker Candid Conversations”, which it said will enable staff to give feedback on issues such as workload and work/life balance. Bank of America is the latest major bank to hand out additional incentives to staff amid concerns about conditions for employees. A group of Goldman Sachs bankers last month complained of “inhumane” conditions at the investment bank, saying 100-hour working weeks were damaging their mental health. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby today waded into the row, describing the working conditions as “plain wrong”. Read more: God vs Goldman Sachs: Justin Welby slams ‘unethical’ work practices Chief executive David Solomon has since vowed to ease the strain on junior bankers, including by further enforcing a rule stating they are not allowed to work on Saturdays. Meanwhile Credit Suisse has offered junior bankers a $20,000 “lifestyle” bonus and new Citigroup boss Jane Fraser has enforced Zoom-free Fridays at the bank.

BY JAY REEVES, Associated Press HALEYVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Tending a thrift store that displays a faded Trump flag in a nearly all-white Alabama county with a long history of going against the grain, Dwight Owensby is among the area's many skeptics of the COVID-19 vaccine Owensby, 77, said he doesn't often watch TV news or read the local paper, and he doesn't spend much time talking about the pandemic with others — it's just not a big topic in this rural, heavily forested part of the state. But he suspects the coronavirus pandemic was planned, as a discredited conspiracy theory holds, and he said there's no way he's getting any shot. “If it’s your time to go, you’re going to go. If it ain’t, it ain’t gonna bother you,” Owensby said. He isn’t alone in Winston County, which ranks last in terms of people who have been fully vaccinated in a state that has the country's lowest vaccination rate, according to federal statistics. To many here, the pandemic isn’t much of a concern. Businesses are open and relatively few people wear masks, even though Alabama’s rule requiring them to be worn in public wasn't scheduled to end until Friday. A Union stronghold where some pushed for secession from pro-slavery Alabama during the Civil War, Winston County is a prime example of a problem that health officials say they’ll have to overcome to end the pandemic: Many white conservatives such as Owensby aren’t lining up quickly enough for vaccines. The 25% of Americans who say they probably or definitely won’t get vaccinated tend to be Republican, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, and then-President Donald Trump carried 90% of the vote last year in Winston County, which was his highest margin in Alabama. The county’s po[CENSORED]tion of roughly 23,700 is 96% white, and many work in small manufacturing plants. More than 2,700 people have contracted COVID-19 in Winston County, putting it in the middle of the pack statewide, and 71 have died of the disease. Yet only 7.3% of the county’s residents, or about 1,730 people, had been fully vaccinated as of Thursday. That’s about one-third of the percentage in Alabama’s leading vaccination counties, which tend to be heavily Black and vote Democratic. As Winston County's sheriff and the publisher of the local newspaper, the Northwest Alabamian, which has covered the pandemic and vaccination effort closely, Horace Moore has a unique perspective. Whereas he and many of the paper's workers have gotten shots, Moore doesn't know of a single colleague on the sheriff's office's 33-person staff who has gotten one. “I wish they’d get it, but I’m the only one,” he said. Moore is baffled by the reluctance, which a poll commissioned by the state health agency in March showed isn’t unique to Winston County, which is about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Birmingham. It found that about half Alabama’s residents were either somewhat or very unwilling to be vaccinated. Skepticism cut across racial and ethnic lines in the poll, but a pattern is obvious: Both large and small, urban and rural, the counties with the state’s lowest immunization rates all have mostly white po[CENSORED]tions, and Trump carried all but one by wide margins in November. By contrast, counties with the highest vaccination rates are more likely to have large Black po[CENSORED]tions that favored Democratic President Joe Biden. The differences may reflect the politicization of the pandemic since its outset, with Trump repeatedly downplaying the virus' threat, at least early on, and Republican-led states pushing more aggressively to lift mask orders and restrictions meant to slow its spread. While state-funded public outreach and National Guard-run vaccine clinics have helped boost immunizations in mostly Black areas of Alabama, officials are trying to figure out how to increase them among rural white people who think shots are more dangerous than COVID-19, which has killed more than half a million Americans. “I would say we are struggling a little bit with how to develop a message to reach that group. It’s not clear what the most effective strategy would be to reach them,” said Dr. Scott Harris, head of the Alabama Department of Public Health. In Winston County — known as the “Free State of Winston” for its anti-Confederate tendencies during the Civil War — some say vaccine supply is more of a problem than vaccine reluctance. Lakeland Community Hospital in Haleyville said it has immunized more than 2,000 people and is awaiting additional doses. “Our only hurdle so far has been vaccine availability,” CEO Ashley Poole said in an email. Down the street from the hospital, a worker at a Walmart store was vaccinating people as quickly as she could on Monday, the first day Alabama expanded eligibility to everyone age 16 or older. Doctors at nearby Family Medical Associates often encourage patients to be vaccinated, but demand isn’t universal, said office manager Vijaya Reddy. “Some people want to take it and some do not,” she said. That description fits Sharon Harris and Kristie Mobley, co-workers at a rural convenience store. Harris already has had both her shots, and she wasn't nervous about getting either. “I was glad to,” she said. Mobley is among the leery, however. Her fiancé has gotten a shot, she’s helped others find vaccination appointments, and she knows people who had to go on ventilators after contracting COVID-19, but Mobley is waiting. She wants to see whether others suffer long-term side effects from vaccines, which officials say are extremely unlikely. “I’m just going to wait and make sure you don’t grow a third eyeball or something,” she said. ___ Associated Press writer Kim Chandler in Montgomery contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

During 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has showcased the immense importance of online communication. Regardless of location and network connectivity, communication technology has come into play more than ever before. In response to the increased need for digital communication, Google released Lyra in February of 2021, an innovative audio codec that uses machine learning to enable high-quality voice calls. In fact, determined to make Lyra the best it can be, Google has made the product open source, inviting other developers to operate their own communication apps and equip Lyra with powerful new capabilities. Developers can use Lyra to encode and decode audio, as the tool runs on the 64-bit ARM Android platform, including development on Linux. As the codebase continues to expand, developers aim to integrate the product with multiple platforms to accommodate a widening user community. The Lyra architecture includes two pieces: an encoder and a decoder. When a user speaks into their phone, the encoder registers unique aspects from their speech. Also known as features, these speech aspects are processed in chunks of 40 MS and then compressed to be sent over the network. The developer then has the responsibility to revert the features back to an audio waveform that can play out over the listener's phone speaker. A machine learning general model then decodes the features back into waveform. Indeed, Lyra is actually quite similar to traditional audio codecs that have essentially provided the backbone of the Internet for decades. However, while traditional codecs have relied upon digital signal processing techniques (DSP), Lyra takes a step further by using the generative model to create a high-quality voice signal. On-device compute power technology such as Lyra has helped mitigate challenges related to network connectivity. However, in some regions such as developing countries, technology must be adapted as much as possible in order to allow the onboarding of myriad new users. After all, the expansion of telework due to COVID-19 has further increased the need for reliable communication technology capacity. That is why the open source nature of Lyra seeks to advance accessibility for users. In addition, developers intend for Lyra to offer other advantages, such as archiving large amounts of speech, alleviating network congestion in emergency situations when many people are making calls simultaneously and saving battery power with the computationally inexpensive Lyra encoder. The Lyra development team opened the product to the open source community on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

The first pictures of Intel's high-end Xe-HPG DG2 GPU-based discrete gaming graphics cards and specifications have been leaked by Moore's Law is Dead. The leaker has not only posted the first pictures of the engineering board but also detailed the specifications and expected performance numbers of the flagship part. Intel's Xe-HPG DG2 High-End Gaming Graphics Card Pictured - 512 EUs, 275W TDP on TSMC 6nm Node, Performance Up To NVIDIA's RTX 3080 The Xe HPG DG2 GPUs based on the Gen 12 graphics architecture is a brand new design hence it is expected of them to feature brand new shading techniques such as these. Other than that, Intel discrete graphics cards will fully support ray tracing and a range of other capabilities such as Intel's own DLSS competitor which is internally being referred to as XeSS (Xe Super Sampling). As for the card itself, MLID states that the sample pictured is a very early engineering sample and not a final design. That is apparent from the green-colored PCB and a cheap plastic shroud which will be changed in the final version of the card. The pictures show the card running a dual-slot form factor with dual-fan cooling, a large aluminum fin heatsink, and the Intel logo plastered over a small acrylic panel (note the L is missing). Following are the first pictures of an Intel Xe-HPG DG2 graphics card's engineering sample. Do note that the following is not a final design. (Image Credits: Moore's Law is Dead) The card features an 8+6 pin connector configuration and MLID states that the expected TDP of the Intel Xe-HPG DG2 gaming discrete graphics card is expected to be up to 275W. The PCB or the back is not shown in the leak as it contains traces through which MLID's source could be tracked. Intel Xe-HPG DG2 512 EU Discrete Gaming Graphics Cards Specifications Each Xe-HPG based DG2 GPU SKU will come in various configurations which will range from the full-fat chip to several cut-down variants. This is similar to NVIDIA's Ampere GA102-400, GA102-200 naming schemes, or AMD's Navi 21 XTX, Navi 21 XT, Navi 21 XL naming conventions. The top DG2 512 EU variant has just one configuration listed so far and that utilizes the full die with 4096 cores, 256-bit bus interface, and up to 16 GB GDDR6 memory (8 GB GDDR6 listed too). Based on demand and yields, Intel could produce more variants of this flagship chip but we can't say for sure right now. The Xe-HPG DG2 512 EU chip is suggested to feature clocks of up to 2.2 GHz though we don't know if these are the average clocks or the maximum boost clocks. Also, it is stated that Intel's initial TDP target was 225-250W but that's been upped to around 275W now. We can expect a 300W variant with dual 8-pin connectors too if Intel wants to push its clocks even further. Intel Xe-HPG DG2 GPU Based Discrete Gaming Graphics Card Specs: Intel Xe-HPG DG2 512 EU Discrete Gaming Graphics Cards Performance & Features Once again, these are just a few of several variants that will be utilizing the Xe-HPG architecture. The Intel DG2 GPUs will be coming to both desktop and mobility designs later this year and are rumored to be based on an external foundry process node, most probably TSMC and its 6nm (N6) node. Besides that, some performance targets are also mentioned and the flagship Xe-HPG DG2 discrete graphics card is hinted to be as fast as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 which should put it close to the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT too. The 3DMark TimeSpy scores vary a lot based on various samples and end up somewhere between the RTX 2080 and the RTX 3090. The performance metrics could be for differently configured DG2 SKUs. It is stated that the company will have very good drivers but that depends on the timing of the cards itself as Intel could go two routes, either push the line back for drivers to mature or release them early but still offer good support but lack in terms of other features, similar to AMD's RDNA 2 which still hasn't received its DLSS competitor months after launch. The encoding and prosumer capabilities are also going to be very impressive for Xe-HPG graphics cards. Intel Xe-HPG DG2 512 EU Discrete Gaming Graphics Cards Availability & Pricing The leaker states that the card is nowhere ready for a launch until Q4 2021 or even early next year (proper availability). No AIBs have received proper information about the cards yet as the cards are still receiving design tweaks by Intel themselves. Prosumer variants are also expected but they will not be ready till 2022. It looks like the 512 EU SKU will be heading out to the consumer segment-first followed by 128 EU SKUs shortly after. The leaker also states that the successor to DG2 GPUs will be known as Elasti 'DG3' and has a release date scheduled for 2023.As for pricing, the mid-range cards are expected to be priced at around $200-$300 US which is what Raja Koduri considers to be the sweet spot for gaming. There's no mention of pricing for the higher-end variants but expect them over $500 US. Expect more information around the mid of 2021 related to Intel's desktop discrete gaming graphics lineup.

One of China's most po[CENSORED]r MMOs, Gu Jian Qi Tan Online, is coming to the West later this year. Entitled Swords of Legends Online, the "fully remastered and improved" version of the game will explore the timeless war between the forces of light and darkness, fought by those few chosen by the legendary (and hopefully metaphorical) sword buried deep within themselves. Swords of Legends Online will offer six playable classes—Reaper, Summoner, Bard, Spellsword, Berserker, and Spearmaster—each with its own unique arsenal, story, and style of play. As the game progresses, two specializations per class will become available, opening the door to even more powerful skills and abilities. The action will unfold across solo quests and multiplayer dungeons, 20-player raids, and numerous PvP modes, all of it built out of ancient Chinese legends and mythology. Downtime can be enjoyed from player housing located on islands that float high in the sky. "The overwhelmingly positive reception the game has received in China has filled us with excitement; it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the development team," said Jason Xue, vice president of co-developer Wangyuan Shengtang. "We are happy to have finally found a partner who specializes in bringing MMORPGs to Western audiences, and we are eager to welcome those audiences into the world of Swords of Legends Online." That partner is Gameforge, which publishes other MMOs including Tera, Metin 2, and Aion. "When I first encountered Swords of Legends Online, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the dazzling and unique visuals, captivating story, and compelling gameplay,” Gamerforge chief product officer Tomislav Perkovic said. "I knew that we had to immediately bring this enthralling title to a broader community of players in other regions."Swords of Legends Online will be available in three separate editions ranging from $40/€40 to $100/€100 on Steam, Epic, and directly from Gameforge. Pre-purchasing will grant you bonus in-game cosmetics, access to closed beta tests, and a chance to reserve your character name ahead of launch. For more information, hit up gameforge.com. Andy covers the day-to-day happenings in the big, wide world of PC gaming—the stuff we call "news." In his off hours, he wishes he had time to play the 80-hour RPGs and immersive sims he used to love so much.

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Ramadan is the right time to start empathizing with stray animals, according to the founders of a natural living environment hosting hundreds of dogs here in the Turkish capital. Volkan Koc and Emre Kapan established the Patilikoy foundation, which can be translated as Pawsville, 11 years ago to rescue stray animals in need and provide rehabilitation in a natural environment. Patilikoy currently hosts 700 dogs that are not self-sufficient and most are physically disabled or psychologically traumatized. "Our primary goal is rescuing the animals which have been the victim of an accident or exposed to violence; as well as providing them with a beautiful natural habitat, and instilling people with love for animals," Kapan told Anadolu Agency. Noting the coronavirus pandemic negatively affected the budget and visitors, he said: "Our visitors used to come here very often, especially university students. Because this is a social project, we instill a love for animals. But with the pandemic, the number of our visitors has declined." "We had visitors even from the United States," he said. "They told us that they had never seen such a place built for stray animals and that Patilikoy sets an example for the whole world. Unfortunately, instead of promoting and introducing such places to the world, people ignore them." Voluntary heroism Underlining that their entire operation is run solely on volunteer work and private donations, Kapan said: "We somehow try to sustain this place with the support of volunteers and the money that is left from our personal budgets. Is it enough for all these souls here? Certainly not. We receive no official support, subsidy. It is maintained completely by volunteering animal lovers." "A person who has a pet certainly knows the costs, the expenses. And we take the dogs especially with health problems, which means higher expenses. That is, the number of volunteers and the support we receive from them is not enough. Still, we do our best," he added. Koc said that Patilikoy is a nursing home with an acknowledged legal title. "We would appreciate it if the government could support us," he said. "We host over 600 lives here, and many of them have disabilities. Indeed, we ease the duty of the government, voluntarily and lovingly. Yet certainly, we would be grateful if they could support us with basic needs such as food, firing, or repairing work." Kapan went on to say that affording veterinary and health care services, food, and heating in winter were the most significant challenges they faced. "To reduce the po[CENSORED]tion of stray dogs, we need support, especially with the sterilization of dogs," he said. Koc said sterilization of stray animals was an issue that local municipalities must support. "Many municipalities gather stray dogs and leave them on the mountains. But unless you are a wild animal, no one can find food on a mountain. Therefore, living in the cities is their most natural right." "The society should get used and learn to live with them. The government can raise awareness in public on this issue," Koc said. Koc added that the dream was to see more places like Patilikoy, where animals who were not self-sufficient would be cared for in natural living environments, fed and treated, sterilized and loved. Shelters are not natural habitats Koc said animal shelters are merely prison camps for animals, not a living environment. "No living being must be locked up among walls unless it committed a crime." Marking that streets became natural environments for animals after humans built cities, he said stray animals must be treated, sterilized, and returned to their neighborhood in 21 days, as envisaged by the law on animal protection. "Instead of chasing stray animals away, throwing rocks at them, people can leave a bowl of water and food leftovers for them on the streets; this will change animals' perception of humans, too," said Kapan. With the upcoming Ramadan month in mind, when people fast to empathize with those devoid of food and water, he said: "People can hardly endure the thirst and hunger especially in hot days and cold weather, yet most street animals are always hungry, always thirsty. We must see the month of Ramadan as the most effective, perfect time to try to understand stray animals." "You see them, then look away. Someone else sees them, then looks away. But maybe the person who looks away is their last chance to survive," he said. The pair reminds us that leaving a bowl of water is neither tiring nor time-consuming. "We expect people to be more sensitive as summer approaches," they said. Different stories, same solution "Every single dog here has a different story; some had traffic accidents, some had a disease, some abused, exposed to violence. We take those who cannot support themselves from the streets to here, treat them, heal them, rehabilitate them. Once they recover, we try to find a family, a home for them," said Kapan. Pointing to an exorable German Rottweiler, Kapan said: "Pasha was found with marks of a strong blow on the head. Both of his eyes had gone blind. He had three operations to no avail. Animals like him cannot survive on the streets; they can be hit by cars or hurt by other dogs. That is why we need more places like this." He added that they expect governments worldwide to encourage, promote and support the establishment of foundations like Patilikoy. Reminding that Turkey's law on the protection of stray animals indicates stray animals are residents of the neighbors they live in, Koc said some people might tend to refuse to recognize the law and expect animals to leave the zones near neighbors, apartment complexes, mosques and schools by leaving not many places for them to go. Kapan put forth that humans occupied the natural habitat of the animals while building cities. "As a community, we need to learn to co-exist, to acknowledge the cities are their habitat as well," he said.

Bhopal-based bootstrap EV start-up Enigma Automobiles is looking to seal a sales deal with a Bengaluru-based B2B company to supply 2,000 vehicles. Besides, the firm is also looking at another deal for a supply of 400-1,000 vehicles to two major e-commerce players, Amazon and Flipkart, in the country, said its co-founder Anmol Bohre. The firm, which is into the market for over five years now, sold around 1,200 e-scooters and 300 e-rickshaws last fiscal, he added. Bohre also said that this financial year, the firm also plans to expand its portfolio by three more models, including a high-speed scooter, from two with six variants currently. Enigma Automobiles has a manufacturing facility in the Mandvi Industrial area of Bhopal, which has a capacity to produce around 4,500 vehicles per annum. "We already have sold some vehicles to both Amazon and Flipkart. In addition to this, there might be a deal selling another for 200-500 vehicles to them. At the same time, we are also in discussion with a Bengaluru-based company for 2,000 vehicles," said Bohre. He said the company has, of late, been focussing on the fast-expanding two-wheeler segment, and is setting up a bigger facility to cater to the increased demand for its vehicles. "We are expanding our product line by three models this fiscal. Two of them will be bikes and one a high-speed scooter, which is expected to come out in the last quarter of the fiscal," he said. Stating cost-effective products, which offer value for money, as the SP of Enigma in the market, Bohre said. Enigma is also working on a home-grown lithium-ion battery unit, he added. "We have been seeing a good growth rate in the past two years, clocking nearly three times growth during the period. We are expecting to cross Rs 10 crore revenue this fiscal," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)