BirSaNN

I’ve replaced real conversations with texted chats and I miss speaking to the people I love Annie Macmanus Mon 26 Dec 2022 10.00 GMT Lately I’ve been feeling disconnected from my friends, which is strange, as I speak to them all the time. When I say “speak”, I mean we send messages to each other on WhatsApp. I hear their voices when they send voice notes. But mostly we type. WhatsApp is indisputably convenient. Free to use, intuitive, immediate and, when it comes to group chats with friends, collective fun. A brief scan of my recent chats reveals a copious amount of memes, a photo of my friend’s new six-pack, a rant about someone on telly, an exchange of photos of cold sores, a pet video, a podcast recommendation and yet another attempt to arrange a get-together. I am in two WhatsApp groups that function solely to try to organise an IRL meet-up, which never happens. At least we have WhatsApp. WhatsApp has managed to commandeer every connection I have in my life, from my 80-year-old mother to the woman who shapes and tints my brows. Thanks to the app I can find out in seconds that it’s non-uniform day at my kids’ school, that I’m supposed to be on a Zoom call or that Beyoncé has a new single out. I can send a voice note to my management team explaining something on the fly while I’m dragging my children home from school. I can get the lowdown on a night out with a group of friends, via voices notes and text, covering eight different perspectives of one room. But if I wanted more perspectives, that’s available too. This year, the app increased the limit of people allowed in a WhatsApp group chat from 256 to 512 people, and then to 1,024. Just in case you needed to organise a rally or a rave. Unsurprisingly, there are downsides to WhatsApp. According to a 2017 study, having lots of chats on the go and a “high sensitivity” to read receipts can be linked with “negative psychological consequences”. How does a messaging app ensure that its users always come back? By making sure the chats never end. Now, I have all my notifications turned off, I use my mute button regularly, I control the app – it doesn’t control me! So why do I feel as if WhatsApp is at the heart of this feeling of disconnection from my friends? In this past year, I have allowed WhatsApp chats to replace real-time conversations. Instead of thinking of a friend and picking up the phone to call them, I open a WhatsApp chat and send a quick “Hi babe, how was your weekend?”. I tell myself it doesn’t take up their time. It’s there as and when they’re ready to reply. And so begins a two- or three-day-long saga of suspended initiations and anticipated replies. Over the course of the interaction, depending on how many other things we are doing at the time, our replies become rushed and scrappy and eventually nonexistent, until one of us starts another one. I have lost count of the chats that I have started or joined in enthusiastically, only to then be distracted by work or family, and forget to reply. I hate the thought that I have left my friends hanging in the digital ether, waiting for me to get back to them. And I hate being the one left hanging. Slowly, because of this neverending nature of WhatsApp messaging, this conversation I started with someone I love becomes a chore. It’s like only being allowed to eat nibbles for two days straight. No hungry person is satiated with nibbles. A woman leaning against a wooden wall stares directly into the camera A moment that changed me: summer in New York taught me to reject shame and grab life with both hands Read more In that creeping, insidious way that tech has of influencing our behaviour, WhatsApp has become all-consuming. When it first arrived, I didn’t have a burning desire to replace my real-time phone conversations with texted chats. I didn’t feel as though I was spending too much time on the phone speaking to my friends. I miss those conversations now. So for next year, I want to bring back something that I used to do as a regular part of my day. Every time I go to initiate a chat with a friend on WhatsApp, I will phone them instead. Even if it’s a rushed and short conversation, I’ll take it. I’m hoping for a beginning, a middle and an end. To say goodbye and have it reciprocated. Some revelations. Some belly laughs. And when I get the opportunity to have a long, meandering conversation, where we talk about life and figure things out together, I’m hoping to feel filled up, nourished and energised – just like after a good meal. The WhatsApp chats will still happen, but they won’t forsake real-life conversations with the people I love. No more nibbles. I want a big feed and an empty plate. link: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/dec/26/annie-macmanus-get-off-whatsapp-call-friends-thing-ill-do-differently

A Ukrainian drone attack on an airbase for bombers in southern Russia has left three people dead, Moscow says. Air defences shot down the drone near the Engels base, but falling debris fatally wounded three technical staff, the defence ministry said. Earlier this month, Russia accused Ukraine of a similar attack on the airfield, home to bombers that have carried out missile attacks on Ukraine. The base lies about 650km (400 miles) north-east of Ukraine's border. The Ukrainian military did not officially admit to the latest attack, but air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said the explosions were the result of what Russia was doing on Ukrainian soil. Hours afterwards Russia's FSB security service announced it had killed a four-strong "sabotage group" trying to enter the Russian border region of Bryansk from Ukraine armed with improvised explosive devices and German-made submachine guns. The FSB released video of what it said was the "liquidation" of the group, although there is no independent confirmation of the incident. The latest drone attack inside Russia will come as an embarrassment to Russian authorities, coming so soon after the two 5 December attacks hundreds of kilometres from the front line - both at the Engels base and in the Ryazan region. At the time Russia also blamed falling debris for the deaths of three servicemen and what it described as light damage to two aircraft. Social media early on Monday posted videos of blasts and air sirens in the vicinity of Engels airfield. Russia's defence ministry said later that its air defences had shot down the drone flying at low altitude at about 01:35 on Monday (22:35 GMT Sunday). Saratov governor Roman Busargin expressed his condolences to the men's families and friends, and said there was "absolutely no threat to residents" in the town of Engels itself. The Ukrainian air force spokesman said satellite imagery of the airfield would soon reveal the full damage from Monday's attack, adding that earlier blasts had damaged aircraft at the base. The Engels air base has been repeatedly used by Russia to carry out missile strikes on various targets in Ukraine since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February. The Kremlin has accused Ukraine of attacking its territory before, but the latest incidents have taken place far deeper in Russian territory. After the 5 December attacks, there were widespread calls for tightened security around Russian military installations and the latest attack suggests that has not happened. Separately on Monday, Ukraine's foreign ministry demanded Russia's removal as one of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and called for its exclusion from the UN "as a whole". There is currently no clear mechanism to replace a permanent Security Council member. However, Ukraine argues that Russia illegally took over the old USSR seat when the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. Ukraine accuses Russia of abusing the veto power given to each council member, citing examples of Moscow blocking resolutions on the Syria war and the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine. link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64092183

This year Qatar became the first Middle Eastern country to host the FIFA World Cup. Rabat - Qatar-based sports broadcaster BeIN Sports on Monday announced that it has hit a “record-breaking” viewership of more than 5.4 billion cumulative views throughout the Qatar World Cup on its BeIN Sports channel across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The World Cup final, which ended with Argentina clinching the tournament’s trophy after beating France, garnered a “staggering” 242.8 views on BeIN Sports’ free-to-air channel, the media network indicated in a statement. Viewership was notably high in Qatar where 93% of the adult po[CENSORED]tion watched the final game. The host nation was followed by Morocco, with 91% of the North African country’s adult po[CENSORED]tion watching the game. In addition, the final World Cup match garnered a cumulative viewership of 25 million on BeIN Sports’ Youtube channel. Meanwhile, Morocco and France’s semi-finals game, which ended with the elimination of the Atlas Lions, recorded 186.1 million views on BeIN Sports, noted the statement, adding that 99% of Morocco’s adult po[CENSORED]tion watched the game. The statement added that the total viewership of the World Cup matches across BeIN Sports’ 24-country coverage area across the MENA region has increased by 135% in comparison to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Read also: Erdogan: Cristiano ‘Politically Sanctioned’ in World Cup for Supporting Palestine In addition, the average TV viewership per game witnessed a notable increase of 44.4 million views compared to the Russia World Cup coverage. BeIN Sports, the exclusive broadcast rights holder of the Qatar World Cup, celebrated its record viewership during this year’s tournament, “the first held in the Middle East.” “It’s incredibly special for us that the first World Cup in the Middle East has broken regional viewership records with more than 5.4 billion cumulative views across the month-long tournament,” said BeIN Sports CEO Mohammad Al-Subaie. In addition, the sports channels group highlighted Morocco’s heroics at the tournament, saying that among the four participating Arab nations, the Atlas Lions “went the deepest, recording landmark victories over Spain and Portugal.” link: https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2022/12/353228/bein-sports-hit-record-breaking-viewership-during-qatar-world-cup

Nick Movie: The Drop Time: January 13th 2023 Netflix / Amazon / HBO?: ? Duration of the movie: 1h 47m Trailer:

Live Performance Title: Ceca Konzert Bec 2019 Signer Name: Ceca Live Performance Location: - Official YouTube Link: Your Opinion About the Track (Music Video): 10/8

Music Title: Sao Cũng Được Remix | Thà Yêu Lấy Một Người Bình Thường Remix | Nhạc Tik Tok Hay Nhất 2022 Signer: - Release Date: 26/12/2022 Official Youtube Link: Informations About The Signer: - Your Opinion About The Track (Music Video): 10/6

I think it's a bad idea about that. and what do you think gys ? @-Sethu @-Artisan @Like a BOSS @NO_MERCY @[Ty]M@g0k1l3r @Palestine. @Error 404 ?

• Name: @BirSaNN • Time & Date: 00:30 / 26/12/2022 • Screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/LTV0UNw

Rishi Sunak has surprised public servants working across the world over Christmas with a personal phone call to thank them for their efforts. Instead of a traditional message to the nation, the PM called diplomats, Royal Navy crew and a childcare provider in Pakistan, Somalia, Ukraine and the UK. Mr Sunak said he was grateful for their "sacrifice" over the festive period. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer used his message to pay tribute to the Ukrainian people and those working at Christmas. Sunak urges allies to boost Ukraine support £20 daily bonus for troops on Christmas strike duty In the UK, Mr Sunak spoke to Chris Mitchell, who runs Smart Play, a government-funded holiday activities and food programme in Barnet, north London. The prime minister also called Svita Yavorska, who works for the UK's embassy in Ukraine. She told Mr Sunak how she had fled to Poland, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, helping to set up a temporary base there, before returning to the city of Lviv in western Ukraine. Speaking to diplomat Nic Guffog, who is based in Mogadishu, Mr Sunak heard how staff at the UK's diplomatic compound were living in containers under the threat of terror attacks, as they supported the Somalian government to counter the militant Al-Shabaab group and deal with the hunger crisis facing the country. He also spoke to some of the crew of HMS Protector, which is currently deployed off the coast of the South Sandwich islands in Antarctica. It comes as the UK is facing a wave of industrial action, including by NHS and Border Force staff, with members of the armed forces stepping in to cover striking workers. Although Mr Sunak did not follow the tradition of recording a Christmas message that is broadcast to the UK, he did issue a statement. Mr Sunak said: "Whether you are working in Mogadishu or Milton Keynes this Christmas, I want you to know that I am personally grateful for your sacrifice. "This year has been an extraordinary year for so many reasons, but most of all, it's been a year in which the true spirit and resilience of the United Kingdom has been on show, from the support given to our Ukrainian friends, to the work being done to ensure essential aid reaches the most vulnerable overseas. "And closer to home, those who have checked on friends and neighbours, volunteers, public servants and essential service staff all working over Christmas - I am truly humbled by your dedication and I know your selflessness this festive season will spread cheer across the country." Mr Sunak also tweeted a short video to the people of Ukraine, writing: "This Christmas, we're with you..." And in a Christmas message on Twitter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the prime minister and British public, saying he was "grateful" for their support and "warmth of your hearts". In his annual Christmas message, Labour's leader acknowledged that for many people in Britain "life is tough at the moment". "But Christmas is a reminder that we will endure, that things will get better," Sir Keir Starmer added. "I hope this Christmas is a joyous and relaxing time for you, however you are spending it. I'm looking forward to sharing my time with my family, away from the day to day of work," he said. "But as I do I will be keeping in my heart all those who are working to keep us safe. Those looking after the less fortunate, and our friends in Ukraine, facing the horror of Putin's appalling attacks. Their struggle for freedom inspires us all." SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon used her festive message to offer a "heartfelt thanks" to public sector workers and noted "tough times" for Scotland. She said: "Especially after the past two Christmases, I know most of us will be really looking forward to this festive period. "Of course, the cost-of-living crisis is making this a very hard winter for many. So this Christmas, it's important for all of us to also think about how we can help others." In his message, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: "For me, the message of Christmas is for us to treat others as we would wish to be treated and the symbol of Christmas is light - the light of hope, in the darkest week of the year. "Hope that we all desperately need for these most challenging of times." link: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-64079793

The average life expectancy of a dog is more than 10 years, but life span varies greatly among different breeds. Dogs grow up much faster than humans, meaning these furry companions often do not live as long as their owners. But how long do dogs usually live? A dog's life span may depend strongly on its breed, according to an April 2022 study in the journal Scientific Reports(opens in new tab). By analyzing the ages of more than 30,000 dogs that died between 2016 and 2020, scientists calculated the average life expectancies of 18 breeds and crossbreeds in the United Kingdom. The dogs had an overall average life expectancy of 11.2 years. However, the life span of these canine companions varied by breed. Related: Why do parrots live so long? The creation of breeds about 150 years ago allowed dog breeders "to give flight to our whims and desires for how wild and extreme we could reshape the canine body," said study senior author Dr. Dan O'Neill(opens in new tab), a veterinarian and epidemiologist at the Royal Veterinary College in Hertfordshire, England, told Live Science in an email. Given that many of these dogs no longer had a working function, such as herding or retrieving or guarding, "the requirement for good health was no longer a constraint" in creating new breeds, he noted. The researchers found that small dogs had longer life expectancies than bigger canines. "The life expectancy advantage for small dogs actually flies in the face of the basic rules of life expectancy across species in the natural world, where smaller species generally live shorter lives than larger species," O'Neill said. "A mouse might expect to live one to two years, whereas an elephant may expect to live 60 to 70 years." (Some other research suggests this general size-linked trend in longevity seen across species may not always hold within a species; for instance, while a 2019 study(opens in new tab) suggested larger women may live longer than smaller women, this may not hold true for men.) One possible explanation is not that small dogs live longer, but that the larger breeds live shorter. Breeding may have resulted in large breeds that grow very rapidly compared with their predecessors, triggering early-onset diseases, such as osteoarthritis and cancer, O'Neill said. In addition, the deaths of 90% of dogs in the United Kingdom involve euthanasia, so their life span "is heavily influenced by human decision-making," O'Neill said. It may be more difficult to care for larger breeds of dogs with mobility issues than smaller ones, or the financial costs of medical treatments may be greater for larger dogs than smaller ones as they age, he noted. The scientists also found that the life expectancy of crossbred dogs was 11.8 years, about 6 months more than the average of the group as a whole. This matches previous research suggesting that hybrids are often healthier than purebreds, O'Neill said. Female dogs also generally lived longer than male canines, although whether this was true varied across breeds, he noted. Neutering was also generally linked with a longer life expectancy, potentially because it is often associated with stronger owner responsibility and better care, and perhaps because it may reduce or eliminate a number of health problems linked with reproductive organs and hormones, such as tumors. All in all, the scientists found that Jack Russell terriers had the highest life expectancy, at 12.7 years, while French bulldogs had the lowest life expectancy, at 4.5 years. "Sadly, while many breeds did retain a basic healthy body shape — for example, the Labrador retriever — several other breeds followed a pathway to extreme body shapes — for example, the English bulldog," O'Neill said. Soon after breeding created these major physical differences, "the serious health issues linked to these extreme body shapes started to become apparent," he said. Jack Russell terriers may live longer than other breeds as part of the trend that smaller dogs live longer, O'Neill said. In addition, they were not bred to have an unusual body shape that might limit their overall health. "These little dogs were bred to be hardy and benefited by not being constrained to fitting a pre-defined breed standard," O'Neill said. "Essentially, these are the archetypal healthy little family companion dog." Other dogs with long life expectancies also have body shapes similar to closely related wild species such as wolves, coyotes and foxes, which evolutionary forces likely optimized for survival and health, O'Neill said. For instance, the average life expectancy was 12.5 years for Yorkshire terriers, 12.1 years for border collies and 11.9 years for springer spaniels. In contrast, in addition to French bulldogs, similar breeds often have brief lives. The average life expectancy was 7.4 years for English bulldogs, 7.7 years for pugs and 7.8 years for American bulldogs. Previous research found that these breeds are prone to a number of serious health disorders that are often linked with their physical characteristics, such as their short snouts or large heads. These conditions include skin fold dermatitis, breathing problems, eye ulceration, cherry eye, difficulty giving birth, slipping kneecaps, elbow joint disease and heatstroke. "Many of these disorders are life-limiting in that they either directly lead to early death in these dogs or that owners opt for euthanasia on welfare grounds," O'Neill said. Although a common method for guessing the life span of dogs is to use "dog years" — that is, to multiply their age by seven to get an idea of how old they might be in human terms — the recent work from O'Neill and his colleagues suggests "that such a concept really is no longer that useful," he said. "Given the wide variation in life expectancy across breeds, an alternative approach would be to generate a concept of dog years within each breed. This is much more likely to be accurate." link: https://www.livescience.com/how-long-do-dogs-live

The electric-vehicle pioneer's stock was down 70 percent in 2022, a remarkable amount even in this year's difficult economic climate, so Tesla's offering some deals. It's been difficult to escape the news regarding Tesla CEO Elon Musk these days. Ever since he purchased Twitter two months ago, the news hasn't stopped—and it hasn't stopped Tesla's share price from taking a massive tumble. It's down 45 percent since Musk bought Twitter and around 70 percent since the start of the year. Amid rumors of softening demand, Tesla has started offering incentives to new buyers. Some current owners are getting a 30-day trial of some Enhanced Autopilot features, which are usually a paid upgrade. Tesla is also offering various discounts around the world, including $7500 for Model 3 and Model Y buyers in December, along with 10,000 miles of free Supercharging. Tesla CEO Elon Musk's long, strange trip to purchase the social media site Twitter continues to get longer and stranger. As the auto industry watches what's happening to the microblogging site under the world's most-famous automaker CEO, Tesla shareholders aren't exactly enjoying the ride. The price of one TSLA share price would cost you just under $200 at the start of 2022. Today, the price is just over $123. There are a number of reasons for that almost 70-percent drop, but the most obvious recent impact has come from Musk's public display on Twitter. Since Musk bought Twitter two months ago, the stock has fallen 45 percent. The fact that Musk sold $3.6 billion of Tesla stock last week—and almost $40 billion since late 2021—hasn't helped. Musk has since promised not to sell any more Tesla stock for two years, but he has contradicted himself in the past. Of course, Tesla is impacted by non-Musk-related factors, and tech stocks have been in an overall decline this year. Still, ABC News notes that the tech-heavy Nasdaq only fell around half as much as Tesla has since January 1, 2022. Another factor impacting Tesla's stock price is lowered demand for its all-electric vehicles. In response, Tesla has lowered prices on some models and has started offering some current owners of its EVs free trials of the company's Enhanced Autopilot, an advanced driver-assistance version of its Autopilot, for 30 days. Enhanced Autopilot features include navigation with Autopilot, automatic lane changes and automatic parking and summoning. These features are usually paid upgrades and require specific sensors to be installed. As Electrek notes, Tesla is shifting away from installing ultrasonic sensors in every vehicle but hasn't updated its software to operate some of these Enhanced Autopilot features (Autopark, Summon and Smart Summon) in Tesla vehicles that only have camera sensors. As for price changes on Tesla, the automaker started offering a $3750 discount to U.S. customers on two models, the Model 3 and the Model Y, at the beginning of December. This amount doubled, to $7500, last week for customers taking delivery this month. Tesla also added another incentive—10,000 miles worth of free energy at Tesla Supercharging stations—for EVs delivered in December. Tesla buyers in other countries are also being offered various discounts, Reuters notes, including $5000 in Canada and around $850 in China. link: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a42333647/tesla-stock-price-cuts-details/

It wasn’t exactly me, but I’d asked my girlfriend for the piercing as a gift. I have no idea why Tim Jonze Tim Jonze @timjonze Sun 25 Dec 2022 08.00 GMT No, I don’t know why I asked my girlfriend for a tongue piercing for Christmas. It wasn’t exactly “me”, an introverted, 21-year-old indie music fan not prone to bold style statements. Was it a desperate attempt to hang on to some youthful irresponsibility after recently leaving the safety net of university life? Or a nod to my immersion in DayGlo psychedelic trance raves – surprisingly po[CENSORED]r in Leeds around the turn of the millennium, and often frequented by the kind of person who thought forcing a steel bar through a crucial muscle was an eminently sensible idea? Or maybe I was simply trying to impress said girlfriend? It’s not out of the realm of possibility that I was just a 21-year-old, and a bit of a bellend. Either way, I found myself in my home town’s city centre a day or two before Christmas, at an establishment I’ll describe as having a unique interpretation of hygiene standards. Was the piercer, as I half-recall, smoking a fag in one hand as she flashed the needle with the other? It seems unlikely, but the smell of fag ash was certainly upon her, along with a thoroughly uninterested demeanour. She knew I didn’t belong there, and so did I. So did my girlfriend, who I can only imagine found the whole thing hilarious. At least it was over swiftly. I stuck my tongue out and watched as a thin needle came down before my eyes. It didn’t really hurt. Well, not at the time. Afterwards, my tongue began to slowly swell in my mouth. An hour or so later it was impeding my speech to such a degree that people thought I was taking the piss when I spoke to them. To make matters worse, chewing and swallowing solid food were now virtually impossible. I hadn’t considered this – nor the fact that I would soon be sitting down to the biggest family meal of the year. A mouthful of roast turkey is not the most moist of gastronomic experiences. Now, each bite was a war of attrition, taking minutes to slowly break down until a swallow could be attempted. After three or four attempts I admitted defeat, slinking off to the kitchen to find a tin of Heinz tomato soup and a straw. Merry Christmas, everyone! link: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/dec/25/i-had-my-tongue-pierced-and-couldnt-eat-the-turkey-the-christmas-present-ill-never-forget

A sudden lifting of many of China's Covid restrictions has caused nationwide outbreaks - as well as confusion and anger on social media. Amid a severe shortage of rapid test kits, several provinces like Zhejiang and Anhui, as well as Chongqing, are implementing a new policy that allows people with mild symptoms or no symptoms to go back to work. On Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, the hashtag related to this announcement has been read 33 million times since Monday. There is shock and fury. "There has been no preparation in the past three years, and all of a sudden the restrictions are lifted and you are allowed to go to work while ill - our lives are worthless like ants," a comment with 200 likes reads. "Just several months ago, people would get arrested for going to work while testing positive," reads another comment with almost 1,000 likes. Even some overseas Chinese who returned to the country after a recent shortening of the hotel quarantine period are surprised to find out how fast the virus is spreading. "I had never had Covid in the past few years while living abroad, but got it several days after came back… Everyone I know is getting Covid and having a fever - so if you can stay out of the country recently, don't come back," one user on another po[CENSORED]r social media platform Xiaohongshu wrote. In the past two weeks, the Chinese internet has been flooded with posts of how people were pulling through after contracting the virus. Videos have circulated in Chinese media of young children with no symptoms bringing food and water to their unwell parents. Some have shown the creative ways they navigate social-distancing while in the same household to avoid infecting relatives. Amid a national shortage of medicines, media have also sought to amplify stories of community spirit. Countless videos are to be found on Weibo of individuals bagging up pain relief medicines they don't need, and delivering them to people in need. Outlets are calling on people to be kind to hard-working medical personnel, and are highlighting where acts of kindness have been shown to front-line staff. News website The Paper, for example, has highlighted the call from a man to a government operator in Chengdu, whose throat is hoarse and is coughing down the phone. "Don't worry, there's no problem," he tells her before hanging up. "Please take care of yourself." Social media platforms in China often seek to amplify positive news in the face of adversity in their lists of "trending" stories. The hashtag #PersistentDoctorsandNursesWorkHard has been trending in the last 24 hours, with state media praising their front-line contribution. But the independent South China Morning Post has been reporting in the last week on how fresh protests have erupted among medical students demanding "better pay" and protection on China's front line. No mention has been made of these in state media. However, images and videos of protests are routinely censored, as they represent dissatisfaction with the status quo. This was what happened when protests erupted across the country at strict Covid-19 measures last month. Nevertheless, stories of the health sector being overstrained have been evident. Thousands of retired medical workers have been brought back to the front line, as media have been reporting on "long queues" outside outpatient centres, and fever clinics being under "heavy pressure". Papers in multiple major cities have acknowledged that the number of calls to the emergency services is "rising" and have urged people not to call unless absolutely necessary. Countless images can be found on Weibo of medical workers sleeping at their desks. Images have also circulated showing exhausted workers receiving IV drips. More than 10 million social media users have watched a video posted in the last 24 hours of a man on his knees, begging for his child to be treated at a fever clinic in Guangdong, the province with the highest number of cases. The doctor responds, saying: "I am also on my knees… this is what it's like, there are queues for 6-8 hours. "Everyone is waiting, children and the elderly - you are not the only one." link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-64055849

Visas issued to Moroccan migrants in the US noted a gradual increase over the past decade, going from over 1,500 in 2012 to over 2,000 in 2016. Rabat - More than 3,500 Moroccans received visas from the United States government at the end of 2021, making them the second largest Arab foreigner group to receive visas to the US. A report from the US State Department details that Morocco is only second to Yemeni nationals in receiving visas. More than 2,000 visas were issued to Moroccans on the basis of having “immediate relatives” in the country, followed by over 1,000 visas issued for “diverse immigration” purposes. On the continental level, Morocco is only second to Nigeria. Nigerian nationals received a total of nearly 5,000 visas to the US over the same period, the report specifies. Data from the State Department suggests that the number of visas issued to Moroccan migrants in the US noted a gradual increase over the past decade. Visas issued to Moroccans went from over 1,500 in 2012 to over 2,000 in 2016. The flow of Moroccan migrants to the US was slower between 2017 and 2018, going from 1,100 to 1,300, and especially plummeted in 2020 during the height of the COVID-induced travel restrictions. A little more than 900 visas were issued in 2020 to Moroccan nationals. “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, posts were instructed to suspend routine visa services and provide only mission critical and emergency services in late March 2020,” the department said in the report. “This had a significant impact on the provision of Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Visa-related services. Posts were only able to resume limited services on a post-by-post basis beginning in July 2020, as local conditions allowed.” link: https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2022/12/353216/moroccans-are-second-largest-arab-nationality-to-receive-us-visas-in-2021

Nick Movie: Shazam 2: Fury of the Gods Time: January 2023 Netflix / Amazon / HBO?: ? Duration of the movie: 2h 10m Trailer:

Live Performance Title: Sasa Matic - Poklon koncert za 08. mart (Skupstina grada) Signer Name: Sasa Matic Live Performance Location: - Official YouTube Link: Your Opinion About the Track (Music Video): 10/9

Music Title: Music Mix 2022 🎧 EDM Remixes of Po[CENSORED]r Songs 🎧 EDM Best Gaming Music Mix Signer: - Release Date: 25/12/2022 Official Youtube Link: Informations About The Signer: - Your Opinion About The Track (Music Video): 10/5

Welcome!

• Name: @BirSaNN • Time & Date: 00:01 / 25/12/2022 • Screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/nX5evKO

Rishi Sunak has said it is "completely reasonable" for the UK government to examine Scottish reforms making it easier for people to change gender. The Scottish Parliament voted to lower the age when people can apply to change their legal gender to 16, and remove the need for a medical diagnosis. But this has prompted a clash with the UK government who have concerns over safety for women and children. Nicola Sturgeon's Scottish government says it will fight attempts to stop it. On Thursday, members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) voted by 86 votes to 39 to approve the controversial self-identification system, which makes it easier for people to obtain a gender recognition certification (GRC). Changing gender to be made easier in Scotland What are the plans for gender reforms in Scotland? The two sides of Scotland's gender law debate The UK government could prevent the legislation becoming law by blocking Royal Assent - when the Bill gets formal agreement by the King and becomes an Act of the Scottish Parliament. It has also not ruled out mounting a legal challenge. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said many people in Scotland had concerns about the bill. While visiting a homeless shelter in London, he said: "I think it is completely reasonable for the UK government to have a look at it, understand what the consequences are for women and children's safety in the rest of the UK, and then decide on what the appropriate course of action is." Scottish Secretary Alister Jack warned: "We will look closely at that, and also the ramifications for the 2010 Equality Act and other UK-wide legislation, in the coming weeks - up to and including a Section 35 order stopping the Bill going for Royal Assent if necessary." Under UK law, the UK government can apply to have Scottish laws struck down by arguing they would conflict with UK-wide equalities legislation. This power has not been used before. But a spokesman for the Scottish government warned that any attempt by Westminster "to undermine the democratic will of the Scottish Parliament will be vigorously contested". Speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme, Scotland's Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said the Scottish government was very confident of its position. She added: "The bill as passed is absolutely within legislative competence and of course was backed by an overwhelming majority with support from all parties. "It would be unfortunate to say the least of the UK government were to go down this road." Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton told the programme he would be "dismayed" if the UK government chose to block the bill. "I think it's inevitable that this bill will end up in court in one way or another but I am confident that we have given it the diligence and scrutiny and tested it in Parliament to ensure it will withstand any court challenge," he added. Will the law affect the Equality Act? Previously, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she would "never apologise for trying to spread equality, not reduce it, in our country". The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill's opponents, including nine SNP MSPs who voted against it, have fears over its potential impact on women and girls, in particular single-sex spaces, like toilets. The Scottish government insists little will change and exceptions barring trans people from single-sex space in some circumstances in the Equality Act will stand. Dr Michael Foran, a lecturer in public law at Glasgow University, highlighted how there was a section in the bill which says it will not change any provisions in the Equality Act - and for that reason it is probably within Holyrood's competence. But he said this did not mean the bill had not changed the law "as it relates to the Equality Act". He explained: "One of the protected characteristics is sex and if they change who can be covered under one category of sex vs the other that could have an effect on how the Equality Act operates. That's quite a technical legal argument but it would open the door for challenges." Meanwhile Helen Belcher, head of charity Trans Actual which campaigns for trans rights, told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme the Scottish law would not affect the Equality Act. "The Equality Act is not within the Scottish Parliament's jurisdiction to change," she said. She added that trans rights should not be restricted "on the basis of a few people" who could take advantage of reforms to the law. "It won't come as a shock to your listeners that criminals do nasty things, criminals break the law. But that's not necessarily a reason to prevent trans people from being treated with a bit of respect," she said. People in Scotland have been able to change their legal gender from male to female or female to male since 2005. The Scottish government believes the existing process can be intrusive and distressing and put people off applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate. The new rules, which are expected to come into force some time next year, will mean applicants will now only need to have lived in their acquired gender for three months - or six months if they are aged 16 and 17 - rather than two years. There will be also be a three-month "reflection period" during which they can change their minds and it will be a criminal offence to make a false declaration or false application for a GRC, with anyone who does so potentially facing up to two years in prison. It will be possible to de-transition by going through the process again. Nine other European countries have already adopted self-declaration systems for legal gender recognition, including the Irish Republic, Denmark, Norway, Portugal and Switzerland. Also on Thursday, Spain passed a bill bringing it a step closer to allowing people to change their officially registered gender by filling in a form. link: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64073323