Bolsonaro again tests positive for coronavirus

Jair Bolsonaro _file

Brasilia: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro confirmed that he has once again tested positive for the novel coronavirus, roughly a week after he contracted the virus.

"We hope that in the next few days, they will give me a new test and, everything will be fine so that we can return to normal activity," Xinhua news agency quoted the President as saying in a live Facebook broadcast on Wednesday.

Bolsonaro, who repeatedly played down the risks posed by the virus which he termed "a little flu" and asserting that he would not be seriously affected by it, said he would get tested again in a few days.

In a statement, the communication secretariat of the presidency said that Bolsonaro was currently staying at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, "and continues to be accompanied by the medical team".

According to the statement, the latest test was carried out on Tuesday morning and the result came out at night.

On July 7, Bolsonaro announced that after developing a fever and general discomfort, he tested positive for COVID-19 at the Brazilian Armed Forces Hospital.

Bolsonaro is 65 years old, making him part of an age group experts consider to be at high risk for developing complications from the disease.

Brazil currently accounts for the second highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the world at 1,966,748 and 75,366, respectively, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Despite the rising numbers, Bolsonaro has argued that regional lockdowns werehaving a more damaging effect than the virus itself, and accused the media of spreading panic and paranoia.Source: https://english.madhyamam.com/

Read More........ → July 23, 2020

Coca-Cola issues new ads laying out its efforts in tackling the nation’s disease

Starting from Monday on the highest-rated shows on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC will be interrupted by Coca-Cola two-minute ads laying out the company’s record of providing drinks with fewer calories and noting that weight gain is the result of consuming too many calories – not just soda. In such a manner Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most powerful brands, has set to dismiss accusations that soft drinks are the primary culprits of obesity and promote the company’s efforts to fight the nation’s disease.

Amid general concerns over the nation, the youngest part of it in particular, gaining weight too fast – childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years – New York City has decided to enact a cap on the size of soft drinks sold at restaurants, movie theaters and sports arenas. The city’s pioneer move has inspired the mayor of Cambridge, Mass., to introduce a similar measure. For a long time Coca-Cola has been associated with the idea of happiness. But the Coca-Cola happiness, as it has turned out, is measured in kilograms. A decades-long study involving more than 33,000 Americans, for example, suggested that drinking sugary beverages interacts with genes that affect weight. Some new research has also suggested that sugary drinks cause people to gain kilograms independent of other behavior. With the new campaign to kick off next week Coca-Cola is set to weigh in the debate and points to the efforts the company performed over the past years to tackle the problem. "There's an important conversation going on about obesity out there, and we want to be a part of the conversation," Stuart Kronauge, general manager of sparkling beverages for Coca-Cola North America, said. One of the videos to be aired on US television will remind viewers that weight management is about calorie counting, including those that come from Coca-Cola beverages. The advert also recalls Coca-Cola’s commitment to deliver more beverage choices, including low- and no-calorie options, to the public. Besides, as the company noted, it already puts calorie counts on the front of its cans and bottles. It is noteworthy that Coca-Cola has been shaping its business for the past years based on the public concern over the high calorie content of its soft drinks. Nearly one-third of its sales in the US and Canada is diet soft drinks. Then come sports drinks and bottled water. It is the first time the company has gone on the offensive to tackle widespread criticism that sugary beverages are one of the biggest contributors to the obesity epidemic. The ads have been attacked before they were shown. “This is about confusing the public,” said Michele R. Simon, a public health lawyer who writes frequently about the food and beverage business and its role in public health issues. “They are downplaying the serious health effects of drinking too much soda and making it sound like balancing soda consumption with exercise is the only issue, when there are plenty of other reasons not to consume too much of these kinds of products.” Source: Voice of Russia

Read More........ → February 15, 2013

Obama sworn in for second term, Prez says decade of war ending

Washington: Four years after making history as America's first African-American president with a promise of "hope and change", Barack Obama today renewed his oath to take the nation "forward" in his second term. Watch: Decade of war ending, says Obama. The 51-year-old renewed his oath of  office for the second day in a row at the 57th inauguration ceremony of an American president. Just before noon, Obama took the oath on the steps of US Capitol's West Front decorated in red, white and blue in a spectacular inaugural ceremony watched by an estimated 700,000 people crowding the national mall cheering the nation's 44th president. Raising his right hand, Obama placed his left hand on two bibles, one which his idol Abraham Lincoln used for his first inauguration in 1861 and the other, a "travelling Bible" of legendary American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, to take the oath a second time in two days from Chief  Justice John Roberts.Asserting "America's possibilities are limitless," Obama declared that a decade of war is ending and the country's economy is recovering. Obama suggested he would dwell on the "common good" and the "goodness, the resilience, neighbourliness, the patriotism" of Americans. "America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe; and we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad, for no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation," the 51-year-old president said. "What we are celebrating is not the election or the swearing-in of the president," Obama said. "What we are doing is celebrating each other and celebrating this incredible nation 
that we call home." Here are the highlights of his speech: • Thank you, God Bless you, and may He forever bless these United States of America. • Let us answer the call of history, and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom. • You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time.• You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country’s course. • We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect. • We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate. • Decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay. • Our journey is not complete until all our children know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm. • Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity. • Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. • Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law. • Our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. • We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths—that all of us are created equal—is the star that guides us still. • We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully. • We will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law. • We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war. • We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. • We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. • We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. • We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. • We, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. • We are made for this moment, and we will seize it—so long as we seize it together. • America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands • A decade of war is now ending. An economic recovery has begun. • This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience.• Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation and one people. • We have always understood that when times change, so must we. • Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune. • We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together • Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution: Obama,  Source: Newsbullet

Read More........ → January 22, 2013

Google Exercises Gun Control?

With Google being the major presence on the internet and now seemingly having ties to the government and doing their bidding in providing information and even censoring web sites, it should come as no surprise that
Google is now in the business of gun control. That’s right, Google Shopping is now controlling guns, ammunition and gun accessories from showing up in their search. They are censoring perfectly legal products. A weapon’s parts and accessories vendor, Hamlund Tactical received a notice from Google outlining what they expected from their customer. The notice said: Dear Merchant, We’re writing to let you know about some upcoming changes to the product listings you submit to Google. As we recently announced, we are starting to transition our shopping experience to a commercial model that builds on Product Listing Ads. This new shopping experience is called Google Shopping. As part of this transition, we’ll begin to enforce a set of new policies for Google Shopping in the coming weeks. A new list of the allowed, restricted, and prohibited products on Google Shopping is available on our new policy page – http://www.google.com/appserve/mkt/ApI7UWRj6OCZpd. Based on a review of the products you’re currently submitting, it appears that some of the content in your Merchant Center account, HamLund Tactical, will be affected by these policy changes. In particular we found that your products may violate the following policies: Weapons When we make this change, Google will disapprove all of the products identified as being in violation of policies. We ask that you make any necessary changes to your feeds and/or site to comply, so that your products can continue to appear on Google Shopping. Source: The Coming Crisis

Read More........ → November 20, 2012

To add shoes and more to its range

After facing disappointments due to a slowdown, sportswear brand Black Panther eyes bouncing back this Diwali season. With the introduction of its hyper collections recently, it expects to grow by 50 per cent in the next two seasons adding shoes, swimming caps and goggles to its portfolio. “We are working on our hyper collection, the economy line. We are hoping for a good Diwali this season as the market is now picking up. Targeting people between the age group of 14-40, we hope to be among the top Indian sportswear brands in India,” said Sakshi Juneja, Business Development Manager, Black Panther. “By year-end we will have products for children as well. We have a range of yoga pants and will have shoes next year,” Juneja adds. Driven by the brand theme of ‘Seriously Sporty’, Black Panther manufactures cotton sports apparel like T-shirts, track suits, jogging bottoms, athletic vests, cricket wear and accessories like wristbands, headbands and athletic supporters. In the coming days, it plans to add a lot more categories like shoes, yoga pants and sports equipment like rackets, tennis balls and etc. Last season, it had introduced active junior range for boys aged between 5-13 years, whereas this summer, it has come up with active junior swimwear range for both boys & girls. Established in 1981, Black Panther operates through one plant located in Mumbai and produces about 50,000 garments a month. Black Panther operates six EBO’s out of which three are company-owned. Having its presence in about 200 large formats like Shoppers Stop, Globus, Reliance and HyperCity, the brand is also available in 1,500 MBOs across India. “This financial year we will add 10 more stores. These stores will be mainly in Tier II and III cities. As of now, we have signed up with four franchisees and will be opening store in July in Barnala. By mid-July, we look at opening stores in Sonipat and Kharghar,” Juneja informs. Juneja believes the brand first perfectly with the aspirations of Tier II, III consumers. “For a brand like us Tier II and II are the best. That is the reason we have a store in Kalyan and three stores in Indore. It is not that the people in smaller towns do not have money… they are a bit conservative when it comes to spending. Their knowledge about brands is growing and that is why our next store will be coming up at Ujjain and Pune.” The company exports its merchandise to the UAE under the Black Panther label. In Dubai alone it is available in 30 to 40 counters. As for expansion plans, the brand wishes to reach the north, Northeast in the next couple of years and add up to 200 MBOs to its retail network. Source: Fashion United

Read More........ → September 27, 2012

Post-nude photo scandal, Harry deployed in Afghanistan

Prince Harry, third in line to the British throne, returned to Afghanistan today to begin a four-month combat tour as a frontline Apache helicopter pilot. 27-year-old Harry, known as Captain Wales in the British military, was in news last month when he was photographed nude during a wild party in a Las Vegas hotel. He arrived at Camp Bastion in Helmand province, four-year after he had to cut short his previous deployment in the troubled nation. In 2008, Harry had to leave Afghanistan after a news blackout surrounding his deployment was broken. Harry will be working as part of the Joint Aviation Group (JAG) which provides helicopter support to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan forces operating throughout Regional Command (South West), the Ministry of Defence said in a statement here. Based in Bastion, the largest coalition military base in Afghanistan, his squadron will provide surveillance, deterrence and, when required, close combat attack capabilities as well as escort duties for other aircraft, the statement added. Captain Wales qualified as a co-pilot gunner in February this year and was posted to 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, part of 16 Air Assault Brigade, to gain further flying experience and to operate the aircraft on a number of exercises. He has been trained to fly in the front seat as the mission commander, a role that equips the operative to fly the aircraft from the back seat but the majority of the time involves operating the Apache's sights, sensors and weapons systems. The Deputy Commander of the JAG and Commanding Officer of 3 Regiment Army Air Corps in the UK, Lieutenant Colonel Tom de la Rue, said: "Captain Wales is a serving soldier and a qualified Apache pilot having completed the Apache Conversion to Role course earlier this year. As such, and after further flying experience, he has deployed along with the rest of the squadron as part of a long-planned and scheduled deployment to provide support to ISAF and Afghan forces operating in Helmand". The ministry statement said as with all operational deployments, Captain Wales's deployment had been long-planned and the threat to him and others around him thoroughly assessed. The Apache AH Mk1 fleet consists of 67 aircraft that have seen service in Afghanistan and in Libya. They are designed to hunt and destroy armoured vehicles and can operate in all weathers, day and night, the statement said. The fleet can also detect, classify and prioritise up to 256 targets in seconds through their fire control radar, and carry a mix of weapons, including rockets, Hellfire missiles and a 30mm chain gun, the statement added. Source: Indian Express

Read More........ → September 08, 2012

Europe is sleepwalking towards imminent disaster, warn top economists

The euro has completely broken downas a workable system and faces collapse with “incalculable economiclosses and human suffering” unless there is a drastic change of course, according to a group of leading economists. Europe is “sleepwalking towards disaster”, according to the 17 experts, who warned that over the past few weeks “the situation in the debtorcountries has deteriorated dramatically”. “The sense of a neverending crisis, with one domino falling after another, must be reversed. The last domino, Spain, is days away from a liquidity crisis,” said the economists. They include two members of Germany’s Council of Economic Experts and leading euro specialists at the London of School of Economics, all euro supporters. “This dramatic situation is the result of a eurozone system which, as currently constructed, is thoroughly broken. The cause is a systemic failure. It is the responsibility of all European nations that were parties to its flawed design, construction and implementation to contribute to a solution. Absent this collective response, the euro will disintegrate,” they added in a co-signed report for the Institutefor New Economic Thinking. Source: The Coming Depression

Read More........ → July 29, 2012

12,000 calories a day don't seem to be doing him any harm! Michael Phelps looks buffer than ever as details of his staggering carb-filled diet emerge

He has already earned himself a record-breaking 16 Olympic medals and the world will watch as he propels himself through the water for gold in the next few weeks. But American international swimmer Michael Phelps works hard for the enviably strong physique that has garnered him an army of female fans as well as a closet full of medals. The 27-year-old athlete, whose arms span 6 feet 7 inches (201 cm)—disproportionate to his height of 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm)— maintains that his performance is down to his highly calorific diet, which sees him feast on a staggering 12,000 calories every day. He starts the day with a hearty breakfast consisting of three fried-egg sandwiches, three chocolate chip pancakes, a five-egg omelette, three sugar-coated slices of French toast, and a bowl of grits (maize porridge). His lunch doesn't get much smaller as he devours half a kilogram of pasta (enriched with vitamins and fibre) over lunch, two large ham and cheese sandwiches covered in mayonnaise and gallons of energy drinks. For his final meal of the day, he finishes off the remaining kilogram of pasta, followed by pizza and more energy drinks.

Fellow swimmer  Ryan Lochte has an equally epic diet. 'After morning practise I have a big breakfast: pancakes, waffles, cereal, bagels, eggs, everything.' Personal trainer and nutritionist and weight management expert Jenny Dawes, who has trained athletes, rugby player and celebrities such as Ulrika Johnson, maintains that, although Michael's diet would be dangerous for a regular person, he needs that

amount of energy for training. 'I would recommend that a regular competitive male swimmer would need around 6,000 calories a day but because Michael is at Olympic level will be training so hard that he will be burning it straight off. 'His cholesterol intake is very high but by constantly swimming, there is no time for the cholesterol to stick to his arteries. His cholesterol levels do need to be checked regularly to ensure he

is not putting his body at risk for Jenny says that Michael's energy drink consumption is necessary for an athlete in order to keep his electrolytes balanced and his muscles hydrated. 'Carb and electrolyte enhance drinks should be taken to replenish glygogen stores in muscles and liver as dehydration can cause muscles to fatigue very quickly. I would always check the sugar content on the bottles.' Phelps's high-calorie diet clearly pays off as his international titles and record-breaking performances have earned him the

World Swimmer of the Year Award six times and American Swimmer of the Year Award eight times.  He has won a total of sixty-six medals in major international competition, fifty-four gold, nine silver, and three bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, and the Pan Pacific Championships. His unprecedented

Olympic success in 2008 earned Phelps Sports Illustrated magazine'sSportsman of the Year award. His hard work paid off at the Beijing Games where he took home Men's 200m Butterfly gold medal Source: Travelfwd

Read More........ → July 29, 2012

Fast food on the march

.

By Anna Forostenko, The fast food industry has claimed a new victory. US experts from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention have discovered that in the last 50 years the portions in fast food restaurants have quadrupled in size. This applies even to children’s portions. Fifty years ago a child’s serving of soda was 225 grams and now even the smallest glass contains 340 grams of liquid. At the same time, in the last 25 years the number of overweight children in the US has tripled. At present, obesity problems affect every sixth child in the US and given the popularity of fast food in other countries, obesity could soon become a major worldwide problem.Even today, obesity is the second major cause of premature deaths in the US, the first one still being smoking. However, it is wrong to assume that Americans are the most overweight nation in the world because Australians currently outstrip them in this respect. Still, it is true that the American fast food model has become popular all over the world. Although prototypes of fast food diets existed in Ancient Rome, at the time they included dates, beans, flat bread and meat. Americans happened to be the first nation to realize that it was not enough just to feed someone, it was important to make people consume this kind of food on a regular basis. As a result, they came up with the modern version of fast food which entailed big portions containing a lot of fat and sugar and very little fibre. So now, when a customer eats a hamburger on the run he consumes half of the recommended daily allowance of calories. Source: Voice of Russia. 

Read More........ → July 15, 2012

Stuntman Nik Wallenda completes tightrope walk across Niagara Falls

.

Aerialist Nik Wallenda made a historic tightrope crossing over Niagara Falls on Friday night, stepping onto safe ground in Canada to wild cheers after completing his journey through wind and mist on a 2-inch (5-cm) cable. Wallenda, a member of the famed Flying Wallendas family of aerialists, took a little more than 25 minutes to walk 1,800 feet (550 metres) from the US side in the dark of night over treacherous waters and rocks in a nationally televised event. Arriving on the Canadian side, he hugged his family and greeted Canadian officials, who playfully requested the 33-year- old American's passport. Asked the purpose of his visit, Wallenda told the officials he had come to inspire people. More than 150 years ago, French aerialist Charles Blondin, known as The Great Blondin, famously walked a high wire strung farther down the Niagara gorge, but a trek over the brink of the falls had never before been attempted. Wallenda appeared fully in control through the stunt, taking small, steady steps on a slick cable through swirling winds. Oh my gosh it's an unbelievable view, he said as he crossed over the falls. This is truly breathtaking. ABC, the television network that broadcast the event with a five-second delay, occasionally interviewed him along the walk, asking him about conditions and how he was coping. That mist was thick and it was hard to see at times, he said later in the walk, when he was asked about the greatest challenge. Wind going one way, mist another. It was very uncomfortable for a while. The network had also insisted he wear a safety tether - a first for the performer - that would connect him to the cable should he fall, and said it would stop broadcasting if he unhooked it. Wallenda fought the condition at first, eventually agreeing. But he gave himself an out: he would unhook only if directed to do so by his father, who designed the harness and acted as his safety coordinator. As it turned out, the tether was never tested. Wallenda walked the wire with what appeared to be perfect balance. ROAR OF THE FALLS: Wallenda said at one point that his hands hurt from holding the balance pole, and the walk proved physically tiring. The sounds of the falls blocked out noise from an estimated crowd of tens of thousands, he told the TV audience. Hopefully it will be very peaceful and relaxing, Wallenda said beforehand. I'm often very relaxed when I'm on the wire. There may be some tears because this is a dream of mine. Since the Great Blondin took his high-wire walk, a ban had been in place on similar stunts over the famed falls. Wallenda waged a two-year crusade to convince US and Canadian officials to let him try the feat. A private helicopter rescue team was part of the $1.3 million that Wallenda said he had spent on the walk. Reyam Rashed, who moved to the area from Yemen last year, said she was most concerned as Wallenda neared the wire's low point, before he began walking back up the rope in the final push toward Canada. I just felt like he was going to get dizzy, she said. At first, I thought he was not going to make it. I was impressed, she said. Wallenda's great-grandfather Karl Wallenda died in 1978 during a walk between two buildings in Puerto Rico at age 73. Wallenda repeated that walk last year with his mother. Wallenda said he would next prepare for a walk over the Grand Canyon in Arizona, which would be the first ever attempted and roughly three times longer than the walk over Niagara Falls. I just happen to have a permit, he said during an interview on ABC.Source: Indian Express

Read More........ → June 18, 2012