Mar222017
India and Ethiopia have agreed to strengthen the cooperation in critical areas related to communication and outreach. The cooperation would be worked out through a policy and institutional framework in the various domains
Mar222017
Chinese scientists have discovered a new drug-resistant strain of bacteria that can spread stealthily and has epidemic potential.
The superbug is a strain of Salmonella typhimurium whose plasmid – mobile DNA that can be easily copied and shared between bacteria – contains the MCR1.6 gene, a newly discovered variant of the drug-resistant MCR1 gene.
“This is the first time the MCR1.6 gene has been found in Salmonella, a common foodborne pathogen, and from a healthy carrier,” said Kan Biao, deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention.
MCR1 and its variants could help bacteria resist polymyxins – a last-resort class of antibiotics that includes colistin, the most potent, but toxic, antibiotic – according to studies by the institute, the results of which were published this month by Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, a journal produced by the American Society for Microbiology.
Bacterial infections caused by the MCR1 gene and its variants are treatable with other antibiotics, “but often at the cost of killing good bacteria and breaking the body’s microflora balance”, Kan said.
Kan’s team first discovered the MCR1.6 gene in a 2014 fecal example of a 46-year-old woman from the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
“The situation is alarming because healthy individuals may have been unknowingly spreading this superbacteria for years. Salmonella is one of the major micro pathogens of food poisoning and can cause diarrhea and vomiting. A drug-resistant version could pose a serious threat to public health.”
Kan added that the superbug has the possibility of becoming an epidemic, similar to the typhoid outbreak in the early 20th century, when a healthy female carrier, Mary Mallon, is believed to have infected two dozen people with typhoid fever while displaying no symptoms.
Since its discovery in 2015, the MCR1 gene has spread to more than 30 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, India and Malaysia, according to Kan.
“The MCR1.6 gene or other MCR1 gene variants might begin to appear in other countries,” he warned. “A conservative estimate of more than 3 million Chinese suffer from Salmonella-related illnesses each year, with children and the elderly most at risk.”
Salmonella outbreaks also occur in the US on a regular basis, with the last major outbreak in late November, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To tackle the superbug issue, governments should strictly regulate the use of antibiotics in livestock farming, educate the public on antibiotic uses, strengthen surveillance of resistant bacteria, and promote research and development of new antibiotics, Kan said.
For the general public, “something as simple as washing your hands, cooking food properly and strictly following a doctor’s prescription for antibiotics can greatly reduce the chance of catching a serious infection”, he added.
Mar222017
“Let me try,” a short, middle-aged woman said as she moved in front of one of the face-recognition toilet paper dispensers that have been installed in restrooms at Beijing’s Temple of Heaven Park. She removed her hat and glasses, and stared straight into the camera. A group of amused fellow tourists looked on, keen to see the new high-tech machines in action.
However, nothing happened.
“Try standing further back,” came a voice from in the crowd. “Make sure you’re standing in the yellow area marked on the floor.”
The 62-year-old woman, surnamed Wang, readjusted her position and, after several seconds, was rewarded with a 60-centimeter strip of crisp, white toilet paper. If she wanted more, she was going to have to wait nine minutes to start the process all over again.
“If I were in a rush, it would be inconvenient,” Wang said.
The Temple of Heaven Park, one of the capital’s major tourist attractions, was not swarmed with visitors on Tuesday afternoon, but many of those who were there made a beeline for the bathrooms.
Managers of the venue have said the dispensers, which have so far been installed in three restrooms on a trial basis, are designed to prevent an age-old issue of people stealing or wasting toilet paper.
However, some people have questioned whether such a high-tech solution sacrifices convenience, as patrons now need to wait for paper before they can relieve themselves.
Shortly after Wang had finished, a mother visited the same restroom with her young daughter. She walked straight past the machine and into a cubicle.
“I have everything I need in my bag, so I don’t need to bother with the dispenser,” she said after re-emerging, adding that the machines are not convenient for parents, particularly those with small children.
Given that the screen is placed at about average height for an adult, it is also unlikely to be of use for wheelchair users. Meanwhile, twins could have a problem, too, if they both need to use the restroom at the same time.
A worker who helped install the dispensers said the management plans to adjust their locations because the long lines of people waiting for toilet paper have been blocking entrances to the venue.
However, some people are happy to put up with a little inconvenience if it puts a stop to thieves.
“Since the new machines have been installed, many of the thieves have disappeared,” said a middle-aged man waiting outside a restroom. “I think it’s good to teach them a lesson.”
Mar222017
Justice Secretary Elizabeth Truss has today unveiled plans for the building of 4 new prisons in England and Wales – creating 5,000 modern prison places and replacing old and overcrowded establishments with new, fit for purpose buildings.
Sites in Full Sutton in Yorkshire; Hindley in Wigan; Rochester in Kent and Port Talbot in South Wales have been earmarked for development as part of the government’s commitment to build up to 10,000 modern prison places by 2020, backed by £1.3 billion to transform the estate.
As well as creating modern establishments fit for the twenty-first century, the proposed new builds will also act as a boost to regional economies across the country – creating up to 2,000 jobs in the construction and manufacturing industries and new opportunities for local businesses.
Final decisions on the new prisons will be subject to planning approvals, as well as value for money and affordability.
Justice Secretary Elizabeth Truss said:
We cannot hope to reduce reoffending until we build prisons that are places of reform where hard work and self-improvement flourish.
Outdated prisons, with dark corridors and cramped conditions, will not help offenders turn their back on crime – nor do they provide our professional and dedicated prison officers with the right tools or environment to do their job effectively.
This significant building programme will not only help create a modern prison estate where wholescale reform can truly take root, but will also provide a thriving, economic lifeline for the local community – creating hundreds of jobs for local people and maximising opportunities for businesses.
Today’s announcement comes weeks after the opening of HMP Berwyn – the new, modern prison in north Wales which will hold over 2,000 prisoners. The construction of this new prison has already contributed over £100 million to the local economy and created around 150 jobs and apprenticeships before doors have even opened.
In creating a modern prison estate, old and inefficient prisons will be closed and replaced by the new accommodation. A programme of valuation work will now begin to help inform further decisions about the estate. Announcements on prison closures will be made later in the year.
Today’s announcement builds on ambitious reforms to improve safety in prisons, including an additional £100 million to bolster frontline staff by 2,500.
This wholescale, organisational reform will be supported by measures within the Prisons and Court Bill, which will set out a new framework and clear system of accountability for prisons, building on the wide-ranging reforms set out in the Prison Safety and Reform White Paper.
Mar222017
33,000 extra staff in the UK now covered by the plan to tackle gender inequality in financial services.
The news comes on the first anniversary of the charter, with 122 firms, employing over half a million people in the UK and covering almost 50% of the financial services sector, now signed up.
The Women in Finance Charter, launched a year ago today, asks financial firms to commit to four industry actions to build the female talent pipeline for leadership positions. The Charter’s innovative approach has been an unprecedented success with some of the UK’s biggest and most well established firms signing up.
The latest signatories include retail banks such as CYBG, payment firms such as VocaLink, global banks such as the Royal Bank of Canada, insurers like Ageas UK, and other firms including Pinsent Masons LLP and NS&I, while Bank of America Merrill Lynch is the latest firm with headquarters in the US to sign up.
Since the Charter launched, 77 financial services firms have committed to have at least 30% women in senior roles by 2021 and 23 firms have committed to a 50/50 gender split in senior roles by 2021. New signatories will announce their targets in June.
The Commercial Secretary, Baroness Neville-Rolfe, said:
I know how difficult it can be for a woman to get the recognition she deserves and achieve her potential. And in financial services particularly, women progress too slowly or they leave the sector completely.
We have made a strong start – the first anniversary of the Women in Finance Charter sees 122 firms seizing the competitive advantage by tackling sex inequality head on.
But this is just the beginning. The financial industry is famed for its ability to identify opportunities to improve productivity. The Women in Finance Charter is one of those opportunities. It offers the chance to increase diversity of thought and for the financial services sector to better reflect the society it serves. This is why I encourage firms across the UK to step up and sign the Charter.
Jayne-Anne Gadhia, CEO of Virgin Money and the government’s Women in Finance Champion, said:
I am delighted with the strong and ongoing momentum of the Women in Finance Charter. A truly diverse financial services sector will drive productivity and underpin the UK’s position as a strong and competitive economy. There is still further to go and I urge more businesses to commit to the charter so that they can play their part in building an economy that works for everyone.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch is the latest firm with headquarters in the US to sign up, joining the likes of Morgan Stanley, BNY Mellon, BlackRock, Circle and Thomson Reuters. This proves that there are no barriers for international firms to show their commitment to gender parity by signing the Charter.
Alex Wilmot-Sitwell, President, EMEA at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said:
Bank of America Merrill Lynch has a long history of supporting women’s leadership and economic empowerment, but there is clearly more to be done.
Increasing the number of senior women and addressing gender balance is crucial for our long-term success. This means supporting and engaging women at all levels, to ensure a strong pipeline of talent.
We are wholly supportive of the Women in Finance Charter and the positive impact it will have on our industry.
FinTechs have also responded to the government’s call to action with nine signing up including Nutmeg, RateSetter, Starling, Monzo, Zerado, Azimo, and FINTECH Circle.
The Gadhia review looked at the issue of unequal gender representation in financial services and found that in UK financial services female representation was around 23% on boards, but only 14% on executive committees. It is estimated that equalising the role of men and women in the labour market could increase GDP by 10% by 2030.
On 29th June, HM Treasury, in partnership with GrowthBusiness.co.uk, What Investment magazine and Virgin Money, will launch the inaugural Women in Finance Awards at The Savoy in London.
These awards will celebrate the individuals and organisations who are leading change by driving the gender diversity agenda in financial services.