VOL.047 NOV 26 - DEC 2 , 2021
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‘FLASH ROBS’ Distressing Trend Striking Stores in Major Cities Across the US
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By Todd Crawford Vision Times
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spree of organized retail crime, known as “flash robs” is hitting numerous communities across the United States with mobs of thieves, organized through social media, making off with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of goods in brazen nighttime and broad daylight operations. Wikipedia defines a “flash rob” as “an organized form of theft in which a group of participants enter a retail shop or convenience store en masse and steal goods and other items.” .(Image:FB@Walnut Creek Police Department)
9 in 10 Americans Are Worried About
INFLATION WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS?
“The thefts are believed to be part of sophisticated criminal networks that recruit mainly young people to steal merchandise in stores throughout the country and then sell it in online marketplaces,” Newsweek reported. On Nov. 22, in Los Angeles, an estimated 18 individuals swarmed a Nordstrom department store stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise, CNN reported. On Nov. 20, three suspects were arrested after a mob ransacked another Nordstrom department store in Walnut Creek, east of San Francisco. An estimated 80 individuals participated in the robbery and fled the scene in at least 10 different vehicles, police said. Similar raids last Friday night near San Francisco’s Union Square. Thieves targeted Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Bloomingdale’s stores as well as Walgreens and several cannabis dispensaries. On Sunday, in San Jose’s Santana Row, a flash rob targeted the Southland Mall in Hayward and a Lululemon store where an estimated $40,000 in merchandise was stolen. Hayward police told KPIX that they responded around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday to multiple calls from stores in Southland Mall. Continued on A2
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claimed to have ended up being pushed into a lower standard of living due to the surge in prices. A slash in the real income over the next year is expected by nearly half of the American families.
By Ashok Ramprasad Vision Times
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mericans across the country are bracing themselves up for a financially difficult hol- Only solution is to cut back iday shopping season due to a spike in A recent survey conducted by Counthe prices of essential items in recent try Financial has revealed that nearly months. The prices of necessities like 88 percent of Americans are worried food, gas, and rent have all gone up largely about the surging inflation. The study, due to supply chain snarls, labor short- involving around 1,031 adults aged 18 ages, and other pandemic-related effects. and above was conducted between Oct. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), used 22 and 25, showed that many Americans as a gauge for inflaplanned to cut short tion, revealed that their spending. About 48 perconsumer prices rose by 6.2 percent cent said that they in October comwould cut back on pared to the same their expenditure on restaurant meals period last year. and takeout, 29 perThis is the highest inflation rate cent would buy less apparel, 20 perin over three dec- Scott Jensen, ades, according to cent are canceling manager of the financial or postponing their the Labor Departplanning support department ment. On a monthly travel plans, 30 perat Country Financial. basis, the CPI cent will opt out of upgrading their perincreased 0.9 percent against the estimate of 0.6 percent. sonal technology devices, and 13 percent Fuel prices rose 12.3 percent month- have decided to cut down on their driving. over-month and 59.1 percent compared However, expenditure on retail also to a year ago. Prices of used cars and rose more quickly than anticipated in trucks soared by 2.5 percent in Octo- October. U.S. retail sales grew 1.7 perber and were up by 26.4 percent over cent, ahead of the forecasted 1.5 perthe last 12 months. cent growth by analysts, the Commerce Meanwhile, one in four Americans Department reported on Nov. 16. Continued on A2
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“ Being a “conscious consumer” would prove to be helpful under such circumstances. ”
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ccording to a government study, drug overdoses in the U.S. soared above 100,000 last year amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Authorities are blaming the surge on synthetic drugs, limited treatment, and mental health struggles due to COVID-19. The recent surge represents an uptick of 28 percent in the twelvemonth-period ending April, 2021. Last year, during the same period, 78,000 overdoses were recorded nationwide. This period’s drugrelated overdose cases more than doubled the number recorded in 2015. According to a report by the National Center for Health Statistics, the data shows that most fatal drug overdoses are due to fentanyl — a drug that kicks in fast and is said to be 100 times more powerful than opium — or other dangerous synthetic drugs. Other drug-related deaths involved stimulants like methamphetamine, cocaine, and natural and semi-synthetic opioids. Overdoses due to prescribed pain killers are also on the rise. In many cases, street drugs were secretly mixed with fentanyl to enhance their potency. Drug abuse has caused more mortalities in the U.S. than gun and traffic accidents combined.
Officials have said that the increase is being driven by the lethal prevalence of fentanyl and stressed Americans due to the COVID-19 crisis. (Image: SPENCER PLATT/ Getty Images).
Soaring drug overdose numbers “These are numbers we have never seen before,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the New York Times (NYT) reported. “The fatalities have lasting repercussions since most of them occurred among people aged 25 to 55, in the prime of life,” she added. Continued on A3
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‘Flash Robs’: Distressing Trend Striking Stores in Major Cities Across the US Continued from FRONT “Witnesses said a large mob of people caused a huge disturbance inside the mall, with some briefly taking over a jewelry store,” KPIX reported. Witnesses on the scene described a mob of about 30 or 40 kids robbing a Sam’s Jewelers. Last week, an estimated 14 masked robbers swarmed a Louis Vuitton store in suburban Oak Brook Illinois, just outside Chicago, making off with more than $110,000 in handbags and other merchandise. Oak Brook Police are requesting tips from witnesses and are attempting to track down the thieves via license plates observed at the scene. “They have also formed a task force with the Illinois attorney general’s office to try to halt these types of incidents,” Newsweek reported. A video of thieves in Connecticut, loading their vehicle with stolen goods, in broad daylight, surfaced online on Nov. 10. Video surfaced on Twitter on Nov. 23 depicting what looks like dozens of thieves ransacking a small undisclosed retail store in Oakland, California. The brazen robberies came after Walgreens closed several San Francisco stores due to organ-
ized retail theft, leaving neighborhoods without a vital source for food, medicine and other essentials. Walgreens recently closed five San Francisco stores bringing the total number of stores closed due to retail theft up to at least 10 in the city since 2019. Best Buy, the popular consumer electronics big box store, is blaming recent profit declines on organized robberies. Best Buy CEO Corie Barry told Newsweek “We are definitely seeing more and more particularly organized retail crime and incidents of shrink in our locations,” adding that, “This is a real issue that hurts and scares people.”
Thieves rob a Target store as protesters face off against police in Oakland California on May 30, 2020, over the death of George Floyd. Recently, “flash robs” have been occurring in many major US cities with perpetrators making off with $100’s of thousands in merchandise.
Flash robs, not a new phenomena
While incidents of flash robs have been surging recently in many American cities the phenomenon is not a new one.
Don’t call it ‘looting’
While the flash robs may look like looting many state laws character-
187-Year-Old Statue of Thomas Jefferson Removed From NYC City Hall By Todd Crawford Vision Times
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Cherry-picking history
Others contested the removal of the statue arguing that Jefferwww.visiontimes.com
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son’s history was one that opposed slavery and that judging historical figures by modern standards undermines the figures’ historical significance and rewrites history. Jefferson inherited slaves from his father when he was 24 and was forbidden from freeing them by British law until after the Revolutionary War broke out. He then worked to reform Virginia law and as the third president of the United States helped establish one of the first laws outlawing slavery. It is said that Jefferson also tried to write a condemnation of slavery into the Declaration of Independence. Between July 1 and July 3, 1776, congressional delegates debated the Declaration of Independence, and the anti-slavery clause written by Thomas Jefferson was stricken from the Declaration. Historians say that Thomas Jefferson characterized slavery as a “hideous blot” and a “moral
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depravity”, but the teaching of this period of history is complicated by the constant presence of slavery, including in Jefferson’s household, as he himself was a slaveowner. Removal of Thomas Jefferson statue met with mixed reactions There was significant debate over the fate of the NYC city hall statue of Jefferson which was crafted by French artist Pierre-Jeanne David d’Angers as a model for a bronze statue on display in the U.S. Capitol rotunda. Michael Bogart, professor emeritus of art history at Stony Brook University, told The Guardian that the statue’s removal “deflects attention” from the actions of such controversial figures. Charles Barron, a member of the New York assembly and a former council member, told the New York Times, “It should be destroyed. A statue should be for those who we honor for their exemplary service and duty to all of this country, not just the white race.” In 2017, then-President Donald Trump appears to have predicted the removal of statues of figures like Jefferson stating, “George Washington was a slave-owner. So, will George Washington now lose his status? Are we going to take down statues of George Washington? How about Thomas Jefferson?”
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ize the behavior as anything but. According to the California Penal Code, it defines “looting” as “theft or burglary…during a ‘state of emergency,’ ‘local emergency,’ or ‘evacuation order’ resulting from an earthquake, fire, flood, riot or other natural or manmade disaster.” What is occurring today is organized retail theft involving dozens of perpetrators in what can only be described as organized crime. Lorenzo Boyd, PhD, Professor of Criminal Justice & Community Policing at the University of New Haven, when asked if the recent emergence of flash robs was a reaction to the Rittenhouse verdict said, “These types of massive, organized smash and grabs were happening before the Rittenhouse situation, because it happens cyclically,” adding that, “It’s a false equivalency. It’s people trying to politicize crime.”
9 in 10 Americans Are Worried About Inflation, What are the Solutions? Continued from FRONT
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cott Jensen, manager of the financial planning support department at Country Financial said that the amount spent by consumers is likely to go up with inflation by default as costs increase. By swapping expensive products with cheaper ones where they can, consumers often try to counteract increased prices.
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fter almost two centuries, on Monday, Nov. 22 the statue of American founding father, Thomas Jefferson, was removed from city hall in New York after the city’s Public Design Commission voted in favor of relocating the monument to a museum. The statue is bound for the New York Historical Society Museum where it will be kept on long-term loan. “The removal was prompted by some city councilmembers who objected to the third president’s legacy as a slave owner, including members of the council’s Black, Latino and Asian caucus,” The Hill reported. The 7-foot, 884-pound statue of the founding father, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, was removed from its pedestal inside the City Council chambers and packed into a wooden crate with some disagreeing with the plan because the Historical Society charges entrance fees which would make the publicly owned statue more difficult to view.
In August of 2011, the Christian Science Monitor, reported an incident where approximately three dozen people walked into a Maryland 7-11 convenience store and walked out with an undetermined amount of goods. In June, 2011, The Wall Street Journal reported that Chicago police arrested 29 people in connection with a rash of assaults and robberies in and around the city’s tony shopping district. Also in 2011, Time Magazine, reported incidents of flash robberies in St. Paul, Minn., Las Vegas and Washington. In April of that year, a G-Star Raw store in Washington D.C. was targeted by a flash rob with perpetrators making off with an estimated $20,000 worth of goods.
“Shoppers need to find ways and means to reduce their expenditure and be tactical when it comes to purchasing now to counteract higher prices in the future.” - Scott Jensen, manager of the financial planning support department at Country Financial.
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Supply shortages make substitution difficult
However, customers would face a challenge in doing this considering the current product shortages, Jensen noted. “If I can’t substitute or I can’t have the freedom to choose, then I am more affected by price increases and what’s left,” Jensen told CNBC. As consumers are looking to offset higher prices or a shortfall in products later, spending could be on the rise. With the holiday season looming near, experts have also suggested making the purchases now. However, with inflation continuing to gnaw away the gains in salaries and wages, not everyone is financially prepared to shell out big bucks during the holiday season. A recent survey from CreditCards.com revealed that most consumers plan to spend either less or roughly the same this holiday season as compared to last year. However, the fact that holiday shoppers will find themselves more in debt due to rising credit card purchases is a cause for concern. Another survey from DebtHammer.org showed that though more than 78 percent Americans have put aside some savings for holiday shopping, 66 percent expect to use “buy now, pay later plans” and 58 percent said they plan to take a payday loan or other short-term loans.
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NOV 26 - DEC 2, 2021 |
A3
(Image: ED JONES/Getty Images)
First-Edition Copy of US Constitution Sells for Over $40 Million By Jonathan Walker Vision Times
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he U.S. constitution is well over 200 years old. A rare first edition copy of the constitution was recently put up for auction at Sotheby’s and sold for $43.2 million. The auction was won by Ken Griffin, the billionaire CEO of the hedge fund Citadel. He outbid a group of cryptocurrency investors. (Image: ED JONES/Getty Images)
A copy of the Constitution was bought by billionaire Ken Griffin.(Image: YUKI IWAMURA/Getty Images)
Earlier, the crypto group had crowdfunded over $40 million through social media for the auction. However, it still ended up losing to Griffin after an eight-minute bidding war over the phone. The copy was only projected to sell at $20 million. Its sales value of $43.2 million is double the estimate and made the most money bid on any document. The last time the copy was sold was in 1988, where it went for $165,000. This is one of the thirteen copies of the official constitution that currently exists; it’s one of the two that is not held in institutional collections like Princeton University or the Library of Congress. Griffin plans to lend a piece of the copy
to an art museum in Arkansas. The billionaire has a taste for buying expensive collectibles. Last year, Griffin spent $100 million to buy a 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat. He also owns art by Jackson Pollock and Paul Cezanne. Griffin is a staunch Republican and contributed over $67 million for Republican causes and candidates in the 2020 election cycle. According to Kenneth Rendell, a dealer from Boston specializing in historic documents, people at the time of writing the constitution were likely not aware of collector’s items. Though they must have realized that the Declaration of Independence would become iconic, people likely wouldn’t have
(Image: ED JONES/Getty Images)
thought about the future status of the constitution itself. “People knew they should probably save the Declaration, but it took a while before this constitutional framework affected ordinary people… Of course now everyone is running to the Constitution for protection and all our biggest issues feel like constitutional questions,” Rendell told the WSJ. The Boston dealer admitted that he never expected the copy to be bought for more than $25 million. Although the crypto investor group did not win the auction, it said that “we still made history tonight.” 17,437 individuals had donated to the group. They were promised $PEOPLE tokens that will allow them to vote on whether the copy of the Constitution would be displayed. “We have educated an entire cohort of people around the world — from museum curators and art directors to our grandmothers asking us what ETH (cryptocurrency) is when they read about us in the news,” the group stated. Now that the group has lost the auction, the funds will have to be redistributed back to the donors.
“The U.S. Constitution is a sacred document that enshrines the rights of every American and all those who aspire to be… That is why I intend to ensure that this copy of our Constitution will be available for all Americans and visitors to view and appreciate in our museums and other public spaces,” Griffin said in a statement.
Drug Overdoses in the US Soar Past 100,000 Amidst COVID-19 Crisis Continued from FRONT
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r. Volkow believes some drug users set out to score fentanyl right away, while others “may not have wanted to take it. But that is what is being sold, and the risk of overdose is very high,” she said adding that, “Many people are dying without knowing what they are ingesting.” “If we had talked a year ago, I would have told you deaths are skyrocketing. But I would not have guessed it would get to this,” Dr. Andrew Kolodny, medical director of the Opioid Policy Research www.visiontimes.com
Collaborative at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management said, according to the NYT. Dr. Kolodny believes most people who die due to an overdose had underlying mental or drug addiction-related issues which could have escalated during times of crisis and isolation. Kolodny believes many youngsters involved could have developed an addiction to prescribed synthetic opioids.
Failing health care programs Despite hefty investments in the prevention and treatment of drug
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A COPE trailer was parked at Montgomery County police headquarters in Gaithersburg, for the media to tour the model bedroom and receive education about signs of opioid abuse. (Image: Sarah L. Voisin/Getty Images)
abuse-related problems through a US$1.5 billion stimulus bill issued last spring the current public health emergency has not been contained.
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An additional US$30 million that was provided for local rehabilitation and syringe exchange programs and to provide fast test strips for identifying fentaad.ny@visiontimes.com
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nyl-affected substances has been deemed inadequate. Social relief workers are calling for additional funds to provide greater access to treatment centers and same-day accessibility services. “We’re seeing a lot of people who delayed getting help, and who seem to be more sick,” Dr. Joseph Lee, president and chief executive of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, said. Lee argues that the problems have been exacerbated because of the lockdowns during the pandemic and attributes part of the problem to a loss of social coherency.
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CHINA
A4 | NOV 26 - DEC 2, 2021
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International Community Chinese Factory in Serbia Calls For Release of Accused of Exploiting Jailed Chinese Journalist Vietnamese Workers Zhang Zhan By Ashok Ramprasad Vision Times
By Alina Wang Vision Times
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round 500 workers from Vietnam, who were hired to build a factory for China’s Shandong Linglong Tire Co. in Serbia, have allegedly been subjected to harsh living and working conditions that could potentially affect their health and lives. Proclaimed by both Chinese and Serbian officials as a sign of “strategic partnership” between the two nations, the undertaking has caught the attention of environmentalists who are worried about the harmful pollution that tire production is very likely to cause. With indications that the Vietnamese workers could be victims of human trafficking or even slavery, the project has come under the scrutiny of human rights activists as well.
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he United Nations has called on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to immediately release imprisoned Chinese journalist Zhang Zhan. The 38-year-old lawyer turned journalist was detained in May, 2020, and sentenced to four years in prison that December. In a Nov. 20 press release, U.N. Human Rights Office spokeswoman Marta Hurtado called for Zhang’s “immediate and unconditional release,” requesting that the Chinese authorities “at the very least … make urgent life-saving medical care available.” She expressed concern for Zhang’s life due to her “rapidly deteriorating health,” and commended her for “documenting the early days of the COVID-19 Zhang Zhan featured pandemic in the on RSF’s website. (Image: Chinese city of Reporters Without Borders) Wuhan.” “The free flow of relevant information is of particular importance in the early stages of crisis situations such as public health emergencies,” she stressed, adding that all countries should respect the rights of journalists and citizens in implementing pandemic control measures. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announced on Nov. 17 that the 2021 Prize for Courage had been awarded to Zhang Zhan. According to the Chinese government, “Zhang Zhan was sentenced on December 28, 2020 to four years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” the announcement read. “Despite constant threats, this lawyerturned-journalist covered the Covid-19 outbreak in the city of Wuhan in February 2020, live-streaming video reports on social media that showed the city’s streets and hospitals, and the families of the sick. Her reporting from the heart of the pandemic’s initial epicenter was one of the main sources of independent information about the health situation in Wuhan at the time.”
A pro-democracy activist holds up a signs in support of Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan in Hong Kong. (Image: EPA)
along with other diplomatic missions have repeatedly expressed our serious concerns about the arbitrary nature of [Zhang’s] detention and her mistreatment during it. We reiterate our call to the PRC [People’s Republic of China] for her immediate and unconditional release and for Beijing to respect a free press and the right of people to express themselves freely.”
A breach of human rights
When workers first arrived at Zrenjanin, a small city in northern Serbia, they were housed in barracks that lacked heating, electricity, and potable water. Moreover, they were not provided with sufficient food and had no money. With no assistance from local authorities, they were basically stranded in a foreign land. Workers’ rights NGO A11 and the Serbian anti-trafficking NGO ASTRA, the two organizations that brought the story to light, called for an urgent response by state institutions on Nov. 17. NGOs allege the workers could be victims of labor trafficking.
International attention has focused on Zhang, who was jailed for reporting on the beginnings of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. The German Federal Foreign Office confirmed to broadcaster ARD on Nov. 16 that the German Embassy in China had petitioned the PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Zhang Zhan’s immediate release.
Terrible working conditions
Apart from cramped dormitories, only two toilets were found for the usage of almost 500 people. The working hours were often longer than permitted by law; the salaries came in late; and when paid, it was in cash. The workers are denied personal protection equipment by the employer and the costs of some of their working equipment were deducted from their payments. The workers sleep on bunk beds without mattresses. “We are witnessing a breach of human rights because the Vietnamese (workers) are working in terrible conditions…. Their passports and identification documents have been taken by their Chinese employers… They have been here since May, and they received only one salary. They are trying to get back to Vietnam but first need to get back their doc-
Zhang on the ‘verge of death’
Earlier this month, reports emerged that Zhang is on the “verge of death” following her hunger strike in prison, prompting protest from Chinese human rights activists as well as international observers. Beijing-based human rights lawyer Wang Yu told Radio Free Asia on Nov. 16 that “regardless of the law, from the basis of human decency, Zhang should be released to receive medical treatment. It is at a critical point to save her life.” (Image: YouTube. )
Governments call for Zhang’s release
U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters during a press briefing on Nov. 8 that “The United States,
Zhang Zhan has been jailed for four years.
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uments,” Serbian activist Miso Zivanov of the Zrenjaninska Akcija (Zrenjanin Action) nongovernmental organization told the Associated Press (AP). Workers told the media outlet that they were even denied medical care when they seemed to exhibit symptoms similar to COVID-19. They were instructed by their supervisors to simply stay put in their rooms. One of the workers, Nguyen Van Tri, noted that nothing from the job contract he signed in Vietnam had been implemented. “Since we arrived here, nothing is good… Everything is different from documents we signed in Vietnam. Life is bad, food, medicine, water … everything is bad,” he said. The workers have gone on strike twice so far. The first time was because they did not get enough food and the second time was when their wages were delayed. Some of them have been fired as a reactionary response by the management.
The company response
However, Linglong denied any responsibility towards these workers. The company instead blamed subcontractors and job agencies in Vietnam for the workers’ situation. The firm insisted that workers’ wages were paid on time in conformity to the number of hours worked and denied that the Vietnamese were living in poor conditions. When it came to the sad state of the workers, Serbian officials were quick to underplay any wrongdoing by the Chinese. Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic argued that the “attack” against the Linglong factory was being planned by “those against Chinese investments” in Serbia. “At the beginning, it was the environment. Now they forgot that and they focused on workers there. After tomorrow there will be something else,” she said. Lawyer Rodoljub Sabic, Serbia’s former information commissioner, called the state’s attitude towards the issue of Vietnam workers as “shameful.”’ He believes the facts of the case provide “more than enough grounds” for the public prosecutor’s office to intervene. And yet, no action has been taken. Trafficking people can attract a prison term of up to 12 years according to Siberian law. Serbia has become one of the focal points of Beijing’s expansion and investment strategies. To finance the construction of roads, railways, and other projects, Serbia has obtained billions of dollars in loans from Chinese banks.
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CHINA
VISION TIMES
NOV 26 - DEC 2, 2021 |
China Is Ending Its Population Controls, But Many No Longer Want to Have Children By Alina Wang Vision Times
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n Nov. 23, the Chinese government announced on its official website for the National Bureau of Statistics that China’s rural population is seeing a steep population decline. According to the Chinese Statistical Yearbook for 2021 (CSY2021), the nation’s rural population is currently at 509 million, a 2.5 percent drop from last year. Men accounted for 264 million of the population, compared with just 245 million women. The pattern is one seen across the entire country, with 35 million women and girls “missing” as a result of the Communist Party’s one-child policy implemented in 1979. Despite the policy being modified to allow two children per couple in 2016 and three this year, China’s population growth has continued to slow rapidly. According to the new statistics, the 2020 birth rate fell to below 1 percent, the lowest in more than 40 years. According to the CSY-2021, the current sex ratio in China’s rural areas is 107.91 males to every 100 females. In Beijing and Shanghai, the ratio has reached 130.93 and 120.21, respectively — a nearly 31 percent and 20 percent imbalance of men to women in the country’s two largest cities. While implemented in an attempt to arrest rapid population growth — China reached 1 billion people in 1980 — the one-child policy forced parents to decide whether they wanted a son or a daughter. Especially in rural areas, where sons are considered indispensable - Joshua Rosenzweig, head for doing manual of Amnesty International. labor and carrying on the family line, this caused many parents to abort or abandon baby girls. Additionally, many girls who did end up being born were hidden from authorities so that their parents could try for a son. Forced to live “in the black,” they do not officially exist, and as such
Governments have no business regulating how many children people have. Rather than ‘optimizing’ its birth policy, China should instead respect people’s life choices and end any invasive and punitive controls over people’s family planning decisions.”
The Communist Party’s liberalization of its OneChild Policy to a 3-Child Policy shows the hard-toreverse damage from decades of autocratic micromanagement in citizens’ family affairs. (Image: Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images)
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A5
At ChinaASEAN Summit, Xi Tells Neighbors Beijing Isn’t Out to ‘Bully’ Them By Alina Wang Vision Times
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Primary school students arrive at school for the first day of the new semester in Beijing on September 1, 2021. (Image: WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images)
are barred from many opportu- showed that only a small fracnities for education, employ- tion of respondents chose the ment, and welfare. answer: “I’m ready, I can’t wait.” Of the roughly 22,000 people Reversing course who responded, an overwhelmThe one-child policy was so ing 20,000 chose: “I won’t constringenly upheld that many sider it at all.” women were forced to have late“Governments have no business term abortions or even be ster- regulating how many children ilized if they were found to be people have. Rather than ‘opti“illegaly” pregnant. The author- mizing’ its birth policy, China ities boasted that they prevented should instead respect people’s 400 million births. life choices and end any invaBut starting in October 2015, sive and punitive controls over the Chinese Communist Party people’s family planning deci(CCP) reversed course, roll- sions.” - Joshua Rosenzweig, head ing out the slogan “all families of Amnesty International. should have two children.” The two-child policy was promul- Chinese indifferent gated in 2016, and this May, was to new policies further broadened to allow three As China becomes increaschildren per couple. In August, ingly industrialized, the costs the Chinese government released and complexity of life have documents recommending all risen, making it difficult for restrictions be dropped, and later even well-to-do families to have even drafted plans to limit medi- multiple children or procreate at cally unnecessary abortions. all. Families in China are now Younger couples have said they encouraged to have more children are already stressed enough jugin an attempt to “change the pop- gling a work-life balance, havulation structure,” and relieve the ing a social life and barely able growing crisis that China’s elderly to keep themselves afloat, let population is facing. alone having a child (or three). In June, Chinese state-run Meanwhile, older couples said media Xinhua conducted a poll the financial burden of having titled: “Are you ready for the more children would simply be three-child policy?” The results unmanageable. Additionally, many female professionals fear that having more children would incur discrimination from employers reluctant to pay for maternity leave. The high-stress environment of modern Chinese society has led many young people to embrace the “lying flat” philosophy, which calls for survival on a minimal income, without buying property, getting married, or having children. Similarly, others have observed a phenomenon of nei juan or “involution,” which they use to criticize the extreme competition young professionals experience in urban Chinese cities.
The one-child policy was so stringenly upheld that many women were forced to have late-term abortions or even be sterilized if they were found to be “illegaly” pregnant. The authorities boasted that they prevented 400 million births.
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hinese leader Xi Jinping met with leaders at the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit on Monday, Nov. 22. The summit saw representatives from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Myanmar did not send a representative to partake in the meeting and the reason for the nation’s non-attendance was not made clear. Xi said the China-ASEAN virtual summit, which is being held to celebrate 30 years of open dialogue, would help stabilize regional peace and development, according to Chinese state media. China would never seek hegemony or take advantage of its size to “bully” smaller countries, Xi said. He also said Beijing would work with ASEAN to eliminate “interference” stemming from maritime control issues. Recent years have seen the communist regime’s air and naval forces establish a permanent presence in the South China Sea, almost the entirety of which Beijing claims belongs to China. The CCP has likewise put the democracy in Taiwan on notice, sending combat jets and aircraft carriers around the island in attempts to prevent its government from moving towards formal independence from China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech via video at the opening ceremony of the 17th China-ASEAN Expo on November 27, 2020. (Image: STR/Getty Images)
While spending trillions on its “Belt and Road” (BRI) infrastructure projects across Eurasia and Africa, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under Xi has taken a more aggressive approach to diplomacy, characterized by harsh invective and threatening military maneuvers. The Chinese regime has also stepped up cooperation with Russia, holding an increased number of drills with the long-time military power. Earlier this month, the two countries sent bombers into the Sea of Japan and East China Sea. In the Himalayan mountain range, Chinese soldiers have clashed with Indian troops over disputed border lines; Beijing has also deployed bombers to the region. Such actions have led to distrust and concern among China’s southern neighbors, particularly those with their own claims to waters in the South China Sea. However, “China was, is, and will always be a good neighbor, good friend, and good partner of ASEAN,” state media quoted Xi as saying. 703-868-1509
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A6 | NOV 26 - DEC 2, 2021
Understanding
Albert Einstein By Simone Jonker
A
lbert Einstein is the most famous and respected scientist in history. A friend and biographer, Abraham Pais, considered him “the divine man of the 20th century.” New York Times physics reporter Dennis Overbye described him as an “icon of humanity facing the unknown.” Einstein possessed a moral quality that set him apart even in his own time. He seemed average, yet he had an extraordinary intellect. He was said to radiate an incredible simplicity that was at the same time childlike and very uncompromising. In 1905 Albert Einstein published the Special Theory of Relativity; even yet, in 1907 Einstein knew his theory needed work. He discovered that the theory of relativity only applied to observers traveling at a constant speed. It also contradicted Newton’s explanation of gravity. As a patent officer, Einstein had no access to laboratory equipment. To compensate, he had to think. He ran over several possibilities in his brain and worked through them step by step. These mental exercises helped him understand that gravity is analogous to acceleration. On Earth, being stationary is analogous to being in a rocket ship accelerating at a constant 1G. Not only did Einstein find that time and space had no ultimate meaning, he also realized that even geometry was relative rather than absolute. In Albert Einstein’s case, timing was everything, since the latter quarter of the nineteenth century and the first quarter of the twentieth century
Albert Einstein was a very ordinary guy with the mind of a genius and the heart of a sage. Hated by a few but l oved by many, he took it all in good stride.
Albert Einstein at age 3, 1882 www.visiontimes.com
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“The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. He who knows it not and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle.” Albert Einstein, from his book The World as I See it, published in 1949.
were the periods in which all of the “wonder” breakthroughs and “miracles” of science were introduced into the world. Long-distance passenger trains, geared bicycles, vehicles, aircraft, movies, the radio, electricity, the telegraph, telephones were introduced. The first automobile assembly line appeared on December 1, 1913. Newspapers were thriving, and the introduction of black-and-white newsreels had just started to make worldwide renown conceivable. On November 25, 1915, Einstein walked onto the Prussian Academy of Sciences platform in Berlin and announced that he had finally concluded his grueling, ten-year quest to get new and more profound knowledge of gravity. He asserted that his general relativity had finally reached its conclusion. Einstein’s 1915 hypothesis stated that huge astronomical objects like the sun bend the fabric of spacetime around themselves, explaining gravity. This astrophysical hypothesis differed from Newton’s notion of gravity as an all-encompassing force. Einstein illustrated this bizarre theory with a total solar eclipse. The Foundations of General Relativity appeared in Annalen der Physik in 1916. WWI ended with the Versailles Treaty on June 28, 1919. This first global battle killed 9 million to 13 million people and destroyed untold resources. Everyone was on the lookout for a fresh perspective and a sense of world peace.
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Albert Einstein and his first wife.
Albert Einstein and his second wife.
Solar eclipse experiment
English astronomer Arthur Eddington was one of the few people in England who grasped Einstein’s theory and realized the significance of testing it. He and his fellow astronomers, Andrew Crommelin and Frank Dyson, organized expeditions to Africa’s west coast and Sobral, Brazil during the solar eclipse of May 29, 1919, to determine whether Einstein was correct. Einstein received a telegram in September 1919, which informed him that the eclipse experiment ad.ny@visiontimes.com
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supported his predictions. Ilse Rosenthal-Schneider, GermanAustralian physicist and philosopher, met with Einstein at the time. By her account, he seemed joyful but not overtly exuberant about the result. She asked him, ‘Well, what would you have said if the theory had been found to be against you? Would you have been disappointed in that event?’ Einstein smiled and said, ‘Well then I would have been sorry for the dear Lord because the theory is correct.’” The results were formally presented at the Royal Society meeting in London on November 6, 1919. The measurements taken during a total solar eclipse earlier that year supported Einstein’s bold new theory of gravity, known as general relativity. It was at this juncture the name “Einstein” was given to Albert Einstein, signifying the beginning of his metamorphosis from a former patent clerk to a
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.(Image:Wikimedia)
worldwide phenomenon. Born to Jewish parents in Ulm, Germany in 1879, Einstein was a Jewish pacifist theorist whose work was validated by British astronomers. It wasn’t just an ordinary hypothesis. Einstein’s idea jolted the globe back to life and inspired the world of science. Einstein’s research in relativity exposed flaws in classical mechanics pioneered by Isaac Newton; paving the way for quantum physics and astronomical discoveries like black holes, neutron stars and gravitational waves.
The Nobel Prize
Prominent scientists were scarce at the time. Notable names included Marie Curie, who had won two Nobels by 1911; Einstein won the 1921 prize retrospectively in 1922. Sir Arthur Eddington, the astronomer who arranged the eclipse missions to verify general relativity, was also a celebrity scientist in Britain. Einstein dazzled the most knowledgeable top scientists of his day, and newspaper writers were certain he was the ‘genuine article.’ As a result, even though he was not a self-promoter, he became a press favorite. His mystique grew as he alternated between joking with the media and ignoring them. During this period, Eddington’s stories of Einstein’s genius pleased both the English and American press. Eddington was once told by a journalist that he was one of only three people (including Einstein) www.visiontimes.com
The solar eclipse of 1919, in which Einstein’s theory of relativity was tested by astronomers Arthur Eddington and Andrew Crommelin in two locations, while coordinated from England by astronomer Frank Dyson. By measuring the positions of surrounding stars and comparing them to their night positions they could determine whether their light rays bent when they approached the sun. (Image: ESO/Wikimedia)
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Albert Einstein's residence in Princeton.
who understood the general theory of relativity. He replied, pensively, “I just cannot think who the third person might be.”
Lighthearted in life and death
The Times published Einstein’s translation of a passage in German where he jokingly refers to his own “relative” identity: “Today in Germany I am called a German man of science, and in England I am represented as a Swiss Jew. If I come to be regarded as a bête noire, the descriptions will be reversed, and I shall become a Swiss Jew for the Germans, and a German man of science for the English.” Einstein stayed the darling of the media despite his stoic demeanor and limited command of the English language (his unkempt look developed over time). The fact that he eschewed socks in favor of sanADVERTISING INQUIRIES
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dals delighted the American media. “Photographer’s model,” he would later quip. Not everyone admired Einstein. Select groups opposed him and his work for various reasons, according to John Stachel, founder, and editor of the Einstein Papers Project. Russian academics believed it was far too romantic and too abstract.
Some just despised Einstein as a Jew.
After World War I, anti-Semitism was growing, and murder threats against Einstein were commonplace. He was fortunate in that he was on a working vacation in the United States when Hitler came to power in Germany. He knew deep down that he would never return to the land where he had accomplished his greatest achievements. In his final years, Einstein worked on his unified field theories, spoke ad.ny@visiontimes.com
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out against racism and other issues, and told jokes to the parrot he received for his 75th birthday. Einstein was sent to Princeton Hospital for a ruptured Aortic aneurysm (AAA) on April 17, 1955, but he rejected treatment. “I want to go when I want. It is tasteless to prolong life artificially; I have done my share, it is time to go. I will do it elegantly.” The onduty nurse heard him mumble a few things in German that she couldn’t understand before he passed. The Albert Einstein House in Princeton, New Jersey was designated a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of Interior on January 7, 1976.
In his own words from An Einstein Encyclopedia:
“Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose….To ponder interminably over the reason for one’s own existence or the meaning of life, in general, seems to me, from an objective point of view, to be sheer folly. And yet everyone holds certain ideals by which he guides his aspiration and his judgment. The ideals which have always shone before me and filled me with the joy of living are goodness, beauty, and truth. To make a goal of comfort or happiness has never appealed to me; a system of ethics built on this basis would be sufficient only for a herd of cattle.”
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WORLD
A8 | NOV 26 - DEC 2, 2021
VISION TIMES
Alibaba Shares Plunge After Company Warns of Potential Slowdown By Jonathan Walker Vision Times
S
hares of Chinese tech giant Alibaba have taken a hit after it reported a dismal performance for the quarter ending in September. The company’s net income declined by 87 percent year-on-year to 3.4 billion yuan (US$530 million). This was far below analyst predictions who were expecting the company to log in around 24 billion yuan (US$3.76 billion) in net income. Last year, Alibaba had registered 26.5 billion yuan (US$4.15 billion) in net income for the same period.
An employee works in the warehouse of Cainiao Smart Logistics Network, the logistics affiliate of e-commerce giant Alibaba, in Wuxi, China's eastern Jiangsu province. (Image:HECTOR RETAMAL/
during its 11.11 Global Shopping Festival which saw the slowest growth rate since 2009. Increasing regulatory pressure has also weighed heavily on the Chinese tech company. Earlier this year, the company was made to pay a $2.8 billion fine after a government probe accused it of enjoying a dominant market position for several years. So far this year, Alibaba’s stock has declined by over a third. On Nov, 20, the State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) announced further fines on Alibaba, blaming it for engaging in misconduct. Alibaba was one of several companies fined by SAMR for failing to disclose 43 deals. Alibaba’s purchase of a 44 percent stake in Ele.me in 2018 and acquisition of navigation firm AutoNavi in 2014 were cited as two violations by the company. On Nov. 22, Alibaba and other tech stocks declined due to continued regulatory pressure and an increase in treasury yields. The bearish mood in the market was strengthened after a CCP-backed media outlet called for more stringent regulation on tax collection from online platforms.
AFP via Getty Images)
At the Hong Kong stock exchange, Alibaba’s shares were valued at 164.80 HKD (US$21.15) on Nov. 17. After the quarterly performance was announced, the share value slumped to 133 HKD (US$17.07) as of Nov. 23, a decline of over 19 percent in about five days. While the company’s poor performance for the September quarter has influenced the stock price, what has also negatively impacted the share is the fact that the firm is apprehensive about its near-term future. Alibaba slashed its annual revenue growth forecast from 23 to 20 percent, well below analyst expectations. If the prediction turns out to be true, it will be the company’s slowest annual revenue growth since the stock made its debut back in 2014. Daniel Zhang, CEO of Alibaba, blamed the company’s woes on rising competition and weaker consumer consumption. The declining consumer appetite was evident
The paring of some risks in the tech sector seems to continue into the Asia session, with rising yields a key concern when it comes to debt cost and valuation for these growth names.” - Jun Rong Yeap, market strategist at IG Asia Pte, told Bloomberg.
The Hang Seng Tech Index fell to the lowest level in two weeks, dropping almost two percent at one point. Alibaba dropped to a new record low.
This photograph taken on November 20, 2021 shows a burned car after a protest against the partial lockdown and against the 2G government policy in Rotterdam. (Image:JEFFREY GROENEWEG/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
Violent Clashes Erupt in Rotterdam
Over Lockdown Restrictions, 3 Feared Dead By Victor Westerkamp Vision Times
THE HAGUE-
V
iolent clashes broke out in the Dutch city of Rotterdam on last Friday night over newly imposed COVID-19 measures, with police opening fire on protesters, potentially claiming three lives. The riots followed a massive dock workers’ strike that occurred the day before when protestors blocked all main entry and exit roads to the harbor of Rotterdam, which is a vital artery to the western European backland. The activists handed out pamphlets to frustrated truck drivers stuck for hours until the blockade lifted just after dusk.
Riot police officers stand in position in a street of The Hague during a demonstration against the Dutch government's coronavirus measures, on November 20, 2021. (Image:JDANNY KEMP/AFP via Getty Images)
2-G Rule
Distributed leaflets showed that the dockers were campaigning against the segregation in society as proposed by the 2-G rule, which dictates that only the vaccinated and the COVID-19 recovered are allowed to participate in many aspects of society, like attending bars, restaurants, gyms, museums, theaters, barbershops, and possibly malls, and larger supermarkets. The protests on Friday were said to be ignited by a ban on the use of fireworks by private citizens during this year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations. The fireworks ban is part of a broader package of restric-
Activists participate in a music demonstration against Covid-19 sanitary measures in the center of Breda on November 20, 2021. (Image:ROB ENGELAAR/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
tions being enacted to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he wanted to deal the virus a “severe blow.”
Violent clashes
Rotterdam police announced on Twitter that 51 people had been arrested, adding that half of them were juniors. Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb called
the protests “an orgy of violence.” “Police were forced to draw their weapons and even fire direct shots,” Aboutaleb said on a presser the next day. However, protest groups on social media like Signal and Telegram were buzzing with rumors “from a reliable source” that three protestors had been killed by gunfire, and at least two were hospitalized. If true, that would mean four citizens have lost their lives over the past two weeks after 50-yearold Mariëlle Tock lost her life during a protest on Nov. 8 — an incident that was ignored by the Dutch mainstream media. Purportedly, Tock lost her life due to police violence. It is not known whether the police also suffered losses apart from the material damage that occurred. Several police cars were set ablaze.
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WORLD
VISION TIMES
NOV 26 - DEC 2, 2021 |
A9
COVID-19 Vaccine Certified for Use in Children Aged 5 to 11 in Canada By Todd Crawford Vision Times
O
n Nov. 19, Health Canada announced the authorization for the use of the PfizerBioNTech Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine in children five to 11 years of age. In a statement published to a government of Canada website authorities stated that, “This is the first COVID-19 vaccine authorized in Canada for use in this age group and marks a major milestone in Canada’s fight
against COVID-19.” Health Canada received an application from Pfizer-BioNTech for authorization for use of its vaccine in children on Oct. 18. Health authorities assert that after a scientific review of the evidence it was determined that the benefits of this vaccine for children between the age of five and 11 years outweigh the risks. Children will be administered a lower dose of the vaccine than adults at 30 micrograms and will be subjected to a two-dose regimen administered three weeks apart.
Citing a clinical trial, Health Canada stated on their website that the immune response in children 5 to 11 years of age was comparable to the immune response in people 16 to 25 years of age. Health Canada is claiming that the vaccine is 90.7 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 in children and that no serious side effects were identified. Adobe Stock
Deaths from COVID19 in children are incredibly rare
“In a series of preprints pub-
By Simone Jonker Vision Times
We heated it up, were able to dissolve the minerals in the sand, and were left behind with gold.” - Marc Walton
Ancient African
Secret to Purifying Gold with Glass
Depiction of Mansa Moussa, emperor of Mali, on a map of Europe and North Africa. Mansa Moussa holds a gold nugget. (Image: Abraham Cresques via Wikimedia Commons Public domain)
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W
ith the earliest evidence of currency in pre-colonial West Africa taking the form of gold coins dating back to the ninth to tenth centuries AD, a method for purifying gold was essential. The ancient settlement of Tadmekka, located on the southwestern border of the Sahara Desert, is now known as Essouk. It was one of the most critical market towns on the trans-Saharan camel-caravan routes in the early Islamic period, supplying West African gold, slaves, and ivory to the Mediterranean world. In 1068 AD, three centuries before Timbuktu became known as an African ‘Eldorado,’ a fabled city constructed of gold, the Arab Andalusian historian and geographer al-Bakrī, described Tadmekka as “a large town… with a richly attired king and pure gold coinage.” He said Tadmekka was, “of all the towns in the world the one that resembles Mecca the most.” In 2005 a British Museum archaeologist Sam Nixon revealed that the unstamped “bald” gold coinage of Tadmekka recorded by al-Bakri was related to trans-Saharan gold export. In archeological explorations of Tadmekka, Nixon found droplets of highly refined gold (98%) left in molds from its metal workshops, triggering an extensive investigation into how medieval Africans purified the gold they were using for their currency. Among the approximately 70 crucible specimens excavated, copper and iron slags, crucible shards for steel manufacturing, unusual glass fragments, coin molds containing gold prills, and two crucibles for processing raw gold extract were found.
A Unique Process for Purifying Gold
The sub-Saharan economies mostly used an assortment of glass beads as money, while North African Islamic economies imported gold coins from the south. According to writers, although the coins had tremendous commercial value, they were not meant to make political statements. The unmarked coins were used as a trading mechanism, attracting the early Islamic caravan trade to locations in the north, south, and east. At the Mediterranean coastline, local authorities would melt them down or inscribe them with a stamp. The metallurgical remains
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lished on medRxiv, a team of researchers picked through all hospital admission and deaths reported for people younger than 18 in England. The studies found that COIVD-19 caused 25 deaths in that age group between March 2020 and February 2021,” Nature reported. Health Canada has put in place terms and conditions requiring Pfizer-BioNTech to continue providing information to Health Canada on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in the younger group.
from Tadmekka offer not only historical records, but also aided in understanding of the site’s complex mining process, which produced high-quality Ancient Africans were able to purify gold by smelting it with gold. This prorecycled glass, which allowed cess added powthe separation of materials. dered glass beads (Image: James St. John via Wikimedia to an agglomerCommons CC BY-2.0) ation containing gold flakes and nuggets, which, upon smelting, led to the separation of the precious metal from lighter minerals. Marc Walton, co-director of the Center for Scientific Studies in the Arts, in collaboration between Northwestern University and the Art Institute of Chicago, said, “This is the first time in the archaeological record that we saw glass being used to be able to refine gold. The glass appeared to be material that was [actually] recycled glass materials … so it really shows the industriousness and creativity of the craftsmen, who understood the properties of gold and glass enough to [use them for] this process of refining gold.” The glass used primarily came from a location in Thailand, where it was discovered between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. It is quite improbable that this specific type of glass was accessible in western Africa around the late first century AD. Walton remarked, “In the case of medieval West Africans, “They were taking the ore and other raw materials from the river and mixing it with glass. Since gold is inert, it doesn’t fully dissolve into the melted glass, while impurities and other materials do, making this “a really novel way of using recycled glass material.”
Replicating ancient technologies
Walton’s team at the Center for Scientific Studies (CSSA) recreated several ancient technologies. To understand how medieval Africans refined gold so well, they used what they had available. “We heated it up, were able to dissolve the minerals in the sand, and were left behind with gold.” - Marc Walton “We bought gold dust from a chemical supply company and then we mixed it with local Lake Michigan sand and then we made our own synthetic glass,” says Walton. He and his colleagues brought this small-scale, customized gold purification method into the contemporary era, and they tailored it to their surroundings in Illinois. Their findings demonstrate that the medieval Malian approach was both sophisticated and ingenious. The emergence of multi-purpose high-temperature workshops in cities is neither new nor surprising. Documenting the details of such workshops, however, offers unique insights into the social and technical structure of these communities, as well as the skill levels of their inhabitants.
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3
NATURE
A10 | NOV 26 - DEC 2, 2021
Touching Tales
of Animals With Big Hearts
By Simone Jonker
O
RPHANED KITTY BECOMES A “CAT NURSE” AND ROCKS THE INTERNET After a 9-month-old Polish cat’s photos were shared on Imgur, they became an instant hit and were viewed almost 800,000 times. The images were so sweet they caused many viewers to shed tears. Following a profile on him as one of the world’s most renowned healthcare workers, this cute kitty rocketed to popularity. Since then he has become well known as “Cat Nurse,” due to his attentive care for ailing animals, which included affectionate hugs, and sometimes a massage! Rademenes was only two months old when he was taken to the Bydgoszcz animal shelter, according to TVN Meteo. Staff was doubtful that the tiny black cat would survive, but when they heard him purring, they decided to start treatment straight away. Rademenese recovered beautifully, thanks to the efforts of veterinarian Lucyna Kuziel-Zawalich, who named him the shelter’s mascot and gave him a place to stay.
D
OG SAVES OWNER’S LIFE BY CHEWING OFF HIS TOE
In 2010, Jerry Douthett of West Michigan was feeling great, and more than a little buzzed, after a night out to celebrate his wife Rosee’s American citizenship. Douthett awoke from his inebriated slumber to the shocking discovery that his right big toe was missing and his dog Kiko had blood in its mouth. Although his wife Rosee had been nagging him to see a doctor about the painful sore on his big toe, Douthett never did. Kiko then decided to take things into his own “mouth.” Douthett was rushed to the hospital to have the remainder of his toe removed and the wound treated. Rosee told NBC affiliate WOOD, Channel 8, “[While we were there] they also found out that he was diabetic.” “His sugar was in the 800s so it was
Izabella Szolginia, the shelter’s director, told TVN Meteo that Rademenes gives “hugs” to both cats and dogs that seem to be ill when they arrive at the shelter and comforts sick animals with cuddles, kisses, and even massages. Rademenes’ “co-workers,” said as soon as he regained his health, the compassionate feline began comforting other animals at the shelter, giving particular care to those who were recuperating from surgical procedures. They jokingly refer to him as a “full-time nurse.” Some say that with cats, what you put in is what you get out. According to Plos One, our feline family members’ personalities mirror our own. Cats are often more intelligent than we give them credit for. Experts say cats are fully able to recognize and comprehend emotions.
like if it wasn’t treated, it could be fatal for him, going into septic shock.“ “[The doctors] heralded Kiko as a hero because if he didn’t do that, [Jerry] would never have gone to the hospital or discovered he was diabetic,” she said. Jerry improved his diet and swore off drinking from then on. In August 2020, Douthett complained of a toothache. Upon examination, he was found to have oral and throat cancer. A golf ball-sized tumor was surgically removed, and all the while Kiko and the couple’s cat
VISION TIMES
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ELUGA WHALE SAVES A DROWNING DIVER When cramps paralyzed a freediver’s legs in icy waters, and she was rendered unable to swim, a beautiful Beluga whale rushed to her aid, and, in the nick of time, held her lower leg tenderly in his massive jaws, and pushed her to the surface. Yang Yun, 26, was hoping to become a whale trainer at the Polar Land Aquarium in Harbin, Northeast China. To qualify for the job, Yun was required to dive into the 20-foot polar pool packed with Belugas, and remain submerged in the chilly arctic waters for as long as possible. But during the test, Yun’s legs cramped up; to her utter dismay and horror, she felt paralyzed. Water pressure is very dense and can hold a person down at depths of 20 feet and below, especially if the cold has paralyzed the limbs. Yun described her ordeal, “I began to choke and sank even lower and I thought that was it for me – I was dead.” Then, out of the blue, a white whale called Mila appeared. Yun said, “I felt this incredible force under me driving me to the surface.” Mila used her beak and pectoral flippers to maneuver Yun before taking her leg in his massive jaws and moving his huge two flukes up and down, paddled to the surface where they were greeted with relief and much applause. “We suddenly saw the girl being pushed to the top of the pool with her leg in Mila’s mouth,” an official at
Polar Land said. Belugas are scientifically referred to as Delphinacterus Leucas, a name derived from the Russian word “Belukha,” which translates to “white whale.” Belugas are slow swimmers, but can dive almost 700 meters. These whales hunt and explore using their hearing and echolocation. Belugas have great eyesight both in and out of the water. The spherical feature on the dorsal surface of a whale’s head located immediately in front of the blowhole is called a “melon.” It is very prominent in Beluga whales and extends over the rostrum. Because it changes form while the whale is making noises, experts believe that the melon facilitates the making of the unique combination of sounds that has earned Beluga whales the moniker “canaries of the sea.” These Arctic and sub-Arctic Belugas whales feed only on salmon, eulachon, cod, sandworms, herring, smelt, and flatfish, including krill; so Yang Yun was in no danger of becoming lunch. Belugas are mammals like us that need to surface regularly to breathe and drown if they can’t get to the surface. Both dolphins and whales have brains almost as large as ours and with a similar convoluted form as well, indicating that they may be as intelligent as humans and are able to demonstrate empathy; moreover, experts agree they have very complex communication signals that resemble a simple language.
Lucky, remained by his side. Despite four rounds of chemotherapy and 35 radiation treatments, Jerry lost his battle with cancer in June this year. He was 58. In the wake of Jerry’s death, Rosee said Lucky died in September and Kiko died of kidney fail-
ure on Oct. 11. They were both 12 years old. She says losing all three in such a short time made her reflect on their shared experiences. She thinks Gerry, Kiko, and Lucky are together now. Dogs are extremely sensitive to smells that people cannot detect. Recent research shows that dogs’ highly developed sense of smell can accurately detect cancerous blood samples. When a person’s blood sugar lowers, they exhale more isoprene. While the cause of this rise is unknown, it is believed that dogs can detect the change in chemical composition on a person’s breath. Super-human senses are certainly a plus, but it is a dog’s unwavering loyalty and complete devotion that make a dog worthy of the title “a man’s best friend.”
Image (cat) : screenshot fromRademenes facebook | Image (Beluga whale and Illustrations) : Adobe stock | Image (dog) : pxhere
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CULTURE
VISION TIMES
NOV 26 - DEC 2, 2021 |
A11
2 N AT I V E A M E R I C A N LEGENDS REMIND US:
Be Thankful
for Nature’s Gifts By Ila Bonczek
T
hanksgiving is an official holiday in seven countries around the world, but there are still other nations that have similar, unofficial, harvest celebrations that remind one to be thankful for a bountiful harvest, family, and more. In the US, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, falling this year on Nov. 25. Here, the holiday commemorates the first harvest feast which the Plymouth colonists shared with the indiginous people who befriended them and helped them to survive their first season in a new land.
While some Native Americans shun the holiday as the beginning of a bad relationship, in which their people were treated egregiously; many choose to embrace the tradition of giving thanks, which is central to Native culture and heritage.
Notkikad and the Indian Summer Based on the story as told by Joseph Bruchac. In Abenaki legend, there was once a man named Notkikad, who was very virtuous. He worked hard to provide for his family and was good to his wife and children. Every year he kept a big garden and grew plenty of food, for which he always thanked Tabalkad, The Master of Life. One year, however, a late frost killed his garden in the spring. When he replanted it in the summer, a drought dried everything up. He made another attempt in autumn, but the plants were killed when the weather turned cold. While his family had gathered nuts and berries and other wild edibles, it was not enough to replace the corn, beans,
and squash that they counted on to feed them through the long, cold winter. It was already quite cold and he did not know how they were going to survive. Finally, he asked Tabalkad for help. With a small fire and an offering of tobacco, he implored The Master of Life, “I am deeply troubled, for my family cannot survive without the food that I should have grown. I have always been thankful for your bountiful gifts, but now I must ask for help. Please tell me what to do.” That night he had a dream. In the dream, Tabalkad came and addressed Notkikad, “I will provide you with these special seeds. Plant them, and they will have time to grow.” Nokikad awoke the next morning to find the seeds beside him. He took them outdoors and found the weather to be warm and summery, although the autumn leaves were still falling. He and his family tilled the garden and planted
every last seed. After one day had passed, the seeds had not only germinated, but sprouted visible shoots out of the ground. A second day passed and the young plants were half grown. After several days of this rapid growth, the plants had mature fruit ready to harvest. Notkikad and his family harvested enough corn, beans, and squash to last through the winter. They dried the food and stored it safely in their wigwam before autumn returned, which it did. As quickly as the summer weather had appeared, it vanished, with winter close at hand. That special time of warm weather that usually appears well into autumn was called Nibubalnoba, or “a man’s summer” by the Abenaki people. Today we know it as Indian summer, and it serves as a reminder to be thankful for all that we receive from Heaven and Earth.
Like many other ancient peoples, Native Americans have celebrated the autumn harvest and given thanks for Nature’s abundant gifts for thousands of years.
Sioux Indians on Snowshoes Lancing Buffalo (Image: Public domain)
Chief Eagle teaches a lesson on gratitude Adapted from the Lenni Lenape Archives
It was once held by the Delaware tribe that a warrior who wore the feathers of a live eagle was ensured good fortune, bravery and courage to last a lifetime. To secure such a talisman, young hunters would bait eagles with wolf meat. Once there was an ambitious brave who sought the feathers of an exceptional eagle. He killed a wolf and brought
In Native American culture, the eagle is seen as a sacred animal, representing wisdom and bravery and serving as an envoy to the Spirit realm. In this story, the eagle teaches man to be thankful. (Image: Bruno Liljefors via Wikimedia Commons Public domain)
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the meat to a high cliff where eagles would f i nd t he bait. After some days of attracting eagles, he was ready to make his Eé-shah-kó-née, Bow and Quiver, First Chief of the attempt. He Tribe (Image: Public domain) placed a large piece of fresh meat close to the edge of the cliff, and hid himself behind a tree, poised to catch an eagle with his forked stick. One eagle promptly approached the bait, but the haughty young man thought it too small, and shooed it away. Another came in its stead, but he drove it off as well, for he sought something extraordinary. Again and again eagles came and he rejected them. Finally, a great raptor, larger than the man himself, and with feathers the color of blood, alighted on the cliff. This eagle was not interested in the bait, however, but went straight for our young warrior. He carried the man off in his talons to a very high cliff from which there could be no escape. A big nest sat on the cliff, with four hungry eaglets inside it. After placing the young warrior into the nest with
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the young birds, the red eagle said to him, “I am the chief of all eagles. I sent you several eagles to provide you with feathers, but you were greedy for finer plumage and rejected them all. As punishment for your selfish ambition you will have to stay here and watch after my grand-eaglets until they are able to fly you back to where you came from. With this I hope you will learn to be satisfied with what you are given. So our hero was left to tend the nest, and this he did very well. He earned the love and friendship of the whole Eagle family. Time passed and the eaglets grew and learned to fly. As they took longer and longer outings from the nest, the warrior sometimes feared they would not come back and bring him home. But finally one day, the large eagle came with good news. “My grand-eaglets are now ready to take you back to the place where I found you, my friend. I will see you safely there.” The hunter was grasped in the talons of two young eagles and carried off. Escorted by their grandfather, they took him back to the nearby cliff from which he had been collected. Arriving at the place where he had baited the eagles, the hunter readily found some loose feathers and was happy to take them. He knew now to be grateful for what he was given, and returned to his tribe a wiser warrior.
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HEALTH
A12 | NOV 26 - DEC 2, 2021
the stress hormone cortisol in the body, relieving anxiety and contributing to a sense of well-being. Holy basil includes bioactive chemicals such as eugenol, camphene, cineole, and camphor, which aids in the opening of the air passages and to the improve-
Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum) is a member of the mint family. It has finely veined green leaves with light purple blooms. Holy basil is native to the Indian subcontinent, although it grows all across Southeast Asia. This caffeine-free herb reduces the production of
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min aids digestion and promotes brain health.
Tulsi loose leaf tea
ment of breathing. This is a plant you can grow at home, either in a pot or in your garden, much like culinary basil. The herb contains vitamins A, C, and K, iron, zinc, calcium, and manganese K. This vita-
Tulsi (Hindi for basil) tea can be made from either fresh or dried holy basil leaves; and it also comes in a powdered form. A mere ⅓ to ½ teaspoon of powder per 8 ounces of hot water will yield a strong cup of tulsi tea. For loose leaf or dry, use ½ to 1 teaspoon per cup. Steep the leaves for at least 5 minutes, strain and serve. Tulsi tea is a yellowgreen infusion with a robust, basillike flavor.
Teas
to Enhance Meditation (Part 2) By Ila Bonczek
Ginger, or Zingiber officinale, is indiginous to China and has been utilized for thousands of years across Asia and throughout the world. Ginger is packed with minerals and bioactive chemicals which research has determined have significant
Blue lotus tea is an herbal infusion made from the leaves, flowers, roots, fruit and seed of the Egyptian blue water lily,
health benefits for both the body and the brain. Its soothing fragrance and therapeutic qualities can help in reducing stress and anxiety. Studies have shown that ginger may increase serotonin levels, reduce
Nymphaea caerulea, not to be confused with the true lotus described below. It’s medicinal use dates back to the ancient Egyptians and Syrians, who deemed it a sacred flower, as they found it promoted lucid dreaming, psychedelic effects, and a sense of euphoria. Nuciferine and aporphine are antispasmodic compounds found within the plant which aid in relaxation. The plant is currently listed as endangered, and, due to its psychoactive properties, blue lotus has been banned for consumption in the United States, and banned completely in Russia, Poland and Latvia.
anxiety and stress, and improve brain function. It is also a known anti-inflammatory which can reduce muscle pains and soreness and improve blood circulation.This robust and spicy root blends well with lemon, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon or mint.
True lotus tea, or liánchá (蓮茶) in Chinese, comes from the dried leaves, roots and flowers of Nelumbo nucifera, which is known to be an effective blood cleanser and is often used in detoxification. The plant is high in vitamin B, which is known to relieve anxiety and stress. The plant also contains pyridoxine, which can directly influence your brain’s neural receptors to promote a calm, positive mental state and a deep sense of relaxation. The herb’s iron and copper content is instrumental in producing red blood cells,
A simple ginger tea can be achieved by pouring hot water over a few thin slices of fresh ginger, with a squeeze of lemon and a spoonful of honey. If you like to make a ritual of the event you can follow a more detailed recipe. Whether you want more focus or less stress, these teas should help balance your mind for meditation. In a week or two, we will look at some more unusual infusions to sample on your spiritual journey.
thereby improving blood circulation and increasing energy levels. As an added bonus, the flavorful flower carries many antioxidants. Dried lotus can be purchased in leaf, flower, and root form. To make (legal) lotus tea, steep the dried herbs in boiled water for 5 minutes. Traditionally brewed in a clay pot, lotus tea is mildly sweet with a strong sharp flavor. It is recommended to consume this tea within 10 minutes of brewing, and to drink it regularly for optimal results.
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