The World Bank estimated the economic cost of the damage caused in Turkey by the strong earthquakes that affected the southeast of the country at the beginning of the month at more than 34,000 million dollars, while warning that reconstruction could cost twice that amount.
The number could double. The World Bank estimated the economic costs of the February 6 earthquakes in Turkey at $34 billion, mainly affecting the southeast of the country.
“The report acknowledges that the costs of salvage and reconstruction will be much higher (than those caused by the damage), potentially twice as large, and that the associated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) losses will add to this cost,” the report explained. institution in a statement.
Humberto López, director of the World Bank for Turkey, declared that the earthquakes discounted at least half a percentage point in the expected GDP growth of Turkey, which would be between 3.5% and 4% for this year.
Of the cataloged damages, some 18,000 million dollars, more than half were in damages caused to residential buildings. The World Bank estimates that around 1.25 million people were temporarily left homeless due to damage to their homes.
The institution already announced on February 9 an initial aid package of 1,780 million dollars for the reconstruction and rescue efforts.
On the other hand, the situation in Syria was “really catastrophic,” said Anna Bjerde, World Bank Group vice president for Europe and Central Asia. The Bank will publish a separate estimate of the damage in Syria on Tuesday.
The earthquakes, measuring 7.7 and 7.6, caused more than 44,000 deaths in Turkey alone. In Syria, almost 6,000 deaths have been registered. According to the World Bank report, more than 7,500 aftershocks occurred after the movements, which is the largest catastrophe of its kind in Turkey in more than 80 years.
Messi, who won the World Cup with his country at the end of last year, outperformed Frenchman Kylian Mbappe, his colleague in Paris Saint-Germain, and the other Frenchman, Karim Benzema, the Spanish Real Madrid player, who did not participate with his country in the last World Cup finals due to injury.
Messi, 35, scored seven goals during the World Cup and won his second Golden Ball in the tournament after he led Argentina to victory in the final 4-2 over France on penalties after extra time ended in a 3-3 draw, in what newspapers described as one of the best final matches in history. Argentina won the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
World Cup Golden Boot winner Mbappe and 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Benzema made their debuts among the final shortlist.
World Cup Golden Boot winner Mbappe and 2022 Ballon d'Or winner Benzema made their debuts among the final shortlist.<\/p><\/div>
[ad_2]
#Messi #wins #FIFA #award #soccer #player #world
( With inputs from : pledgetimes.com )
The Swedish national team has rented an empty apartment for the World Ski Championships. Sportsmen call this the house of horrors.
Swedish The skiing World Cup team has prepared for cases of illness in a big way.
The team has rented an apartment in Villach, Austria, which is empty for sick athletes. If an athlete gets sick, he is sent to a separate house from the rest of the team to prevent others from getting infected.
The spare accommodation is located about a hundred meters from the main accommodation. The team officials would take, for example, food to the isolated competitors when necessary.
“Nobody wants to end up there. If you have to go there, you might as well go home,” the Swedish skier Calle Halfvarssontold Aftonbladet.
Maja Dahlqvist cheers to Halfvarsson:
“It would be a nightmare to end up there. No one wants to live in that house.”
The World Cup will take place in Slovenia’s Planica without restrictions, but the national teams have their own precautions to prevent infections.
Along with the strict rules of the Swedish national team, the athletes must take care of their hand hygiene, avoid shops, and they each live in their own rooms.
Finnish team members wear a face mask indoors and avoid close contact.
National teams will stay in several different places during the Planica World Championships. Sweden is on Austria’s side. The Finnish cross-country team stays in Tarvisio, Italy, as do the Norwegian skiers.
The Finnish combined and ski jumping teams stayed on the Slovenian side in Kranjska Gora.
In this edition of The Interview we speak with Iryna Vereshchuk, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine about how far away an eventual peace agreement between kyiv and Moscow seems. Ukraine recently signed a document refusing to negotiate with President Vladimir Putin due to the escalation in the conflict in recent months. Vereshchuk blamed Russia for wanting to cause terror and said the only option for now is to keep its soldiers on the front lines. #Interview #Iryna #Vereshchuk #Russia #terrorize #threatens #democracies #world
[ad_2]
#Interview #Iryna #Vereshchuk #Russia #terrorize #threatens #democracies #world
( With inputs from : pledgetimes.com )
Dhe Sunday before the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona is anything but a day of rest. A colleague used to say: “Then the drops sucked!” For years the candy came from Samsung, which on Sunday evening presented its new S series beyond the exhibition center with the attention of the MWC audience and showed with its flagship Android competition where the hammer hangs. That was many years ago. At some point, the Koreans decided to hold their annual event independently of the MWC.
Samsung’s decision not to use the MWC as a presentation venue gave another manufacturer the opportunity to draw the spotlight. Huawei presented its new P series, the Chinese flagship, with a lot of fanfare for several years. Then came Trump and Corona. The former US President ensured that Huawei hardly sold any smartphones in Europe because the company was forbidden to run Google services on the device. The pandemic caused the MWC to be canceled twice and there was little going on in Barcelona in 2022.
China’s brands present themselves with self-confidence
Now the Mobile World Congress is back in (almost) old strength and so are the Chinese. Xiaomi took over the Sunday and presented its new flagship in the same hall as Samsung did back then. The claim to technological market leadership, which is conveyed to hundreds of journalists and retailers on stage with many words, speakers, images, videos and devices, is characterized by a similar level of self-confidence as that of Samsung and Huawei at the time. Xiaomi is only 5th in the Chinese market in terms of market share, but 3rd globally behind Apple and Samsung.
The MWC is one of the largest and most important events in the mobile technology industry worldwide. The fair will take place in Barcelona from February 27th to March 2nd, 2023. :
Image: EPA
Xiaomi’s flagship, which was shown at the MWC, is technically at the forefront. The fact that the 13 Pro is powered by Qualcomm’s latest processor unit, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, has a fairly high-resolution display with a size of 6.73 inches and a refresh rate of 120 Hertz and can boast 12 gigabytes of RAM and 256 internal storage, makes it stand out it has not yet become a flagship product because the competition can show similarly demanding properties on their flagships. Once again, it’s the camera that’s trying to outperform the competition.
It depends on the camera: Xiaomi has brought support from Leica on board. :
Image: EPA
Xiaomi has teamed up with Leica for this. This is not the first time that the traditional German company has tied a smartphone manufacturer to itself with its camera expertise. Leica had its first partnership with Huawei. The collaboration between Xiaomi and Leica has resulted in a camera in the 13 Pro that comes with three optics, each with a sensor with a resolution of 50 megapixels. Behind the skin lens, the wide-angle, there is a 1-inch sensor, which sounds promising and is rare. Thanks to its “floating” technology, the telephoto lens can also do something that other smartphone cameras cannot. It’s also good for macro shots, which looked impressive the first time you tried it.
Samsung and Huawei have shown the way
It remains to be seen whether the price of 1300 euros is not too high for the top model from a Chinese company that is not yet well known in Germany. By the way, for 1000 euros there is the Xiaomi 13, with a slightly less innovative camera and a smaller screen. And with the Lite for 500 euros, Xiaomi moves into the middle class. There is something for everyone. Just like Samsung today and then Huawei.
[ad_2]
#Mobile #World #Congress #Innovations #trends #MWC
( With inputs from : pledgetimes.com )
Today, Slovenia is a superpower in ski jumping, but it was not visible in the ski jump. There was hardly anyone in the actual stands. After all, there was a group standing next to the descent slope.
Planica
I ski The World Championships had a humor day on the program on Sunday, but it wasn’t funny at all. The day was filled with doubles and mixed team competitions in each of the three sports, which don’t want to fire up the athletes as much as the spectators.
Mikko Gynther Picture: Morning paper
If this is the future the International Ski Federation wants to take the event towards, the picture is bleak.
The people on the spot voted with their feet, what they thought of the competition format. During the skiing pair sprints, the atmosphere was still moderate, but right after that the fans’ march started. It was not directed towards the stands, but towards the pleasure substances or out of the entire area. It was a sight that the organizers do not want to show on television.
Only a handful stayed to watch the combined mixed team competition organized for the first time. The occupancy rate of the beer and food tent next to the stadium was significantly higher. Of course, it is understandable that if the alternatives are drinking beer and watching couple antics, the choice of many is the first.
In Planica, the value competition drug has not peaked, but Sunday was already somewhat low. Most of those in the stands and along the route had an accreditation or VIP tag hanging from their necks or wore a ribbon from their country’s ski association. Those who showed up for money were few, if not even in the minority.
The competition itself was as relaxed as the atmosphere. Only eight countries participated. The differences were shocking, even though the ski runs were made as short as possible.
Many looked like they would have rather been anywhere else than competing on the ski slopes. The clear number one name in the sport Jarl Magnus Riiber anchored Norway at the end of a leisurely run to the finish line as the winner. He looked as happy as he did a year ago, when he found out about his corona infection, which ruined the Olympic trip.
Even the Norwegian fans couldn’t get excited about the championship.
The “culmination” of the evening was the mixed team hill. Today, Slovenia is a superpower in ski jumping, but it was not visible in the ski jump. There was no one in the actual stand. After all, there was a group standing next to the descent slope.
The average gross salary of Slovenians is well over 2,000 euros. You had to shell out at least 64 euros for the Sunday day ticket. It allowed you to get miles away from the competition venue, as cars are not allowed in the stadium. Accessibility is poor, and there are no large masses of people living in the surrounding areas. I would have thought that even the most inexperienced event organizer would have realized that this equation does not work.
The lack of knowledge has an impact on patients. According to the CDC, a fatal overdose from marijuana is highly unlikely — though people have died from doing something dangerous while under the influence of cannabis. But patients have had negative reactions after trying cannabis to treat symptoms of a disease they anecdotally heard it may help.
Anne Hassel was initially a believer in the healing properties of marijuana. She pushed for legalization in her home state of Massachusetts, and even did jail time on marijuana-related charges. After weed was legalized for medical use in 2014, Hassel — now 55 — quit her job as a physical therapist and went to work in a dispensary.
She used marijuana because she “thought it helped … physically and mentally,” but stopped after being diagnosed with heavy metal poisoning and developing suicidal ideation. She blames both on poorly tested, high-potency concentrates that became more available after legalization.
“That’s what burns me up; that the most susceptible people, who might have lung issues and other problems, are using this substance,” Hassel said.
Arnsten says she screens for family or personal histories of mental health problems or heart disease before recommending cannabis — and recommends patients don’t choose smoking or vaping as their method of consumption. However, other doctors simply hand out a recommendation without a long discussion — and many patients try medical marijuana without ever consulting a doctor like Arnsten.
Some states, cities and even hospitals have come up with creative ways to fill in the gaps left by the lack of regulation or a formal connection to the medical system. A bill in New York would require that state insurance agencies cover medical cannabis expenses for patients. Patients and a medical marijuana company in New Mexico, meanwhile, have filed a class-action lawsuit against some of the state’s largest health insurers with the intention of forcing them to cover medical marijuana.
Universities have popped up with training programs for the medical cannabis industry, like the graduate program in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics now available from the University of Maryland’s pharmacy school. The program intends to make sure people working in the cannabis industry, including dispensary workers giving recommendations from behind the counter, know how to read and contextualize scientific research and how to guide new consumers in a healthy way. Other states, like Utah and Pennsylvania, require a pharmacist to be on hand in a dispensary. But most states still do not require any type of credentials or training for medical dispensary workers.
“The states are like a patchwork of regulation, and they’re doing a really crappy job, honestly,” Hassel said. “You’re having cracks and people are taking advantage and [others are] being harmed.”
Patients who get their medical marijuana card through Montefiore Health System in the Bronx, meanwhile, don’t pay for the visit — which saves them about $200.
“The way that we’re doing it is safer. We have access to the person’s entire medical record, we get results, we talk to a psychiatrist or other treating providers,” Arnsten said.
Even this solution, however, is only triage. Of the thousands of people that Montefiore has certified for medical cannabis use, only one-quarter purchase medical cannabis more than once.
“Most people said, ‘I couldn’t afford it,’” Arnsten said. “We’ve removed that [cost] barrier, but we haven’t been able to change that barrier of how much the products cost at dispensaries.”
Most Mondays, Amie Carter frequents a little bar in Flint with a giant red chili pepper mounted over the door. She meets friends to sip beers and play pool.
“My therapy [is] shooting pool and shooting darts,” Amie explained, describing her escape from the daily stress of being a full-time caregiver. “I get to listen to loud music. I don’t need to think about anything going on. And all I need to focus on is making that shot.”
Between shots, she chats with friends — a pool stick in one hand and a Budweiser in another. Chilly’s bar is another extension of the medical marijuana world that Amie has built up around herself and other patients in Michigan. The bartender, none other than fellow medical marijuana caregiver mom Ashley Morolla, walks over to see whether anyone needs another round.
Each parent or grandparent Amie knows has a different expertise — cannabis for pain management, or reducing seizures, or treating autism. If you are part of this community, you’re likely to find someone who has done hundreds of hours of research on the uses of cannabis for a specific ailment, and has extensive advice on how to trial different strains, doses and products until you find the right product.
Amie has pamphlets she leaves at the doctors’ office, offering consulting services to help patients get the right marijuana products. She’s taught other parents how to make cannabis oil capsules at home, and how to administer cannabis in liquid form for kids who can’t swallow pills.
Amie and her community have created their own solution to the country’s Swiss cheese medical marijuana laws, and worry that a major federal revamping of the state medical programs could put that in jeopardy.
“Leave the patient caregiver system alone. We can get our clubs, and we can really help the people that really need it,” she argued.
The network Amie has created, though, has one big catch: it is completely separate from the traditional medical system, which the majority of Americans still engage with — and no number of pamphlets, Facebook groups, or local events will find every potential patient or parent and ensure they all get accurate medical information and guidance.
“I don’t blame anybody for not wanting to get into this arena who’s in traditional medicine, because there’s so much that feels uncertain,” Arnsten said. “On the other hand, I do feel that our patients — particularly chronic pain patients — are using these products, or they want to consider using these products. … And we need to be able to answer those questions for them.”
Erin Smith contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
#Dodgy #science #poor #access #high #prices #parallel #medical #world #medicinal #marijuana #America
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Cape Town: After winning the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for a record sixth time, Australia captain Meg Lanning acknowledged her side for putting in a ‘pretty special effort’, which saw them go undefeated throughout the tournament, including beating South Africa in the final by 19 runs.
“It’s a pretty special effort from the group. All teams came hard at us – we knew that was going to happen. But we performed well throughout the tournament, so super proud. We felt like it was a good score, but we had to bowl well.”
“The wicket wasn’t as good as it was in the semi-final. We felt confident if we could hit the right lengths and target the stumps. We had to put pressure on South Africa,” said Meg after the match ended.
With the title win at Cape Town, Meg also overtook Ricky Ponting for captain with the greatest number of ICC titles. She had previously captained Australia to 2014, 2018 and 2020 T20 World Cup wins and 2022 ODI World Cup title, apart from a gold medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“We knew it would be an amazing atmosphere, which it was. It was a great event. It was about keeping things simple when the pressure is on, and getting things done. Nice to finish off with a win with this group. It’s a special group. Not just the players, but also the support staff that put in a lot of work behind the scenes, and allow us to go out and play our cricket,” she added.
The 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup victory came after Meg returned to the sport after a five-month break. Co-incidentally, the victory at Cape Town was Meg’s 100th T20I as captain of Australia. Beth Mooney, Player of the Match in the final with a breezy 74, was thrilled to have Meg, also her coffee and game-day breakfast buddy, back to playing the sport.
“When Meg retires – hopefully not for a few more years, hope you’re listening Meg – she’ll go down as one of the greatest leaders, not just in cricket but in sport and just generally as well. She’s got an immense cricket brain.”
“She’s cool, calm and collected under pressure and she’s got empathy as well, she understands how people feel in certain situations because she’s been there before and she’s experienced a lot as a person and as a leader and as a cricketer. Absolutely she’ll go down as one of the greatest ever for our team and we’re very lucky to have her.”
Moscow: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said that the main cause of his country’s difference with the US and its allies was its strong opposition to creation of a unipolar world fitting Washington’s agenda, media reports said.
Moscow is striving to create a multipolar world rather than one that is centred around the US, he said in an interview to Rossiya-1 TV channel, RT reported.
The Russian President claimed that America’s “satellite states” are also well aware of the US’ “egoistic” intentions, but, have chosen to ignore it, for the time being, “due to various reasons connected first and foremost with huge dependence in the economic sphere and defence”.
He also contended that some of Washington’s allies also see confrontation with Russia as a unifying cause.
He cited the US government’s efforts to attract European businesses to American soil, as well as a submarine deal last year where Australia suddenly junked a contract with a French manufacturer in favour of its US rival.
Putin emphasised that Russia “cannot and will not behave like this”.
“In the end, such a stance – the fight for a multipolar world, for respect for each and everyone in the international arena, for taking into account everyone’s interests – I don’t have the slightest doubt, will prevail,” he said.
The Russian leader also claimed that Western elites will only be “satisfied” and prepared to “admit us into the so-called family of civilised nations” if Russia disintegrates into several independent states, where the the West would “place (the resulting countries) under its control”.
On his decision earlier this week to suspend Russia’s participation in the New START Treaty – the last remaining nuclear accord between Moscow and Washington – he said that the move was required to safeguard his country’s security as well as its “strategic stability”.
According to the Russian President, he opted for this course of action in light of a more aggressive NATO, which has announced that “its prime goal is Russia’s strategic defeat”.
Washington: With US President Joe Biden nominating Ajay Banga, the former Indian American head of Mastercard, to head the World Bank, the top posts in the global financial institution will be held by Sikhs.
Before Banga, who is slated to take up job – which, by convention, been reserved for a US citizen – this May, the World Bank already has a Sikh in a top post, with Indermit Singh Gill its Chief Economist.
He is primarily known for pioneering the concept of the “middle-income trap” to describe how countries stagnate after reaching a certain level of income.
Gill, an Indian citizen, studied at St Paul’s School, Darjeeling and St. Stephen’s College, Delhi – where he was probably just a year (or perhaps two) junior to Banga.
Like Banga, Gill is also the son of a senior Indian Army officer.
Before taking over as Chief Economist on September 1, 2022, Gill served as the World Bank’s Vice President for Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions, where he played a key role in shaping its response to the extraordinary series of shocks that have hit developing economies since 2020. Between 2016 and 2021, he was a professor of public policy at Duke University and a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Global Economy and Development program.
Widely regarded for his contributions to development economics, Gill spearheaded the influential 2009 World Development Report on economic geography, as per his World Bank profile. He has published extensively on key policy issues facing developing countries among other things, sovereign debt vulnerabilities, green growth and natural-resource wealth, labour markets, and poverty and inequality.
Gill has also taught at Georgetown University and the University of Chicago. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago
Biden’s nomination of Banga follows his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama nominating Korean-American ‘Jim’ Yong Kim for World Bank chief to ensure that the World Bank is headed by someone with a developing-country background
Biden was then Vice President.
If confirmed by the World Bank Board, Bang will be the first person of Indian descent to head the World Bank. He will succeed David Malpass, who was appointed to head the bank by then President Donald Trump.
