News – Page 22 – Zoom News

US Congress can Avert Government Shutdown Just Before Deadline

3Dec

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, US

US Congress can Avert Government Shutdown Just Before Deadline

The US Congress has avoided a government shutdown one day before the deadline. The US Senate on Thursday (69-28) voted in favour of a proposal to continue financing the federal government until at least February 18. The proposal had already been approved by the US House of Representatives (221-212) earlier in the day. In October, the House of Representatives had approved an increase in the debt ceiling until December 3. Without an extension, a shutdown was threatened. As a result, the US government is close to limiting the total amount it can borrow. If the ceiling is not raised in time, the country will no longer be able to meet all its financial obligations. Then specific government departments would have to close.

Omicron Variant Causes Wave of New Corona Infections in South Africa

2Dec

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, South Africa

Omicron Variant Causes Wave of New Corona Infections in South Africa

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is causing a "worrying" rise in the number of infections in South Africa, official authorities report. The new mutation is fast becoming the dominant player. Over the past two weeks, the number of daily corona infections in South Africa has increased exponentially, says Dr Michelle Groome of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD). "From a weekly average of about 300 new cases per day, we went to 1,000 last week and more recently 3,500," Groome said. "On Wednesday, no fewer than 8,561 new cases were registered, compared to 1,275 a week earlier. Such an increase is worrying." No less than 74 percent of all registered infections in the past month were attributable to the new Omicron variant, as it turns out. "The mutation is so...

Germany Reports Highest Corona Death Toll in Nine Months

1Dec

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Europe, Germany, News

Germany Reports Highest Corona Death Toll in Nine Months

Germany reported 446 new corona-related deaths on Wednesday, the highest daily figure since mid-February. Hospitals are concerned about the many admissions of corona patients to intensive care. There is a warning that the number of corona patients on ICs is threatening to exceed the peak of last winter. The head of an association for IC care, Gernot Marx, thinks the number of corona patients in intensive care units may rise to 6000 before Christmas, regardless of which corona measures are still taken. There are currently about 4600. In addition, about 1400 new corona patients were admitted to the ICs last week. The resurgence of the coronavirus has pushed the official death toll in Germany to nearly 102,000. The Robert Koch Institute for Disease Control (RKI) reported nearly 67,...

German Court Rules Strict Corona Measures Were Legal

30Nov

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Europe, Germany, News

German Court Rules Strict Corona Measures Were Legal

The strict corona measures in Germany earlier this year were legal, the constitutional court in Karlsruhe has ruled. In the spring, social contacts were restricted, a curfew was imposed, and schools were closed. The verdict could pave the way for new, stricter measures in the country. The measures were introduced in April during the third wave of contamination. According to the court, measures infringed several fundamental rights but were allowed because of "the extreme danger of the pandemic". Chancellor Angela Merkel and her intended successor Olaf Scholz will talk with the state prime ministers on Tuesday about tightening the corona measures. The consultation, which has been brought forward due to the verdict, comes at a time when the number of infections is rising rapidly, ...

Australia Postpones Border Opening Due to Omicron Variant

29Nov

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Australia, News

Australia Postpones Border Opening Due to Omicron Variant

Australia is delaying the planned reopening of its borders to international students and other people on visas due to concerns about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The borders are expected to reopen on Wednesday. The reopening has been postponed to December 15. This is because Australia wants to collect enough information about the new variant in those two extra weeks to estimate the risk better. The first cases of the Omicron variant have already been identified in Australia.

New Corona Variant: Europe Wants Immediate Emergency Stop on Flights from South Africa

26Nov

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Europe, News, South Africa

New Corona Variant: Europe Wants Immediate Emergency Stop on Flights from South Africa

The European Commission, "in close consultation with Member States", will propose an immediate halt to air traffic with southern Africa due to a corona mutation detected there (B.1.1.529); Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted Friday. Several member states, including Germany and Italy, have already decided not to allow travellers from South Africa. The emergency stop that the European Commission wants can be used if the epidemiological situation in a country or region outside the European Union deteriorates rapidly, especially if it has to do with a new corona mutation. The measure does not normally apply to EU citizens or people who have lived in the EU for a long time. Several countries have already decided to ban air traffic from South Africa. For example, Germany...

European Commission Wants to Protect Voters from Sneaky Political Advertising

25Nov

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Europe, News

European Commission Wants to Protect Voters from Sneaky Political Advertising

According to the European Commission, it must become more difficult to trick voters with sneaky, tailor-made political advertising. From now on, political advertisements must state who is behind it and how much has been paid for it, if it is up to the committee. Advertisements on Facebook and other social media, for example, can play a harmful role in elections, the executive board of the European Union has noted. Politicians, parties and interest groups bombard voters they know to be receptive with biased, biased or downright misleading information. For example, things went wrong in the US presidential race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and in the Brexit referendum, but also in many other recent elections. Voters sometimes only see information from a certain angle, and...

Navalny Files Complaint about Detention Conditions for the Fourth Time

24Nov

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, Russia

Navalny Files Complaint about Detention Conditions for the Fourth Time

Russian opponent Alexei Navalny has filed a new complaint about the circumstances of his detention in a Russian penal camp. According to documents from a court in the Vladimir region east of Moscow, it is already the fourth time this year that the Kremlin critic has lodged such a complaint. The Russian state news agency Tass reported that the case would be heard on December 9. According to Tass, Navalny wants to achieve that he no longer counts as a prisoner capable of committing "crimes of a terrorist and extremist-oriented nature". The opposition leader was arrested at an airport in Moksou in January on his return from Germany, where he was being treated after an attack with the nerve agent novichok. A court sentenced him to years in prison for allegedly violating the terms of...

British Prime Ministers Attend Funeral of Parliamentarian Stabbed to Death

23Nov

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, UK

British Prime Ministers Attend Funeral of Parliamentarian Stabbed to Death

The British prime minister and three former prime ministers attended the funeral of parliamentarian David Amess, stabbed to death in October. Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron and John Major sat in the front row of the church. A message from Pope Francis was also recited during the funeral mass. The Pope offered condolences to the family of 69-year-old Amess and praised the conservative parliamentarian's dedication. "It was evident in his concern for the poor and disadvantaged people," Francis said. The highest-ranking Catholic cleric in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, led the service at Westminster Cathedral. Amess was a committed Catholic. But, according to Sky News, those in attendance laughed when the priest of parliament told a story about Amess eating a...

Ericsson Pays Billions for Vonage Acquisition

22Nov

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, Technology

Ericsson Pays Billions for Vonage Acquisition

Ericsson acquires US cloud company Vonage. It pays $6.2 billion for that. Vonage was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in the US state of New Jersey. The company, led by Rory Read, generated $1.4 billion in sales last year with an EBITDA margin of 14 percent. The company has 120,000 customers and more than one million registered developers. The acquisition is one of the largest ever for Ericsson and has the full support of Vonage's board, but remains subject to approval by Vonage shareholders and the relevant regulators. Ericsson expects to complete the acquisition in the first half of next year. Among other things, Vonage has its Vonage Communications Platform, which accounts for eighty percent of its revenue. At the same time, it also provides Unified Communications (UCaaS)...