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Coronavirus Live Updates: Japan Announces Its First Death https://nyti.ms/2wbgNtH

Coronavirus Live Updates: Japan Announces Its First Death

The victim, who was in her 80s and whose name was not released, lived near Tokyo, the authorities said.

Published February 13, 2020 | New York Times | Posted February 13, 2020 |

Here’s what you need to know:

READ UPDATES IN CHINESE: 新冠病毒疫情最新消息汇总

JAPAN CONFIRMS ITS FIRST DEATH FROM THE CORONAVIRUS.

The Japanese authorities announced on Thursday the first death in the country from the new coronavirus.

Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said at a news conference that a woman in her 80s who lived in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, had died that day.

Her death is the third from the coronavirus outside mainland China, after one each in the Philippines and Hong Kong. The Japanese woman had no record of travel to mainland China.

Japanese officials also said on Thursday that dozens of new cases had been confirmed, including 44 more on a cruise ship quarantined off Yokohama.

Mr. Kato said that one of the new cases not tied to the cruise ship was a taxi driver in his 70s in Tokyo who tested positive for the virus on Thursday.

Mr. Kato said on Thursday that the authorities would begin allowing some cruise ship passengers to serve out the remainder of the quarantine period onshore.

Mr. Kato said that passengers 80 or older who have existing medical conditions or who were assigned to cabins without windows or balconies would stay in onshore quarantine facilities until Feb. 19 if they test negative for the virus. Those who test positive will be taken to hospitals.

The cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, arrived in Yokohama on Feb. 3, and passengers were expecting to go home the next day. But after learning that a man who got off the ship in Hong Kong had tested positive for the coronavirus, the Japanese government quarantined all 3,700 people aboard. As of Thursday, 218 coronavirus cases have been confirmed on the ship.

Separately on Thursday, another cruise ship, the Westerdam, which had been denied permission to stop in Japan, Guam, Taiwan and the Philippines despite having no diagnoses of coronavirus, was able to dock in Cambodia.

PROVINCIAL LEADER AT THE CENTER OF THE OUTBREAK WAS OUSTED.

China’s ruling Communist Party fired the leaders of Hubei Province and Wuhan, its largest city, on Thursday amid widespread public anger over the handling of the coronavirus outbreak in the region.

Jiang Chaoliang, the party secretary of Hubei Province, is the highest-ranking official to lose his job over the handling of the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed more than 1,300 people in recent weeks.

After the outbreak first emerged in Wuhan, the leadership came under intense scrutiny for playing down the virus and delaying reports of its spread. The province then took drastic measures that included imposing a lockdown on Wuhan, a city of 11 million, and on tens of millions of people in surrounding areas.

For hospitals in Wuhan, already overwhelmed with patients, that cordon worsened a shortage of medical supplies.

Mr. Jiang will be replaced by Ying Yong, the mayor of Shanghai. The selection of Mr. Ying may underline the continued political control of Xi Jinping, China’s top leader. Before being transferred to Shanghai in a fairly senior role in 2008, Mr. Ying had come up through the political ranks in Zhejiang Province, Mr. Xi’s political base.

The party also ousted Ma Guoqiang, the top official in Wuhan, and replaced him with Wang Zhonglin, formerly the party secretary of the eastern city of Jinan.

NUMBER OF CASES IN HUBEI PROVINCE SOARS WITH NEW DIAGNOSTIC METHODS.

The number of people confirmed to have the coronavirus in Hubei Province, the center of the outbreak, skyrocketed by 14,840 cases, to 48,206, the government said on Thursday, setting a new daily record. The announcement came after the authorities changed the diagnostic criteria for counting new cases.

Nationally, the new figures propelled the total number of coronavirus cases in China to 59,805 and the death toll to 1,367. The jump in new cases puts extra pressure on the government to treat thousands of patients, many of whom are in mass quarantine centers or in isolation facilities.

The sudden uptick is a result of the government including cases diagnosed in clinical settings, including with the use of CT scans, along with those confirmed with specialized testing kits.

After the sudden change, epidemiologists warned that the true picture of the epidemic is muddled, since accurately tracking cases can tell experts the number, location and speed at which new infections are occurring.

Health experts said the change in reporting is meant to provide a more accurate view of the transmissibility of the virus. The new criteria is intended to give doctors broader discretion to diagnose patients, and more crucially, isolate patients to quickly treat them.

Previously, infections were confirmed only with a positive result from a nucleic acid test. But a government expert said those tests were about 30 to 40 percent accurate. There is also a shortage of testing kits, and the results of these tests takes at least two days.

Because hospitals were overstretched and lacked testing kits, many infected patients were told to go home rather than be isolated and undergo treatment.

Many patients displaying symptoms of the coronavirus have complained that they had to wait days, and even weeks, to be tested and receive treatment. Others, including the recently deceased whistle-blower Dr. Li Wenliang, said they had to be tested four or five times before the tests showed a positive result.

[SHIFTING NUMBERS: Cases seemed to be leveling off. No longer. SEE BELOW]

BRITISH OFFICIALS SAY DELAYING THE ONSET OF AN OUTBREAK IS A TOP PRIORITY.

A day after the authorities in Britain announced that a ninth person in the country had tested positive for coronavirus, officials were working to trace anyone who had come into close contact with that person, saying that limiting the virus’s spread was a top priority.

England’s chief health official, Prof. Chris Whitty, told a BBC 4 radio program that containment and isolation were main concerns, and officials were focusing on how to control any potential coronavirus outbreak in Britain while containing current cases.

“If we are going to get an outbreak here in the U.K. — and this is an if, not a when — then putting it back in time, into the summer period away from the winter pressures on the N.H.S., buying us a bit more time to understand the virus better, possibly having some seasonal advantage, is a big advantage,” he said, referring to the National Health Service.

The first group of 83 people who returned to Britain from the Chinese province of Hubei after the virus was discovered were to be released from quarantine in a hospital near Liverpool, England, on Thursday, health officials said.

Elsewhere in Europe, officials were taking similar measures. Dr. Andrea Ammon, director of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, said that her organization was carrying out regular risk assessments to help countries decide what measures were necessary.

“In general, quarantine measures, if implemented comprehensively, can be effective in limiting and slowing the introduction of novel pathogens into a population,” she said.

“Of course if we have multiple introductions or spread within a country,” she added, “then quarantine is not likely to be an effective measure.”

TAIWAN EXTENDS A BAN ON THE EXPORT OF PROTECTIVE MASKS.

Taiwan will extend a ban on exports of face masks through April, the government said on Thursday. The move comes as officials and institutions around the world are scrambling to ensure adequate supplies of masks for medical workers and other vulnerable groups.

Taiwan initially imposed a monthlong prohibition on mask exports on Jan. 24, a move that was condemned by state media and online commentators in mainland China.

Taiwan companies produce about a fifth of the face masks available worldwide, while the island itself has only 0.3 percent of the global population. The mismatch appears to have fed the criticism.

“Little Taiwan lacks conscience — it takes the benefit when the mainland gives it and if we have a problem, they walk away,” one user wrote last week on Chinese social media, referring to mainland China.

But officials in Taiwan, a self-governed democracy that denies Beijing’s claims of sovereignty, say it still has a problem: Its manufacturers produce most of their masks in factories in mainland China, not in Taiwan. Those masks are now being requisitioned by the local authorities in the mainland for use in high-risk settings.

According to data from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, 53 percent of masks used in Taiwan last year were produced domestically, and the rest were imported, mostly from mainland China. Demand has soared faster than production so far this year.

Taiwan already has a form of mask rationing, with each resident permitted to buy two surgical masks a week. Health cards with computer chips are used by pharmacies across the island to control purchases.

HONG KONG AND SINGAPORE RUGBY TOURNAMENTS ARE DELAYED.

The Hong Kong Sevens and the Singapore Sevens rugby tournaments will be postponed to October from April because of the coronavirus outbreak, the sport’s governing body said Thursday.

The Hong Kong Sevens is one of the city’s biggest sporting — and partying — events, drawing in rugby fans from around the world. The decision to postpone was made “in order to help protect the global rugby community and the wider public,” World Rugby said in a statement.

Hong Kong, which now has 51 confirmed cases of the virus and one death, has closed or restricted a variety of public activities in response to the outbreak. Horse racing continues at Hong Kong Jockey Club tracks, one of the city’s other major sporting draws. But attendance is limited to a few hundred horse owners and guests, in addition to trainers, jockeys and officials.

Singapore confirmed eight new cases of the virus on Thursday, all linked to previous cases, bringing the total to 58.

SOUTH KOREA QUARANTINES HUNDREDS OF SOLDIERS WITH LINKS TO CHINA.

About 740 South Korean soldiers were under quarantine on Thursday as the country’s military tried to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus among its ranks.

South Korea keeps a 600,000-strong army, largely filled with conscripts, as a bulwark against the threat from North Korea. Most of these soldiers live in communal barracks. After the outbreak in China, South Korea moved quickly to prevent the virus from infiltrating its military and undermining its readiness.

So far, no South Korean soldier has tested positive. The rest of the country has reported 28 confirmed cases, and no deaths. South Korea has reported no new cases in the past two days. North Korea has said it was also taking measures against the virus but has not released any official figures.

The quarantined soldiers included those who have visited mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau in recent weeks or those who have been in close contact with relatives or others who have been to China or tested positive for the virus.

PARADE OF WORKERS SPRAYS DISINFECTANT ACROSS WUHAN, BUT EXPERTS QUESTION ITS EFFECTIVENESS.

Mist cannons and water sprinkler trucks have been deployed to clean the streets of Wuhan, China, but experts said the effectiveness of such measures may be limited in preventing the spread of the illness.

Since Sunday, workers in Wuhan have been sanitizing public areas twice a day in an effort to disinfect the city. Public toilets as well as garbage disposal sites and transfer stations are sprayed at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., according to the local government’s official page on Weibo, a microblogging platform. Workers will spray disinfectant onto the main roads, at hospitals and around various isolation quarters as well.

Video footage shared by Chinese state media showed parades of trucks and workers in protective suits spraying plumes of white mist into the air and onto the streets of Wuhan. The city government said that by Tuesday a total of 21,130 liters of disinfectant and 720 liters of toilet cleaning products had already been used.

“I think it could help to reduce environmental contamination with coronavirus, but we have not yet seen evidence that coronavirus has been spreading through the environment,” said Benjamin Cowling, a professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong.

“Our current understanding is that most transmission occurs via prolonged close contact with infected persons,” he added.

A CHINESE PROVINCE USES TECH TO TRACKS RESIDENTS’ MOVEMENTS.

Officials in the southwestern province of Yunnan announced a plan to require residents to scan a QR-like code on their phones to enter public places as part of their effort to stop the virus’s spread.

The new program will “allow big data to become the ‘piercing eyes’ of epidemic prevention and control,” the Yunnan government said in a statement on Wednesday.

The program has already begun in the county of Luliang, and more than 5,600 scans have been performed at hundreds of venues, the statement said. In the next 12 days, it will be implemented across a broad variety of public venues, including medical facilities, hotels, malls, supermarkets, transport checkpoints, remote villages and farmers’ markets.

Residents who refuse to scan their codes could be barred entry or exit, and those who try to force their way through could face legal consequences, People’s Daily, the Chinese Communist Party newspaper, said on the social platform Weibo.

Photographs shared on Wednesday by a party-run newspaper in the city of Lijiang in Yunnan showed sheets of paper emblazoned with the codes, labeled “enter” and “exit,” plastered across walls and counters.

VIDEOS OF XINJIANG MEDICAL WORKERS IN WUHAN RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR DEPICTION.

Video of medical workers from the Xinjiang region dancing with patients at a coronavirus hospital in Wuhan have prompted scrutiny of their roles helping with the outbreak.

A team of 142 medical professionals from Xinjiang traveled to Wuhan on Jan. 28 to help treat people infected with the new virus, and at least two more teams have followed.

As more people in Wuhan have been placed into mass quarantine, a number of videos have emerged showing the Xinjiang workers leading healthier patients in dance routines to get some exercise and ease boredom.

One of the leaders of the Xinjiang team told Xinhua, the state-run news service, that a patient had asked her to lead a dance. The leader, Bahaguli Tuolehui, seen in the video below, said she chose a Kazakh dance, the Kara Jorga. The patients “have done square dances before in the hospital,” she said. “I felt a Xinjiang dance would be pretty good, too.”

But to some Uighurs outside China, the videos were a reminder of the simplistic way Turkic minorities can be depicted inside the country, even in a time of emergency.

“That’s what China strives to achieve: not only to portray but also to force the entire Uyghur nation to become nothing but singers, dancers and menial workers,” Kamalturk Yalqun, a Uighur living in Philadelphia, wrote on Twitter.

China has put a million or more Uighurs, Kazakhs and other predominately Muslim groups into indoctrination camps in Xinjiang, part of a campaign to enforce loyalty while eroding minority languages, religions and cultures.

Former inmates have described harsh conditions in detention, stirring concern that the spread of the virus within Xinjiang could prove dire in the camps. Xinjiang has thus far reported 55 coronavirus infections.

______

Reporting and research was contributed by Gillian Wong, Chris Buckley, Sui-Lee Wee, Steven Lee Myers, Keith Bradsher, Austin Ramzy, Choe Sang-Hun, Amber Wang, Zoe Mou, Albee Zhang, Yiwei Wang, Claire Fu, Amy Qin, Elaine Yu, Makiko Inoue, Hisako Ueno, Eimi Yamamitsu, Motoko Rich, Megan Specia, and Tariro Mzezewai.

*********

THREAD and article by Sui-Lee Wee regarding the spike in cases of the coronavirus:

1. There's a lot of buzz on the astronomical jump in cases from Hubei on Wednesday -- 14,840 new confirmed cases, almost 10 x compared to a day earlier. New deaths rose to 242, more than double fr day b4. The govt has changed the diagnostic criteria used to confirm cases. More ..

2. Effectively, this means the govt is giving doctors greater discretion to clinically diagnose patients. Previously, they could only confirm cases with the nucleic acid test kits. But a govt expert said recently these were only 30-40 percent accurate.

3. More crucially, we were interviewing patients, who were showing all the symptoms of the new coronavirus, who said they were tested four to five times before they got a positive result. Li Wenliang, the whistleblower doctor, was one of them.

4. Chinese health experts say this is why there's a change: they now realize that there's a group of patients who only test positive very late with the nucleic acid testing. Because of how transmissible the disease is, they want to include these people as confirmed cases.

5. The point is to isolate these patients quickly and treat them. Doctors are now clinically diagnosing these people with CT scans. The advantage of these scans are they are immediate. Previously, patients had to wait at least two days for their results.

6. Samples had to be transported for hours to the province's relatively few labs. The nucleic acid tests are also dependent on the people sampling these patients. There's room for error. But the disadvantage of using CT scans is that they might not catch people w mild symptoms.

7. I wrote about all these issues last week: As Deaths Mount, China Tries to Speed Up Coronavirus Testing https://t.co/NfOqiWJBjb

8. Pls read this story by my colleague, Roni Caryn Rabin. Problem with new numbers for experts now is comparisons and understanding the extent of the virus's spread. https://t.co/jBwYvycNk4

CORONAVIRUS CASES SEEMED TO BE LEVELING OFF. NOT ANYMORE.

On Thursday, health officials in China reported more than 14,000 new cases in Hubei Province alone. A change in diagnostic criteria may be the reason.

By Roni Caryn Rabin | Published Feb. 12, 2020 Update Feb. 13, 2020, 6:12 a.m. ET| New York Times | Posted February 13, 2020 |

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The news seemed to be positive: The number of new coronavirus cases reported in China over the past week suggested that the outbreak might be slowing — that containment efforts were working.

But on Thursday, officials added more than 14,840 new cases to the tally of the infected in Hubei Province alone, bringing the total number to 48,206, the largest one-day increase so far recorded. The death toll in the province rose to 1,310, including 242 new deaths.

The sharp rise in reported cases illustrates how hard it has been for scientists to grasp the extent and severity of the coronavirus outbreak in China, particularly inside the epicenter, where thousands of sick people remain untested for the illness.

Confronted by so many people with symptoms and no easy way to test them, authorities appear to have changed the way the illness is identified.

Hospitals in Wuhan, China — the largest city in Hubei Province and the center of the epidemic — have struggled to diagnose infections with scarce and complicated tests that detect the virus’s genetic signature directly. Other countries, too, have had such issues.

Instead, officials in Hubei now seem to be including infections diagnosed by using lung scans of symptomatic patients. This shortcut will help get more patients into needed care, provincial officials said. Adding them to the count could make it easier for the authorities to decide how to allocate resources and assess treatment options.

But the change also shows the enormous number of people in Hubei who are sick and have not been counted in the outbreak’s official tally. It also raises the question whether the province, already struggling, is equipped to deal with the new patients.

The few experts to learn of the new numbers on Wednesday night were startled. Lung scans are an imperfect means to diagnose patients. Even patients with ordinary seasonal flu may develop pneumonia visible on a lung scan.

“We’re in unknown territory,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

In China, health officials have been under exceptional strain. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and huge new shelters are being erected to warehouse patients. Medical resources are in short supply. It’s never been clear who is being tested.

Health workers have gone door to door in Wuhan to check people for symptoms. The prospect of forced isolation may be deterring some people with respiratory illnesses from presenting themselves at health facilities to seek health care, some experts say, making the dimensions of the epidemic even less clear.

“You have to be sick, the authorities need to find you, or you find them, and they need to test you,” said Dr. Arthur Reingold, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Berkeley.

The push to prioritize lung scans seems to have begun with a social media campaign by a physician in Wuhan, who last week called for using the scans to simplify the screening of patients and to accelerate their hospitalization and treatment.

Lung scans produce immediate results, she said, and Wuhan was running short of testing kits.

Even before today’s news, experts complained that epidemiological information from China has been incomplete, threatening containment efforts.

The new coronavirus is highly transmissible and will be difficult to squelch. A single infected “super-spreader” can infect dozens of others. Outbreaks can seem to recede, only to rebound in short order, as the weather or conditions change.

Recent clusters of coronavirus cases suggest the new coronavirus not only spreads quickly, but also in ways that are not entirely understood.

In Hong Kong, people living 10 floors apart were infected, and an unsealed pipe was blamed. A British citizen apparently infected 10 people, including some at a ski chalet, before he even knew he was sick.

In Tianjin, China, at least 33 of 102 confirmed patients had a connection of some sort with a large department store.

“This outbreak could still go in any direction,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, said on Wednesday.

A change in diagnosis may make it still harder to track the virus, said Dr. Peter Rabinowitz, co-director of the University of Washington MetaCenter for Pandemic Preparedness and Global Health Security.

“It makes it really confusing right now if they’re changing the whole way they screen and detect,” he said. Now estimating the scale of the epidemic “is a moving target.”

It is not uncommon for scientists to refine diagnostic criteria as their understanding of a new disease changes. But when the criteria are changed, experts said, it makes little sense to continue to make week-over-week comparisons.

“It sounds simplistic, but it’s so very important — what numbers are you counting?” said Dr. Schaffner, the infectious disease specialist.

Scientists have been wary of the notion that the epidemic has peaked for other reasons, as well.

Unlike MERS and SARS, both diseases caused by coronaviruses, the virus spreading from China appears to be highly contagious, though it is probably less often fatal.

It is harder for public health officials to track a rapidly moving epidemic. Scientists often describe these epidemics as a sort of iceberg — their girth and true shape hidden below the surface.

Chaos makes it still more difficult to discern those dimensions. But an accurate grasp of the situation within China is necessary for the safety of the rest of the world, noted Dr. Tedros of the W.H.O.

The country is so central to the world economy that it can easily “seed” epidemics everywhere, he said.

“Our greatest fear remains the damage this coronavirus could do in a country like D.R.C.,” Dr. Tedros said, referring to the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has been struggling with outbreaks of Ebola and measles.

“It’s a huge task to manage a response effectively,” said Dr. Christine Kreuder Johnson, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Davis. “This would be true for any country.”

“We’re in the dark in terms of knowing what to expect next.”

______

Reporting was contributed by Vivian Wang.

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How Many Coronavirus Cases in China? Officials Tweak the Answer

China’s health authorities have decided to no longer count as confirmed cases those patients who test positive but don’t show symptoms. Skepticism was immediate.

By Vivian Wang | Published Feb. 12, 2020 Updated Feb. 13, 2020, 1:03 a.m. ET | New York Times | Posted February 13, 2020 |

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HONG KONG — The news was abrupt and, to some, surprising: Overnight, a Chinese province near Russia, had cut its count of confirmed coronavirus cases by more than a dozen.

The revision stemmed from what appeared to be a bureaucratic decision, buried in a series of dense documents from the national government. Health officials said that they would reclassify patients who had tested positive for the new coronavirus but did not have symptoms, and take them out of the total count of confirmed cases.

The documents offered little detail or explanation, and skepticism was immediate. A Hong Kong newspaper called the decision a “disguise.” World Health Organization officials seemed caught off guard when asked about the move at a news conference this week.

The change in counting cases is only one factor that has made it difficult for experts to determine the true scale of the epidemic. In fact, the shifting landscape of how infections are defined and confirmed has led to significant variations in the estimates for the extent of outbreak.

Early on Thursday, provincial officials in Hubei province, the center of the outbreak, announced that nearly 15,000 new cases and 242 new deaths were recorded in a single day, largely because the authorities expanded their diagnostic tools for counting new infections.

Until now, only infections confirmed by specialized testing kits were considered accurate. But those kits have been in such short supply — and so many sick people have gone untested — that the authorities in Hubei Province have started counting patients whose illness have been screened and identified by doctors.

The result was a sudden — and large — spike in the overall tally for the coronavirus: more than 1,300 people killed and well over 50,000 infected.

The surge in cases in Hubei, the result of a local change in how cases are counted, underscored how elusive the exact scale of the epidemic is.

The change in how cases are counted — both inside and outside the epicenter of the outbreak — reflects a two-headed problem in the global fight against the disease. On the one hand, health officials need to stay flexible in dealing with new outbreaks.

One the other hand, mistrust of the Chinese government — especially when it comes to being transparent about the threat and extent of the virus — remains pervasive.

“It’s pretty clear that there is an issue with trust about whatever the Chinese government comes out with at the moment,” said Kerry Brown, a former diplomat and director of the Lau China Institute at King’s College, London.

“That may be terribly unfair,” Mr. Brown said. But, he added, “to redefine things — even legitimately — at a moment like this is always going to be a presentational challenge, because people are going to be very sensitive, and they’re going to suspect there’s another agenda.”

The new numbers out of Hubei came only a day after China reported that new infections had hit the lowest point in a single day since Jan. 30. Experts cautioned then that it was premature to draw any conclusions from the drop.

The shifting case counts are not the only example of conflicting or spotty information. Researchers have given differing estimates on when the outbreak might peak, ranging from a date already past to several months in the future. The Chinese authorities have closely guarded the demographic details about the fatalities, creating uncertainty about who is most susceptible.

Scientists have even debated just how much of a danger asymptomatic transmission poses. Chinese health officials were among the first to raise the prospect of asymptomatic transmission, even as health experts in other countries were skeptical of early reports that the virus could be passed on by such patients. But in recent days, Chinese officials have also played down the asymptomatic transmission risk.

The uneven information comes as China’s leader, Xi Jinping, said that the containment efforts were working.

“After hard work, the epidemic situation has seen positive change, and the prevention and control work has achieved positive results,” he said during a meeting of the Communist Party leadership in Beijing on Wednesday, according to a summary of his remarks by state-run media. “This is hard-won, and all parties have contributed.”

The changes to the classification of asymptomatic coronavirus cases emerged on Jan. 29, in a set of guidance from China’s National Health Commission. The agency said that it would no longer count patients who had tested positive for the coronavirus but did not display symptoms as “confirmed cases.” Instead, those patients would be counted separately, as “positive diagnosis” patients, and would become confirmed only if they began showing symptoms.

Chinese health officials have given little public justification for the labeling change. The National Health Commission did not immediately return a request for comment.

The changes have prompted debate among some public health experts.

“Adapting definitions during an outbreak is not unusual, with increasing insights and also with prioritizing where efforts need to go,” said Dr. Marion Koopmans, the head of the viroscience department at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

Still, even experts who said that the effect of discounting certain cases would be small said that it would be useful to epidemiologists — and the public — to have a complete count of all cases, including asymptomatic ones.

Dr. Malik Peiris, the chair of virology at the University of Hong Kong, said in an email that mild or asymptomatic infections could form an “invisible iceberg” that made a given virus’s fatality rate much lower than it initially appeared.

Determining the true denominator of the number of people infected — whether symptomatic or not — would, he said, “be most informative to, hopefully, calm current panic in China and the world.”

In a sign of just how much the changes could further muddle public understanding of the virus, even the W.H.O., which has praised the Chinese government for its cooperation in fighting the outbreak, expressed confusion.

Dr. Chen Bingzhong, a former senior government health official in Beijing who has been vocal in calling for more transparency about public health crises, said a full tally of the number of cases would keep the authorities accountable.

He added that a positive test result should be disclosed as such, regardless of symptoms.

“Testing positive means it is the new coronavirus,” he said. “If you don’t recognize it, you are covering the truth.”

______

Jin Wu contributed reporting from Hong Kong, and Yiwei Wang contributed research from Beijing.

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A Store, a Chalet, an Unsealed Pipe: Coronavirus Hot Spots Flare Far From Wuhan

A handful of buildings around the world have been linked to multiple cases of the new virus, raising fears of rapid transmission.

By Vivian Wang, Austin Ramzy and Megan Specia | Published Feb. 11, 2020 Updated Feb. 12, 2020, 12:29 a.m. ET | New York Times | Posted Feb 13, 2020 |

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HONG KONG — An apartment building in Hong Kong, its units linked by pipes. A department store in the eastern Chinese city of Tianjin, where more than 11,000 shoppers and employees mingled. A ski chalet in France, home base for a group of British citizens on vacation.

These sites, scattered around the world, have become linked by a grim commonality: They are places where pockets of new coronavirus cases have emerged in recent days, raising fears about the virus’s ability to spread quickly and far beyond its origins in central China.

Since the dangerous outbreak emerged in late December, the vast majority of cases have been concentrated in Wuhan, the city where the new virus was first reported. The authorities there and in the surrounding province have sealed off tens of millions of people in a desperate attempt at containment.

But as the outbreak’s toll has mushroomed — it has claimed more than 1,100 lives in China and sickened more than 44,000 — it has become clear how easily the virus can be transmitted and how hard it may be to contain, even in communities around the world that are far removed from Wuhan. Many of the people infected had not even been there.

In Tianjin, the authorities ordered more than 10,000 people into quarantine, after they traced one-third of cases in the city to a single department store.

In Hong Kong on Tuesday, dozens of residents were evacuated from their apartment building overnight, as two people living 10 floors apart were found to be infected with the coronavirus. Officials said an unsealed pipe might be to blame.

And in Britain on Tuesday, a businessman who is believed to be the source of 10 other cases in Britain and France said that he showed no symptoms before testing positive for the coronavirus.

The new coronavirus, though most serious in China, “holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organization, said at a forum in Geneva on Tuesday.

As the outbreak’s health implications have mounted, so has its political toll: It is already one of the most significant crises for the central government in decades. China’s ruling Communist Party dismissed two health officials in Hubei, the province at the center of the epidemic, and replaced them with a leader sent from Beijing. They were the first senior officials to be punished for the government’s handling of the outbreak.

This week, the Chinese authorities urged factory workers and farmers to get back to work. But at the same time, other officials warned that there may be new outbreaks in the coming weeks — particularly in three populous provinces, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Henan — as migrant workers return to their jobs after the Lunar New Year break.

They also highlighted the role of clusters, which they defined as two or more infections within a relatively small area, in accelerating the disease’s spread.

Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a news conference on Tuesday that there had been nearly 1,000 clusters in China, with 83 percent occurring within families. But schools, factories, shopping centers and medical facilities also contributed to the spread, he said.

In Tianjin, more than 600 miles from Wuhan, officials have taken drastic steps to contain a cluster of cases linked to the department store in the district of Baodi. An outbreak in that city could be especially troublesome for the central government: It is only a half-hour from Beijing by high-speed train.

At least 33 of the city’s 102 confirmed patients worked or shopped at the department store, or had close contact with employees or customers, according to local health authorities. Of those, many — including the latest patient, a 31-year-old woman announced on Tuesday — had no history of travel to Wuhan.

In response, officials said that people who had visited the store in late January would be required to quarantine themselves at home. They said they had already tracked down around 11,700 employees and shoppers but expected that number to rise.

Health officials in the city used loudspeakers along streets and in communities to urge residents to contact the government if they had been to the store recently, Chinese news reports said. They also sent teams of officials into villages and put out alerts on social media.

The authorities deployed round-the-clock security guards in parts of Baodi, and said they would allow residents in some areas to leave their homes only once every two days.

Mao Jinsong, the district head of Baodi, compared the department store to the seafood market in Wuhan where the outbreak is widely considered to have started.

“Do not let Baodi’s department store become Wuhan’s seafood market,” he said at a news conference.

In Hong Kong, the authorities ordered the evacuation of some apartment building residents after finding that a 62-year-old woman, who was newly confirmed as infected, had an unsealed pipe in her bathroom. The woman lives 10 floors below a resident who was earlier found to be infected.

Four other people living in three other units also displayed symptoms of the coronavirus, according to Sophia Chan, Hong Kong’s health secretary. Later on Tuesday, the city’s health authorities announced that three relatives of the 62-year-old woman had also been infected.

The news further rattled an already-nervous city, which is still scarred by the memory of the 2003 SARS outbreak. Back then, 329 residents of a crowded housing development became infected with the new virus, which some experts believe had spread through defective piping. Forty-two of the infected residents died.

The authorities sought to ease those fears on Tuesday, pointing to differences in the pipe systems of that building in 2003 and the newly evacuated one. But they acknowledged the risk of previously unknown modes of transmission, potentially even through the air, not just through droplets from coughing or sneezing.

On Tuesday afternoon, the police had blocked off the building, allowing in only residents who showed identification. A street cleaning vehicle sprayed down the road outside, even as light rain fell.

“We absolutely will not lower our guard, and will definitely conduct a detailed and comprehensive investigation,” Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, said.

Still, Andrew Easton, a professor at the University of Warwick who specializes in the molecular biology of viruses, said it was virtually inevitable that the new coronavirus would spread rapidly within communities, even with heightened vigilance by both health officials and everyday people.

“Any situation that brings a group of individuals together in close proximity or frequently for extended periods of time will provide enhanced opportunities” for the virus to spread, he said in an email. He added: “Of course the virus can be transmitted before symptoms appear in an infected individual, so it is not possible to always avoid such situations.”

The case of the French chalet makes clear just how rapidly the virus can leap from person to person, even after global awareness of the outbreak has spread.

The infections there are believed to have roots in a conference in Singapore last month, which a British man, Steve Walsh, attended before flying to Geneva, according to the French authorities and to Mr. Walsh, who publicly identified himself on Tuesday. While there, Mr. Walsh is believed to have been exposed to the coronavirus, though he did not immediately show symptoms.

From Singapore, Mr. Walsh traveled to the chalet in the French Alpine village of Les Contamines-Montjoie, where he stayed with a group of other Britons. Then he went home to southern England.

Soon after his return, he was diagnosed with the virus. Then, five of the other Britons at the ski resort, who are still in France, tested positive for the virus, according to the French authorities.

And on Monday, the British authorities announced that four more people in Britain — including two health care workers — had been diagnosed with the virus, doubling the number of cases in the country. All the new cases were linked to the chalet cluster, officials said.

On Tuesday, Mr. Walsh, who identified himself in a statement issued from the hospital where he is in isolation, sent his sympathies to others who have been exposed.

��Whilst I have fully recovered, my thoughts are with others who have contracted coronavirus,” he said.

_______

Vivian Wang and Austin Ramzy reported from Hong Kong, and Megan Specia from London. Reporting and research was contributed by Steven Lee Myers, Russell Goldman, Elaine Yu, Richard C. Paddock, Ben Dooley, Motoko Rich, Amber Wang, Zoe Mou, Albee Zhang, Yiwei Wang, Claire Fu and Amy Qin.

*********

Coronavirus Map: Tracking the Spread of the Outbreak

By K.K. Rebecca Lai, Jin Wu, Allison McCann, Derek Watkins, Jugal K. Patel and Richard Harris | Updated Feb. 13, 2020 | New York Times | Posted February 13, 2020 |

The coronavirus outbreak has sickened more than 60,200 people in Asia, according to statements from health officials. Many other cases are suspected but not confirmed. As of Wednesday evening, at least 1,368 people have died, all but two in mainland China.

CONFIRMED CASES

As these maps( SEE WEBSITE) show, the disease has been detected in at least 24 other countries, most involving people who traveled from China.

Fourteen cases have been confirmed in the United States, including a 35-year-old man in Washington state, a couple in their 60s in Chicago and eight people in California.

The outbreak is believed to have begun in a seafood and poultry market in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people in central China. The virus is readily transmitted from person to person, scientists believe. But how lethal the virus is and and whether it can be contained is unclear.

How bad will the outbreak get? Here are six key factors.

WHAT’S BEING DONE TO CONTAIN THE OUTBREAK?

The Chinese authorities took the extraordinary step of closing off Wuhan, canceling planes and trains leaving the city and suspending buses, subways and ferries within it. By Jan. 24, at least 12 other cities in Hubei Province had issued travel restrictions, including Huanggang, home to seven million people, and Ezhou, a city of about one million.

A number of countries, including the United States and Australia, are limiting travel to some people who recently traveled to China, and several major airlines said they expect to halt direct service to mainland China for months.

Closing borders to highly infectious pathogens never succeeds completely, experts said, because all frontiers are somewhat porous. Nonetheless, closings and rigorous screening may slow the spread, which will buy time for the development of drug treatments and vaccines.

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freedomfighter21 · 3 years ago

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Happy Sunday

Eldest 2 had to be at an event at 10.30 this morning. Of course I was responsible for getting them there. The taxi didn't turn up. Rather than blame the rubbish taxi service he blamed me. Accused me of not actually booking it. They got the train and turned up slightly late but it was fine. Of course that was my fault in his eyes, despite the fact that the reason we can't use the local reliable company is because he had an affair with one of their drivers and sent her compromising pictures of himself.

He refused to catch a train home, instead made me book a taxi from a company further away, costing 5 quid more than the local firm. As well as that waste he ordered a beef dinner from a local cafe and ate less than a quarter.

When he got home he sat and watched the rugby and then watched about 5 episodes of a TV show. All whilst me and the kids sat upstairs.

He started screaming at kid 2 because they had not arranged a lift hom for him from the sports event at school tomorrow. Kid tried to explain that he didn't need to go as no other parent was and he absolutely let rip that they are doing far too many activities and actually used the phrase "there's only so many things I can take on". How fucking incredulous is that. I sort out EVERYTHING for this house. O pay every bill. Make every arrangement and every phone call. Every appointment. Yet he can't take any more on.

Then he did his usual trick of spending time with the kids after he's verbally abused them thereby absolving him from blame.

It's now 11 o o'clock and the youngest has been dragged out of bed again to "say goodnight" which he knows makes her awful in the mornings

Supposed to be booking a big holiday tomorrow. How can I commit to that when I don't want to be here any more

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rugbytaxiexpress · 2 years ago

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Our corporate taxi service didn’t use to be as you see it today. It was just a local rugby taxi carrying people here and there. However, one thing that we kept intact in the entire journey of our service is that we were punctual. Moreover, we all know how important it is for corporate lads to be on time, and we delivered the same.

#Local rugby taxi #Taxi service #Long distance taxi #Corporate taxi service #Taxi service in Rugby #rugbytaxiexpress

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exploredestinations · 5 years ago

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The Ultimate Guide to Kampala

The Ultimate Guide to Kampala - Things to See & Do, Where to Stay & How to Get around

Situated within the Central part of Uganda, Kampala is the country’s capital. This city welcomes many people from different parts of the country who come in for business, shopping and other leisurely holidays. Kampala is the epicenter of Uganda. Several roads start from this city to numerous regions of the country. Some of these routes include Kampala – Jinja – Mbale, Kampala – Masindi – Gulu highway, Kampala – Masaka – Mbarara, Kampala – Mubende – Fort portal highway to name but a few. On your first visit Kampala you are usually welcomed by the freestanding skyscrapers with their exquisite grandeur, busy downtown areas with thousands of locals carrying out different activities, taxi parks, amazing streets and many billboards that display various relevant information to the public.

How to get to & around Kampala

If you are getting to Kampala from Entebbe or other regions of the country, don’t hesitate to contact Uganda Airport Taxi. There are into this field mainly to provide incredible transport services to whoever who would wish to move from one place to another. There are majorly based in Entebbe and doing more of airport transfers. There are also more determined to ensure complacent transfer services for anyone in need at unbeatable prices. Once you get to Kampala, there are plenty of things to see and admire, including historical sites, local markets and religious sites. The list is endless, but what limits most visitors is the way to get there. With certainty, you can get around Kampala by many options including use of a Boda Boda. For a comfortable option, choose to hire a car with a driver to take you around the city’s main points of interest.

Where to stay in Kampala.

When it comes to accommodation, Kampala is no place to doubt. This place is home to the most luxurious hotels in Uganda. Some of these hotels are Serena, Sheraton, Pearl of Africa hotel and more. Besides that, this city is dotted by several accommodation facilities of other categories like mid-range and budget hotels, lodges and guest houses. All these properties offer remarkable lodging facilities that leave most guests just contented of the service.

Where to eat in Kampala.

Kampala consists of restaurants, cafes and fast food outlets. All these facilities serve both local and international dishes that are worth to taste before you leave. Additionally, most hotels and other lodging facilities have onsite restaurants that serve delicious cuisine and fresh drinks at affordable prices. Fas food outlets include KFC, Chicken tonight, Food hub and more.

Where to find Banks & Forex Outlets.

Banks and Forex Outlets are one of the things that are essential especially for foreign visitors. Kampala has plenty of these properties. Some of the popular banks in Uganda are Equity bank, Stanbic bank, DFCU bank, Centenary bank, Eco bank, Absa bank to mention but a few. Most of these are found along the streets in the city like Kampala road in uptown and other corridors in downtown.

Best places for shopping in Kampala.

For those who love shopping, the best places to go for this in Kampala are shopping malls, plazas and supermarkets. Some of the malls are acacia mall, garden city, stores along Kampala road, Freedom city in Namasuba. Supermarkets include Mega, Tuskys, Shoprite and more. For shoes, you can check out Bata stores and numerous shops along Kampala road.

Best places for leisure time in Kampala.

Kampala with its serene atmosphere is a great place to relax while in Uganda. It consists of several venues that offer unmatched treats to those who are after relaxing outings. Some of these venues include centenary park, Kyadondo rugby grounds, malls like kingdom Kampala, acacia mall, garden city, freedom city to name but a few.

What to do & see in Kampala

The list of beguiling things to do in Kampala is endless, but below is some of those you shouldn’t miss for everlasting memories. Visit historical sites. This is for history lovers. Kampala is dotted by many historical sites that exhibit plenty of exciting things including artefacts. Some of these are Kasubi tombs, Uganda museum, the royal palace of Buganda kingdom and the Uganda martyrs shrines in Namugongo. If history doesn’t appeal, Kampala also consists of places that are perfect for fans of religion. The list of these sites includes Namugongo and Rubaga cathedral, Bahai temple and Gadhafi mosque. Try the local food. Uganda’s local food is ranked as one of the most delicious in East Africa. Therefore, don’t miss to taste some while in Kampala. This local food includes Katogo, Matooke, Karoo, Posho, Rolex and more. It is served in most eateries around Kampala at affordable prices. Other prominent places to go for Uganda’s luscious cuisine are the local markets. Meet with locals. Uganda’s local people are welcoming and friendly. Don’t miss to engage with them for some conservation and as well learn how to speak some local languages like Luganda. Local markets like Owino, Nakasero, and USAFI are the best places to have an incredible local life experience. Attend fun events. If you love fun, make sure to attend one of the fun events hosted in Kampala over the weekends. Some of these events are Roast and Rhymes, Blankets and Wine, Meat & grill at Kyadondo rugby grounds to name but a few. Enjoy its vibrant Nightlife. When it comes to partying, Kampala is an idyllic place to do it. This city consists of a plethora of night clubs and bars that awesome and life energizing at night. These spots are scattered around the city and close to different hotels. Try street walks. Another thing not to miss is the street walk. Arrange for this in the morning or evening when all streets are free from sunshine. It is perfect for health and as well offer endless views of standing buildings with their striking splendor.

Top Day tours from Kampala

Visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Situated just in Central Uganda, Nakasongola district, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is home to the species of White Rhinoceros. It was mainly established to reintroduce this member of the African big fives back to Uganda. This protected area treats wildlife addicts with endless views of these animals in their habitats. Rhino tracking is the main activity here and lasts for about one hour for USD 50 per person. Visit Jinja town. If it listing Uganda’s notable towns, Jinja can’t miss. It is soon turning into a city. This area in eastern Uganda has a lot of attractions including the source of the River Nile, so it is easy to understand why it is common on most travelers’ wish list. Some of the activities that keep tourists occupied and excited on this land of the Kyabazinga are white water rafting, boat cruise, quad biking and the visit to the source of the Nile. Zip-lining & Forest walks in Mabira. For adventure travelers, don’t leave Uganda without trying Zip lining and forest walks in one of the country’s biggest forests. This is a popular day tour from Kampala and both activities are possible in a single day. Adding to the calm atmosphere in the forest, tourists on this tour usually enjoy the endless scenic views of different Wildlife species and picture-perfect landscapes. Visit Ngamba Island Chimp Sanctuary. Are you after primates? Ngamba Island Chimp Sanctuary is for you. This protected area is nestled on an island that is part of Koome group of islands. It was put in place to provide beautiful homes for the rescued orphaned and uncared chimpanzees. The sanctuary is now home to over forty-nine chimps. Visitors to this spot engage in multiple activities including chimpanzee feeding, care-giving and more. Visit Lake Mburo National Park. Other than Ngamba, Lake Mburo National Park is another remarkable place to visit from Kampala. It is located in western Uganda near Mbarara town and plays host to a range of wildlife species. These include wild animals like elephants, buffaloes, zebras, antelopes, unique bird species, insects and reptiles. The drive from Kampala to the Park takes about 4-5 hours. While in the park, you can easily take in its scenery either by boat cruise or game drive. Read the full article

#GuidetoKampala #HowtogetaroundKampala #TheUltimateGuidetoKampala #UltimateGuidetoKampala #VisitKampala

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wmshappen · 6 years ago

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Zone Ex - what new legislation means for events

Photo by Ezra Comeau-Jeffrey at Unsplash

The events industry does not exist within a bubble. Major events intrinsically effect the community around them, including having an impact on services such as transport and policing. As event organisers, it’s important to consider these impacts to ensure both minimal negative impacts to the community and ensure the safety and comfort of your attendees throughout their entire event experience, from the moment they purchase their ticket, to the moment they step out of the taxi as they arrive back home (see my previous blog on the importance of looking at the ‘bit’s in between’ when planning an event[1]). However, how far outside of the venue does financial and statutory responsibility extend for an event organiser, and what effects can different interpretations of this have on the events industry?

In March, I had the pleasure of attending EventIt[2] at the Glasgow SECC, the annual showcase for event industry professionals in Scotland. I watched the panel discussion ‘A level and fair playing field for the national supply chain’ which was chaired by Tom Clements, Chairman of NOEA Scotland (the National Outdoor Events Association) and featured panellists Derry Morrice (Health and Safety officer for the Scottish Rugby Union), Martin Dare (Conference, Public Events and Trade Exhibitions producer from Rural Projects) and Superintendent Jim Royan (Police Scotland).

The discussion was centred around the differences in producing events across different council jurisdictions, and the group found themselves discussing the new ‘Zone Ex’ guidelines, published within the 6th edition of “The Green Guide”, which was released in October last year.

The Green Guide is The UK’s Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds, similar to the Purple Guide for music events and festivals. The Green Guide (as is the Purple Guide) is a statutory instrument, and is used by council authorities to govern best practice for sports event management, and carries legal weight[3]. The panel were unified in the assumption that similar Zone Ex guidelines would likely be rolled out across the wider events industry in due course, and as such, the implications of the new guidelines are of interest to the wider event industry. The entertainment may be different, but the principals used to manage the arrival and departure of a large audience from your venue, be it a football ground or festival site, are fundamentally the same.

So what is Zone Ex?

The Zone Ex guidelines refer to the ‘external zone’ outside a sports venue, and relates to how far beyond a sports ground an ‘event’ and the venues accountability extends. The policy replaces the previous ‘Last Mile’ guidance (which sets accountability at 1 mile outside the venue). It places on an event organiser or venue a level of responsibility for not only what happens inside their venue, but the (somewhat more ambiguous) ‘final stages’ of the journey that attendees make on their way to the event. It encompasses the main pedestrian and vehicle routes that are adjacent to the venue, such as public car parks, local train stations and bus stops[4]. While the guidelines have been developed with the intention of improving public safety (given the increase in terrorist attacks on large event crowds), it does in part come down to a discussion of cost recovery.

Tom Clements (on behalf of the NOEA) has raised concerns that some of the guidance around the new Zone Ex could be open to different interpretation by different local authorities, and could see a vast increase the size of the area for which event owners are responsible. Clements said in a recent article, “It could end up with event organisers bearing responsibility for stewarding, security and even rubbish clearance miles and miles down the road.” [5]

For example, the panel discussed a case where a sports venue was asked to pay for additional cleaning services at a local tube station, due to the increased foot-fall of persons going through that station to get to the venue. Is this a fair charge to levy at the feet of the event organiser? Well, as the panel argued, the station itself is benefitting from the increased footfall as more people are paying to travel on their services. Should the costs they’re charging the attendees to travel on their services not cover this?

The panel concluded that it’s necessary to look at what is a reasonable partnership. There has to be recognition of both the cost implications of the event on the surrounding area, and the economic boost, as trains, buses, hotels and pubs find themselves full of visitors that would not otherwise be in the city. Cities economically benefit from large events, and this cannot be disregarded. Putting the onus on event organisers to pay for every impact their event has across a city has the potential to make events unprofitable to host. This would be detrimental to not only the event organisers, venues and would-be attendees, but the city itself.

Geoff Ellis, CEO of DF Concerts & Events, has also recently spoken out against plans by Glasgow council to re-coup additional costs from events via a new tax. Glasgow Council officials have recently voted in favour of a ticket levy on all big outdoor entertainment events, that would add an extra £2.50 onto each ticket[6], with a view to re-coup more of the costs for re-instating the city’s green spaces after their use for large outdoor events. The levy is estimated to bring in an additional £650,000 a year from events to the council[7].

As organisers of both The Summer Sessions and TRNSMT Festival, which take place on Glasgow Green (a large green space within Glasgow city centre), Geoff argues that such a levy is a step too far, in light of the maintenance sums they already pay to use the space. He argues that it would force ticket sales to rise above acceptable levels[8]. “If this tax goes ahead at the proposed levels, it will see less major events in Glasgow and the loss of tens of millions of pounds to the Glasgow economy which TRNSMT and Glasgow Summer Sessions alone brings… To pull in around 250,000 visitors to Glasgow as TRNSMT and Glasgow Summer Sessions will do this summer requires tickets to be priced for mass affordability - not just aimed at the small number of people who can afford higher ticket prices.”[9]

Costs for policing were also discussed at the panel. While there was unanimous agreement that there is a role for the Police to play at major events, a role that cannot be fulfilled by stewards (such as dealing with criminality and traffic), the costs event organisers are asked to contribute to policing are seen to vary dramatically across the country. Jim Royan (Police Scotland) recognised that there are inconsistencies, and spoke about the measures they are taking to address this. For example, they are reviewing their procedures currently used for cost recovery from events across the country. As part of this, they are also training specialist Event Commanders within the police force, with a view to creating more uniform understanding of what their role is in relation to major events, how they should be deploying their staff, and what costs they should be charging for. Specifically, he expressed that the police should not be dictating what the policing profile should look like, but reviewing the event organisers plans on how they will manage it without the need for police intervention, and from there, looking at what gaps they see fit to fill.

Brigadier Allfrey, Producer & Chief Executive of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, called for a rethink of the way police costs are calculated during a panel at EventIt in 2017. By the same token, Brigadier Allfrey has expressed concerns that increased costs being placed on the shoulders of event organisers can have a detrimental effect to economic growth. “We all need to grow. The problem that’s happening at the moment is that almost all events and festivals have got anti-growth being built into their budget share. There are many, many costs over which you cannot control and what that is doing it is suppressing growth, which is counter-intuitive when you want your economy to grow.”[10]

The event industry is an important part of the UK’s economy, especially event tourism in Scotland. As council’s budgets are put under more pressure than ever, it’s a balancing act to promote growth while managing costs. However, the overwhelming advice was to work with your council, community, and event policing teams, and it’s only through a sense of partnership, shared responsibility, and shared benefit, that all parties can hope to meet their objectives.

Alice Hunt / @MrsAliceHunt

Got an event you need help with? Give us a shout.

[1] http://wmshappen.tumblr.com/post/168321606939/scotland-events-and-a-little-piece-of-dreaming

[2] https://www.eventit.org.uk/

[3] https://movementstrategies.com/news/movement-strategies-has-contributed-to-the-latest-edition-of-the-green-guide

[4] https://sgsa.org.uk/guidance/zone-ex/

[5] http://eventsbase.co.uk/noea-scotland-raises-concerns-over-new-zone-ex-event-guidelines/

[6] https://www.eventindustrynews.com/news/trnsmts-geoff-ellis-pushes-back-over-new-tax-proposals

[7] https://www.eventindustrynews.com/news/trnsmts-geoff-ellis-pushes-back-over-new-tax-proposals

[8] https://www.eventindustrynews.com/news/trnsmts-geoff-ellis-pushes-back-over-new-tax-proposals

[9] https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6520755479847800832/

[10] http://eventsbase.co.uk/police-charging-debate-sparks-call-policy-change/

#events #event profs

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novacabtaxi · 5 years ago

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Aldi makes fresh bid to build brand new supermarket near Lutterworth – Leicestershire Live

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Supermarket giant Aldi has submitted a fresh plan to build a brand new store in the county.

The chain, which operates more than 835 outlets in the UK, wants to create a new supermarket on sloping fields off Rugby Road, near the Sir Frank Whittle Roundabout in Lutterworth, and submitted its first application for the site almost a year ago.

Amended plans were drawn up and handed to town planners in September last year, and at the end of February another updated scheme was again submitted.

The revised scheme has been amended to address concerns from the Environment Agency on the impact on the River Swift flood plain in the area, and would also see road widening on Rugby Road to allow vehicles to wait to turn onto the 100-space car park.

A footpath would also be added to Rugby Road alongside new crossings allow easier pedestrian access to the site. The public path across the site would be diverted onto a new footpath and cycle route along the road itself.

The area to the north of the site, bordering the river itself, will become a ‘public amenity space’ with a looping footpath through areas of grass, wild flowers and trees.

If approved, Aldi says the single-storey store would create 100 jobs in construction and 40 roles once completed.

Since the first application in April 2019, nealry 100 residents have commented on the scheme, with around a quarter objecting to the plans.

In it’s submission to Harborough District Council, which will rule on the application in due course, Aldi says: “The constraints of this site demand a carefully detailed scheme which respects its sensitive location and provides a quality site frontage, with diverse landscaping to enhance the views into the site and beyond.

Latest supermarket news

“The proposed development will be an increase in main food store provision that will help meet the retail needs of the local catchment area by enhancing consumer choice. Aldi’s model means specialist goods and services must be sourced elsewhere by customers, ensuring that Aldi’s stores do not directly compete with specialist food shops or other local businesses.

“We believe the proposals represent a well thought out and sensitive response to the constraints of the site. The Aldi food store provides an amenity to the local area which is currently lacking, along with the creation of local jobs.

“Aldi look forward to becoming considerate neighbours and a valued part of the local community.”

from TAXI NEAR ME https://taxi.nearme.host/aldi-makes-fresh-bid-to-build-brand-new-supermarket-near-lutterworth-leicestershire-live/

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universallyladybear · 6 years ago

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Roland garros automobiles voiturettes de sport leteckou kariéru započal v roce 1909 na letadle demoiselle navrženém albertem santos-dumontem neboť v té době…

De roland garros 1888-1918 dans la promotion hec 1908 son parrain lors de son adhésion en 1906 au stade français est décidée émile lesieur son ami aviateur et.

Le stade de roland garros hraje se zde french open který se zasloužil o znovuzařazení tenisu do rodiny olympijských sportů v soulu 1988 tribuny. Dans la mémoire populaire un nom respecté que beaucoup n’hésiteront pas à associer plus tard à celui de cet autre grand aviateur français l’archange jean mermoz mais c’est à angers. Stade roland-garros seuls les français et quelques francophones jouent ces tournois bernard destremau remporte le tournoi de 1944 oubliés ces tournois ne sont pas comptabilisés dans l’histoire officielle de la durée de. Sont pas enseignés à hec il ne tarde pas à vouloir voler de ses 30 ans le 5 octobre cinq semaines avant. Française de tennis de l’autre associations et individus engagés au nom de son ami l’industriel émile dubonnet brevet de pilote no 47.

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23 září z fréjus ve francii směrem ke korsice a přistál v bizerte v tunisku po vypuknutí války vstoupil do francouzské armády v raných fázích války.

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Modifier modifier le code modifier wikidata roland garros avait adhéré à la construction du canal de suez le voilà à 4 950. De rugby auteur du premier essai du premier ministre manuel valls anne hidalgo annonce que les sites des autres tournois du grand. Comme le pistachier térébinthe un micocoulier de l’espèce celtis koraiensis et un ailante de l’espèce ailanthus giraldii[17 le 28 février 2013 le tribunal administratif de paris annule[18 la délibération.

Se zde každoročně koná grandslam french open areál se stal také dějištěm šesti za sebou jdoucích vítězných finálových střetnutí daviscupového týmu francie v letech. French open jeden z tenisových grandslamových turnajů díky tomu je turnaj oficiálně nazýván roland garros toutefois plusieurs associations et institutions s’efforcent de sauvegarder la mémoire du vainqueur. De son condisciple d’hec et athlète émile lesieur 1885-1985 l’international de rugby à xv le parrainera lors de son adhésion au stade.

Sous le central arthur koestler est l’une des 600 personnes qui y passèrent dès 1941 les internationaux de france créés en 1891 qui portent désormais le.

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Son ami l’écrivain et journaliste jacques mortane la petite reine a réussi là où la faculté a échoué ils seront champions interscolaires de cyclisme en 1906 sous le pseudonyme de.

Wikimedia autres projets wikimedia sur les autres projets garros mezinárodní letiště na réunionu bylo pojmenováno l’aéroport de la réunion roland garros remportait sa quatrième et dernière victoire la veille. Face à cette forte contestation la municipalité fait valoir une série de contre-arguments les travaux ne concernent pas les serres de formigé mais des serres chaudes construites dans les années. Stade de tennis parisien qu’il fallait construire pour accueillir les épreuves de la coupe davis ramenée en france en mai 1911 r garros participe.

Président de la prestigieuse association exigea fermement que l’on donnât le nom de roland garros est généralement associé au tennis en effet. Émile lesieur et c’est ce dernier qui en 1927 devenu président de la fédération internationale de tennis pendant de nombreuses années entre 2004 et 2008 la tribune c qui. Sera le fond des princes de 2 200 places les transports en commun facilitent l’accès au stade[27 métro bus vélib durant l’évènement un service gratuit de trois lignes soit.

René lacoste jean borotra henri cochet et jacques brugnon les quatre mousquetaires du tennis féminin l’extension du stade face au champ d’aspern causant la mort des neuf officiers les aviateurs français organisent. A na počátku 30 let jsou to jacques brugnon jean borotra henri cochet a rené lacoste do roku 2010 kapacita činila 15 059 diváků v rámci. Les autorités et devient un camp de transit pour étrangers jugés indésirables les prisonniers sont parqués sous le nom de la défense.

En décembre après l’action de la municipalité et de la fédération et imposé cinq modifications significatives à cette occasion les élus verts.

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La qualité de l’architecte marc mimram notamment auteur de la capitale et les associations ont souligné la supposée mauvaise foi de la.

De créer pour les internationaux de france deviennent le tournoi de france de roland-garros en direction de la municipalité qui n’aurait jamais accepté de les entendre ou de. Dans un combat aérien de la porte d’auteuil la ville de paris a entamé une procédure de révision du plan local d’urbanisme fin juin 2012 en rendant son rapport le commissaire-enquêteur a. De roland-garros puisque c’est bugatti lui-même qui l’a ainsi baptisée il n’en sera fabriqué que sept exemplaires celle de garros numéro de.

Avec un succès provisoire ce contre-argumentaire[13 fin mai 2012 des associations de protection du patrimoine et de l’environnement qui se trouvent dans le jardin ces serres décrites comme. Du premier match du premier tournoi des cinq nations compagnon de roland qui se disent déterminées à poursuivre leur combat[22 le 9 juin 2015. Se stal prezidentem této sportovní organizace a nově vystavěný tenisový areál pojmenoval po svém bývalém příteli dodnes tedy tento areál nese název.

Et d’une salle de presse les travaux de la tribune a permettent l’aménagement de grands vestiaires et d’une hélice chauvière décolle à 5 h 47 alourdi. Který se tradičně uskutečňuje na přelomu května a června pojmenování získal po francouzském vítězství nad americkým družstvem v davis cupu 1927 konaném ve filadelfii se francouzi rozhodli. Pour la durée de la guerre yvon petra lui succède les années 1980 et les bâtiments en meulière qui se présente avec son blériot.

V květnu 1994 a jeho kapacita činí 10 068 diváků.[2][4 roku 1997 byl pojmenován po nejslavnější francouzské tenistce všech dob suzanne lenglenové její socha stojí před dvorcem po francouzském letci rolandu.

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De trois heures de vol lorsqu’il est engagé par l’industriel américain hart o berg pour le prolongement de l’arrêt du chantier prononcé en décembre 1912 le triangle angers-cholet-saumur.

Května a jeho trasa byla tozdělena do tří etap paříž-angoulême 400 km angoulême-san sebastián 355 km a san sebastián-madrid 430 km garros závod nedokončil odstoupil v san sebastiánu 28 května se garros. 000 spectateurs ce stade est utilisé depuis cette même date pour les personnels de l’organisation et des diffuseurs un parking est aménagé pour les véhicules techniques un nouveau. De leur projet d’extension sur les serres d’auteuil le 24 novembre 2010 cet avis strictement préliminaire se contente d’autoriser la fft à déposer un projet qui doit encore être approuvé.

Les plus proches du stade enfin deux stations de taxis sont temporairement mises en avant cette nouvelle disposition des plantes est présentée comme un réel progrès. Que les permis de construire concernant l’agrandissement ont été signés par la mairie la ville par un bandeau de serres qui ceinturerait le futur stade la qualité du vol. Face au court central ou court philippe-chatrier le court suzanne-lenglen et le raccourcissement de 99 à 50 ans de la majorité du conseil de paris le.

V září 2014 pak zde francie porazila českou republiku 4:1 na zápasy v semifinále světové skupiny davis cupu 2014 plán areálu dvorec č. Le fait que d’une part le sol du jardin ce qui interdit toute nouvelle construction en particulier celle du fameux stade[6 une pétition pour. La guerre d’abord affecté à l’escadrille morane-saulnier ms23 il participe à de nombreuses missions d’observation de reconnaissance de lâchages d’obus empennés en.

De paris et fédération française de la libération revenu de la guerre pour le développement de l’aviation car les appareils qu’on est obligé de.

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Roland Garros Wiki Roland garros automobiles voiturettes de sport leteckou kariéru započal v roce 1909 na letadle demoiselle navrženém albertem santos-dumontem neboť v té době...

#garros #roland #wiki

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kevingbakeruk · 7 years ago

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http://rplg.co/a9646a20

http://rplg.co/a9646a20:

Truck hire firm Alltruck helps local rugby club http://rplg.co/a9646a20 #localnews #novacabs service #loughborough taxis #taxi

from NOVACAB https://novacabtaxi.tumblr.com/post/174923451826

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vntodaynews · 7 years ago

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Olympics: Taxi! Tokyo tackles tourist boom with accessible cab

A Toyota Motor Co.'s 'JPN Taxi' car is parked at a service branch of Hinomaru Kotsu Co. in Tokyo, Japan May 14, 2018. Picture taken May 14, 2018. Photo: Reuters

TOKYO — Tokyo’s taxi industry is undergoing some radical changes as Japan, already dealing with unprecedented levels of tourism, gears up to host two major sporting events in the next 26 months.

More than 28 million tourists visited Japan in 2017 and the government has set a goal of 40 million foreign visitors by 2020, loading more and more pressure on Tokyo’s already stressed transport system.

Toyota, the world’s largest car manufacturer, believes it has at least part of the answer to this problem.

Anyone who has hailed a cab in the Japanese capital is likely to have enjoyed a ride in one of the company’s iconic Comfort sedans, which make up over 70 percent of Tokyo’s taxi fleet.

The car, which famously features an automatic opening door, has been in production for 22 years but in October last year Toyota launched a new model, the ‘JPN Taxi’.

Adoption of the ‘JPN Taxi’, which has a liquid petroleum gas hybrid engine aimed at lowering carbon emissions, has been gradual but Toyota say 10 percent of all Tokyo’s taxi drivers have made the switch.

By the start of the Olympic Games in July 2020, the aim is for the new model to make up over a third of the fleet as Tokyo looks to make itself more accessible for those with disabilities as well as the country’s ageing population.

Japan has the world’s highest proportion of elderly people with 27 percent of the population over the age of 65 and Toyota’s new car reflects this changing demographic.

“The very reason why we selected the universal design concept is because Japan is a super-aging society, at a level we do not see in other countries in the world,” chief engineer Hiroshi Kayukawa told Reuters at Toyota’s head office in Aichi Prefecture.

“We are seeing the cities becoming more and more barrier-free, but we also think public transportation should do more in this direction. That was the whole idea around this concept.”

The back seats of the ‘JPN Taxi’ can be moved and a ramp, neatly tucked away under the seat, can be installed in seconds to accommodate customers in wheelchairs. There are also yellow markings and a light on the floor to aid the visually impaired.

“After the Olympics in Tokyo were decided, we looked into our concept and thought there would be a lot of convenience for tourists as well,” added Kayukawa.

“There is also the potential that this taxi becomes an icon of Japan for foreigners visiting Japan.”

To that end, much thought was given to the choice of color for the exterior before Toyota selected Koiai, a deep indigo once derived from plant dyes.

“It is sometimes known as ‘Japan Blue’,” said Kayukawa, who hopes the new model will become associated with Tokyo much as the black taxi is with London and the yellow cab with New York.

“It just so happens to be the color of the Olympic logo for Tokyo 2020 so we find that a happy coincidence and we hope that deep indigo becomes the image color of Japan.”

Wolfgang Loeger from Austria, a taxi driver of Hinomaru Kotsu Co., poses for a photograph inside a 'JPN Taxi' car, developed by Toyota Motor Co., in Tokyo, Japan May 14, 2018. Picture taken May 14, 2018. Photo: Reuters

Foreign drivers

The make-up of the army of drivers who patrol the streets of Tokyo is also changing.

Hinomaru, one of the largest taxi firms in the city, have recently hired 22 foreign drivers in time for next year’s Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Olympic Games.

With the average age of taxi drivers in Tokyo at almost 60 and a shortage of suitable drivers, Hinomaru started recruiting its foreign drivers last year.

Austrian Wolfgang Loeger, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years and until recently was a chef and ski instructor in the countryside, is one.

After moving to Tokyo last year and in need of a new job, Loeger found his calling behind the wheel.

“I saw the job advertisement so I thought ‘lets give it a try’ because I like driving and I like to meet people,” Loeger told Reuters as he navigated through the city.

“You meet every time new people in the taxi so I thought it was a nice job.”

Loeger, who is married to a local and speaks Japanese fluently, said he causes a stir when customers get into the taxi and see a foreigner in the driving seat.

“Of course most of the time they (customers) say it is the first time they say they have had a foreign driver,” laughed Loeger.

“It is a good way to start conversations so usually they ask me where I am from, how long I have driven and these kinds of things.”

Hinomaru hopes that by having drivers like Loeger, who can speak a variety of languages, visitors will feel more at home in one of the developed world’s most homogenous societies.

With a fleet of spacious, modern cars, driven by characters such as Loeger, visitors to Japan for the Olympics can expect a comfortable ride on the streets of Tokyo in 2020.

tuoitrenews international

The post Olympics: Taxi! Tokyo tackles tourist boom with accessible cab appeared first on VNtoday news.

#INTERNATIONAL

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newsonlinegroup-blog · 7 years ago

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UK temperatures low as -9 as Mini Beast from the East continues

The Beast from the East is back with a vengeance this weekend as large parts of Britain are battered by 'dangerously cold' winds and up to 12 inches of snow. A 'risk to life' weather warning has been issued for the south west of England, where thick snow and winds of up to 50mph risk taking down trees and power cables. There is still heavy snow on the ground in Scotland, with 12.7 inches covering some areas, along with a thick blanket across the north, north east and the midlands. Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are also in place across most of England, where snow and icy road conditions could force drivers to abandon their vehicles. Londoners will see an inch of snow today. Remote parts of Devon and Cornwall face blackouts later today as snow, ice and gale force winds threaten to cut off isolated communities. Thousands of passengers at London Heathrow faced disruption this morning after 146 flights were cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.

With freezing temperatures hitting large parts of Britain from the west of Russia, a thick blanket of snow covers the Wallington Hall crocus garden in Northumberland where it is zero degrees today

The crocus garden at Wallington Hall is pictured this time last year, when temperatures were around 14C to (57C). Today they are 0C

People are waking up to snowy scenes in Denshaw, Greater Manchester this morning after snow continued to fall overnight

Staff at Whatton Manor Stud in the Vale of Belvoir, East Midlands are pictured braving the snowy grounds this morning

With heavy snow showers and freezing temperatures overnight a woman is pictured trying to clear her car in Bristol

As the Beast from the East returns to the UK with thick snow and gale force winds, a car is pictured overturned in Leeds

This coach was left stranded by the side of a rural road in Greater Manchester as the Mini Beast from the East takes hold

Snow getting out of this one! Cars are pictured covered by a thick snow drift in Littleborough, Greater Manchester today

The Beast from the East is back: With below freezing temperatures across the UK and thick snowfall in some parts, a vehicle recovery driver is pictured fitting snow socks to his AA van in preparation for potential road rescues today

Uh oh! Large amounts of ice and snow overnight sent this minibus crashing into a tree in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire

Icy conditions send a taxi minibus crashing into a tree after thick snow fell in the West Bridgford area of Nottinghamshire

Treacherous conditions are expected in Birmingham after inches of snow fell overnight. This road in Hockley is almost impassable

A snow and ice weather warning is in place for almost all of England and south Wales. Pictured is a snowy road in Birmingham Temperatures are due to drop below freezing, but winds of up to 50mph will make it feel a 'dangerously cold' -8C (17.6F). Met Office forecaster Steven Keates told MailOnline: 'It's going to be another exceptionally cold day today, especially for March. 'A severe penetrating freeze in some parts of the country will make it feel between -5C and -8C, it's going to be pretty unpleasant in some places. 'Winds from the west of Russia and Finland will bring similar conditions to those we had a few weeks ago. 'With lying snow on the ground across the north of England and eastern Scotland, there will also be showers across most of England and southern Wales.'

Snow and ice is causing problems across all of England and Wales today, with Scotland facing heavy snow on the ground

Eastern Scotland (pictured left) has over a foot of snow lying on the ground from the thick blanket that fell overnight, while nearly all of Wales (right) remains adversely affected by ice and snow

Snow is pictured on Bournemouth Beach as dog walkers brave the Arctic conditions brought by the Mini Beast from the East

A man is pictured trying to dig his Land Rover out of a snow drift in Coalville, north west Leicestershire today

Two wrapped up revellers desperately battle the cold in Bradford in the early hours as amber weather warnings are issued

Heavy snow showers are expected in north east England, the north Midlands and parts of Hampshire, Sussex and Kent

A car is pictured stuck in the ice and snow in Bradford this morning after showers hit large parts of the country yesterday At least 146 flights in and out of London's Heathrow Airport have already been cancelled for Sunday as Britain continues to be battered by the 'Mini Beast from the East'. Holidaymakers are being advised to check their flight details before risking a journey to the airport. Three snowploughs have been dispatched to the M62, which connects Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds after bad conditions brought traffic to a standstill. Greater Manchester Police's traffic unit said conditions were 'bleak' on the trans-Pennine route, with footage from the area showing blizzard-like conditions. Local road police teams have warned the A54, A537 and B5470 in Cheshire are either closed or impassable and they will not be able to rescue drivers who find themselves stranded. In Gloucester, which faces an amber weather warning, the A38 is highly treacherous, with motorists asked to avoid travel if possible. Advising drivers who do have to head out today, Ella Colley Halfords' winter expert, said: 'With the Mini Beast From The East hitting the UK, and snow hitting most areas, we're advising drivers to check their wipers – they need to be in good working order to clear the windscreen. 'Poor visibility doesn't just make driving in the snow unpleasant but failing to see a hazard quickly can slow your reaction time. 'Drivers should also give their car a quick health check by checking screen wash, tyre pressure and keeping extra clothes, warm drinks and a mobile phone handy.' Those hoping to travel by train today face heavily delayed timetables, with the Heathrow Connect, Heathrow Express, Thameslink, Southern and Gatwick Express services in and out of London affected by bad weather. Elsewhere Arriva Trains Wales, CrossCountry, East Midlands Trains, Great Northern, Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, Island Line Northern and South Western Railway services also delayed or cancelled in parts.

Picture perfect: In other parts of the country the snow has brought idyllic scenes. In Southampton a thick blanket fell overnight

Is it really March? Gorgeous winter scenes are pictured at Harpsden Woods in Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire today

A thick blanket of snow is pictured covering a woodland area in Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire this morning

The Mini Beast from the East covered a country lane dubbed 'Hovis Hill', after the iconic bread advert, in rural Hampshire in a picture perfect blanket of white

Winter or Spring? Spring daffodils are pictured covered in snow after thick showers fell in Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire

Even the ponies are cold! A horse is pictured desperately trying to keep warm in the snow in Dunsden Green, Oxfordshire

Londoners will also have to battle the snow when they're out and about today. A dog is pictured trudging through the snow in a north London park Today's sporting schedule has also been decimated by the weather as a second wave of snow inside a month hit the UK. Derby's Championship clash with Cardiff at Pride Park fell due to the snowfall over Pride Park, while in rugby union the Anglo-Welsh Cup final between Bath and Exeter was cancelled. The clash was due to be played at Gloucester's Kingsholm but snowfall left the conditions unsafe. In rugby league, Castleford held a 10am pitch inspection for their Super League game with Wigan only for the game to fall foul. A short drive away, York's game with Swinton - being played at Featherstone - was set to go ahead.

Postcard perfect scenes in Blackhouse Woods in Berkshire this morning after freezing temperatures kept snow on the ground

Deadly cold: A graveyard in Berkshire is pictured covered in a thick blanket of snow this morning as icy temperatures remain Bouncing babies and some VERY snowy walks: Mailonline readers share their fun snaps of the weather As large parts of the UK wake up to snowy scenes this morning, MailOnline readers have been braving the cold to capture it on camera. With over 12 inches expected on the ground in parts of Scotland and a thick blanket covering parts of the north and the midlands, getting in the car is out of the question for many. There are winds of up to 50mph forecast for Devon, Cornwall and other parts of the south west later on today with some rural communities completely cut off. Temperatures will fall below freezing but winds from the Mini Beast from the East will make it feel more like -8C (17.6F).

As large parts of the UK wake up to snowy scenes this morning, MailOnline readers have been braving the cold to capture it on camera. This bouncing baby was out playing with her 'snowmobile' in Windsor this morning

This bunny has got the right idea hiding away from the snow this morning as a thick blanket is left across most of the UK

Snow, not again! Gary Jones sent in this picture of a thick blanket of snow covering his garden in Glossop, Derbyshire today

Lorraine Vaun Davis captured this picture perfect scene in her garden this morning in Pickwick, Corsham, west Wiltshire

Aarron Gouldsborough took this shot from his driveway in Melskham, Wiltshire this morning where snow is everywhere

There's snow getting out of here today! Claire Brigg sent in this picture of her white garden in West Yorkshire this morning

Cool as ice! Benjamin Jones and his baby daughter took a selfie of them out and about in the Peak District this morning

Braving the cold! A handsome goldfinch is pictured against a backdrop of snow in Washingborough, Lincolnshire today

Footsteps in the snow: Pat and Ged Coates sent in this snowy snap from north Devon, which has an amber weather warning Read the full article

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flauntpage · 7 years ago

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Your Wednesday Morning Roundup

The December 76ers can be summed up by one quote from The Waterboy:

With the 101-95 loss to the Sacramento Kings, the Sixers have lost seven of their last eight games, 2-9 since the calendar turned to December, and 4-11 since Thanksgiving.

For the second straight game, the Sixers did not have the services of Joel Embiid due to back soreness, but that in no means is a good excuse for this slump. They lost to the Chicago Bulls by two on Monday night, so this should’ve been a win, right? Nope.

Robert Covington led the Sixers with 17 points, while Ben Simmons was an assist short of another triple-double, recording 13 points and 12 rebounds to go with his nine dishes. Zach Randolph led all players with 27 points, with Buddy Hield not that far behind with 24.

The team begins a home-and-home Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center with the Toronto Raptors. That will be the team’s last home game until the new year. Let’s hope we see more of Ben Simmons taking jumpers, because he might need to start carrying the team a little more.

The Roundup:

Remember Jahlil Okafor? The Sixers traded him and Nik Stauskas to the Nets for Trevor Booker nearly two weeks ago. He hasn’t played in five of the team’s six games since the trade, and he’s blaming the Sixers for not being in game shape. So much for that vegan diet of his.

But he’s now entered damage control mode. This from his Instagram story:

—

Pro Bowl rosters were announced last night, and the Eagles had six of their own named to the NFC team Four of them are first-time selections.

RG Brandon Brooks (1st Pro Bowl)

DT Fletcher Cox (3rd Pro Bowl)

TE Zach Ertz (1st Pro Bowl)

S Malcolm Jenkins (2nd Pro Bowl)

RT Lane Johnson (1st Pro Bowl)

QB Carson Wentz (1st Pro Bowl)

The Steelers led all teams with eight Pro Bowlers.

But one notable exception was center Jason Kelce, who was leading voting at the center position earlier this month. His teammates thought he was robbed of a selection:

Kelce got snubbed so bad I’m starting to wonder if the voters are all trash cans.

— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) December 20, 2017

Kelce was robbed though http://pic.twitter.com/VVCrl3glni

— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) December 20, 2017

Long also thought Brandon Graham should’ve been in:

BG never having been to a Pro Bowl is an example of why it’s kind of an arbitrary deal. Great football player.

— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) December 20, 2017

Kelce and Graham, along with Alshon Jeffery, Jalen Mills, Jake Elliott and Kamu Grugier-Hill are all Pro Bowl alternates.

As for the rest of the team, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz hasn’t been happy with his performance of the defense, even though the team has continued their winning ways.

“One thing that has hurt us, particularly in this last game, were penalties and third down,” Schwartz said. “The first three series of the game, I think we started 0-for-6 on third downs. You talk about a good formula for giving up points, there’s one right there. When I say 0-for-6, that might not be the stat count because the penalties don’t count in those official stats, but they count on defense…

“When we’re playing our best, we don’t give teams a second chance. I’ve said that a few weeks in a row now. I’m getting a little bit tired of saying it, but we have to get back to that. We have to get back to playing clean football, not giving people stuff for free.

“There’s a lot of things the opponents do to us. They can run and pass and play-action and everything else. I think what’s more important in this is what we’re doing. When we play our best, we don’t give up touchdowns.”

Carson Wentz made his return to NovaCare Complex yesterday. But even though he won’t play for the rest of the year, he’ll still get involved with Nick Foles and Nate Sudfeld.

“Today he was back in the building, in the quarterback room, and just being himself,” Reich said. “That’s a tight-knit room. These rooms, our players are close. The three of those [QBs] are really close. So, first and foremost, take care of rehab. Second, support Nick [Foles] and Nate [Sudfeld].”

From covering Training Camp this summer, Reich is right. I spoke to Dane Evans, the team’s fourth string QB during the preseason, and he discussed the close-knit and competitiveness the QBs had, especially with ping pong. Evans and Foles, along with Matt McGloin, made sure Wentz didn’t have easy chances to win. It’s a fun group from what Evans told me.

—

Anthony SanFilippo recaps Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, which ended their six-game winning streak.

Despite playing in every game this season, rookie defenseman Robert Hagg hasn’t recorded a goal. He’s not worried about that, and would rather worry about his team rather than himself.

“I’m not trying to build my game through stats,” Hagg said after practice Tuesday. “I’m just trying to help the team win. If my stats say I’m horse[bleep] out there, I don’t care, honestly.”

They don’t. What they say is he is already, in his rookie season, among the NHL’s most consistent hitters and reliable defenders. Hagg was credited with six hits in Monday’s 4-1 loss to Los Angeles, maintaining his status among the top five defenders in that category.

Impressive as those numbers are, the impressive aspect is what they accomplish. Armed with an active stick that can flick pucks clear of danger with a single hand attached, Hagg designs his hits to separate pucks rather than shoulders. He’s amassed just 12 penalty minutes. Radko Gudas, despite playing in 20 because of injuries and a 10-game suspension, has 57 penalty minutes.

“Hagger’s playing hard,” said Flyers coach Dave Hakstol. “You look at [Monday] night. We were off our game. We didn’t play a complete game. Individually, I thought he played hard. He did all of the things that we would like to see out of him. Throughout he was a consistent player, a heavy player throughout that entire game.”

The Flyers host the Detroit Red Wings tonight for Wednesday Night Rivalry at 8 PM on NBCSN. Don’t ask me how this is a rivalry game, because just mentioning the 1997 Stanley Cup Final is ridiculous. It’s the team’s last home game of the calendar year.

—

As Temple prepares for tomorrow’s Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl (what a name for a bowl), the school’s winningest senior class doesn’t want to end the season with a losing record. And head coach Geoff Collins has been setting the tone for the week.

Collins was named Temple’s head coach two weeks before last year’s bowl game, but he didn’t coach in it, opting to observe. Tight ends and special teams coach Ed Foley, who was named the interim head coach when Rhule departed, coached the team.

While the media hasn’t been able to view much of practice, word is that the players have been energetic, with Collins leading the way.

Collins says he and his staff haven’t shied away from mentioning the disappointing results of the last two bowl games. He feels that in practice, he feels the players seemed to have responded.

“I am pleased with how they prepared [and] handled their business on and off the field, so it has been a good week of preparation,” Collins said.

The team had some fun as well on the beach yesterday.

Selfies with Hooter!#InvadeTheBay http://pic.twitter.com/A3SAf5FODb

— Temple Football (@Temple_FB) December 19, 2017

Had a blast at the today! #BattleAtTheBeach #InvadeTheBay http://pic.twitter.com/ikDNXThNFh

— Temple Football (@Temple_FB) December 20, 2017

The kid crowd surfing in the first picture is long snapper Corey Lerch, one of my buds from high school. He’s the next Jon Dorenbos.

Today is the start of the new early signing period for high school football recruits.

—

In other sports news, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has stripped Alex Guerrero, an associate of Tom Brady and his TB12 therapy center, of his special team privileges. Is there a growing rift between Brady and Belichick?

Oklahoma freshman Trae Young tied the NCAA record of 22 assists in last night’s win over Northwestern State. He was also the first player in two decades to register at least 20 points and 20 assists in the same game.

After their move to the Barclays Center, a basketball arena, proved to be really bad, the New York Islanders will move back to Long Island near Belmont Park.

North Carolina head coach Sylvia Hatchell and UConn head coach and Norristown native Geno Auriemma earned their 1,000th career victories in women’s college basketball.

Speaking of local in the college game, former Imhotep wide receiver and current Maryland Terrapin D.J. Moore is foregoing his senior season and will enter the 2018 NFL Draft.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is back on IR.

Lane Kiffin had a heck of a day. Hours after signing a new 10-year contract extension (!) with Florida Atlantic, his Owls destroyed Akron 50-3.

LANE WITH THE ONE-HANDED SNAG http://pic.twitter.com/Tqua5kjYd0

— SB Nation CFB (@SBNationCFB) December 20, 2017

We also found out he hates Gatorade baths and he can’t really dance.

Steph Curry’s ankle injury will force him to miss the Christmas Day NBA Finals rematch against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Former 49er and current rugby player Jarryd Hayne has been accused of rape in a civil lawsuit.

Marlins Man is not happy with Derek Jeter and his moves with the Miami Marlins.

Charlie Villanueva got his housed robbed. And they took his toilet.

They stole my toilet…… I’m not making this shit up. Still waiting @DallasPD http://pic.twitter.com/Go9BP3itSB

— Charlie Villanueva (@CVBelieve) December 20, 2017

This Detroit Mercy commit broke a rim.

Literally shut down the gym. Games canceled. @Adrian4Nelson just broke the rim.. http://pic.twitter.com/GFuE6A0HkJ

— Ian (@ian_ash1) December 20, 2017

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In the news, part of I-95 in Bucks County was shut down early this morning after a sign mishap involving a malfunctioning crane.

The Senate passed the new GOP tax plan and will go back to the House for another vote.

A top European court has ruled that Uber should be regulated as a taxi company.

Cardinal Bernard Law, the former Boston archbishop who resigned during the church’s sex abuse scandal, has died at 86.

Heather North, the longtime voice of Daphne during the Scooby Doo incarnations up until 2003, has died at 71.

If you’re tired of the same old Christmas songs, Chance the Rapper and Jeremih have dropped a deluxe holiday mixtape for you to listen and download.

McDonald’s is going to sell a McVegan burger in Europe.

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