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Theodore Shoebat debates American convert to Eastern Orthodoxy

armageddon Theodore Shoebat debates American convert to Eastern Orthodoxy

I recently debated an American convert to Eastern Orthodoxy and it was interesting to say the least: [embedded content] source https://...

136 Children Kidnapped From Islamic School In Nigeria

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Nigeria: The Niger state government said it did not pay ransoms.
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Abuja:
Gunmen seized 136 children from an Islamic seminary in central Nigeria at the weekend, the state government said, the latest in a string of such incidents plaguing Africa's most populous nation.
The Niger state government first reported the raid on the school in the town of Tegina on Monday, but did not indicate the number of children seized.
Armed gangs are terrorising inhabitants in northwest and central Nigeria by looting villages, stealing cattle, and taking people hostage.
More than 700 children and students have already been kidnapped by gunmen for ransom since December.
"Niger State Government has confirmed the number of students abducted by bandits at the Salihu Tanko Islamic School, Tegina... to be 136," the local government wrote on Twitter late on Wednesday.
The state deputy governor Alh Ahmed Mohammed Ketso said that security agencies were "doing their best but don't have enough logistics," adding that more help was needed to equip them to confront the criminals.
The attackers did release 11 of the pupils who were "too small and couldn't walk" very far, the authorities previously said.
The Niger state government said it did not pay ransoms.
"We are trying to negotiate to see how we can bring them back safely," the deputy governor said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/nigeria-136-children-kidnapped-from-islamic-school-2455421">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/nigeria-136-children-kidnapped-from-islamic-school-2455421</a>

news world 136 Children Kidnapped From Islamic School In Nigeria

Nigeria: The Niger state government said it did not pay ransoms. Abuja: Gunmen seized 136 children from an Islamic seminary in central ...

Pot-Banging Protests Erupt In Brazil As 2,507 Die Of Covid In A Day

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Pot-Banging Protests Erupt In Brazil As 2,507 Die Of Covid In A Day" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-06/u7qgtug8_brazil-protest-650_625x300_03_June_21.jpeg" title="Pot-Banging Protests Erupt In Brazil As 2,507 Die Of Covid In A Day" /></div>
Demonstrators take part in a protest against Brazilian President handling the Covid pandemic in Brazil.
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Rio De Janeiro:
Pot-banging protests erupted across several cities in Brazil on Wednesday evening as President Jair Bolsonaro addressed the nation, just days after protestors took to the streets across the country over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has so far killed almost half a million people here.
The last few days have been rocky for the government of the right-wing leader, whose popularity had already been flagging amid persistently high daily COVID-19 deaths and cases.
On Wednesday alone, almost 100,000 Brazilians came down with the coronavirus and 2,507 died, according to government data. Earlier in the day, the nation's Supreme Court authorized a criminal investigation into Bolsonaro's environment minister for allegedly interfering with a police probe into illegal logging.
In the televised speech, Bolsonaro briefly summarized some of his government's recent accomplishments and pledged strong economic growth going forward, but presented no new information.
On Saturday, thousands participated in protests in at least 16 cities across the country, which were organized by leftist political parties, unions and student associations.
In Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city, thousands of mask-wearing people blocked one the largest city's avenues, while a large balloon depicted Bolsonaro as a vampire.
Some protests, like the one in Rio de Janeiro, included images of former leftist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has emerged as Bolsonaro's main challenger in the nation's 2022 election, wearing the presidential sash.
In the brief Wednesday evening speech, Bolsonaro, who has ridiculed masks and vaccines in the past, said all Brazilians who wanted a vaccine would be able to get one by the end of the year.
Also in the evening, the nation's Health Ministry revised down the number of COVID-19 vaccines it will receive in June by about 4 million doses.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/coronavirus-pot-banging-protests-erupt-in-brazil-as-2-507-die-of-covid-in-a-day-2455346">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/coronavirus-pot-banging-protests-erupt-in-brazil-as-2-507-die-of-covid-in-a-day-2455346</a>

news world Pot-Banging Protests Erupt In Brazil As 2,507 Die Of Covid In A Day

Demonstrators take part in a protest against Brazilian President handling the Covid pandemic in Brazil. Rio De Janeiro: Pot-banging pro...

France To Start Vaccinating 12-18 Age Group From July 15: Emmanuel Macron

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Vaccine supplies have increased sharply, prompting officials to open up appointments to all adults.
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Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, France:
France will start offering Covid-19 vaccines to everyone between 12 and 18 on June 15, President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday.
During a visit to the village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie in southern France, Macron also noted that 50 percent of French adults have now received at least one Covid vaccine jab, calling it "truly a turning point" in the country's inoculation drive.
Vaccine supplies have increased sharply recently, prompting officials to open up appointments to all adults earlier this week, several weeks ahead of schedule.
With the country just beginning to bounce back from a severe third wave of infections, Macron's government is keen to quickly expand the vaccine coverage to slow the spread of variants that could spell fresh disaster.
The decision to vaccinate teens comes as several countries debate whether doses should be reserved first for adults who are more vulnerable to the virus, or start inoculating youths in a bid to protect more of the population sooner. 
But Macron urged people to remain "extremely careful and vigilant," and said wearing face masks outdoors would still be required in several regions for the time being.
The 43-year-old president, who himself contracted Covid last December, announced Monday that he and his wife had also received the jab.
The country is emerging from its third nationwide lockdown, with restaurants and cafes now allowed to serve clients outside, and indoor dining scheduled to start June 9.
Pressure on hospitals has eased, with the number of Covid patients in intensive care falling steadily in recent weeks, with 2,825 serious cases as of Tuesday, down from around 6,000 in April. 
Macron was in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie to launch a nationwide tour ahead of next year's presidential election, as well as regional elections set for later this month.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/emmanuel-macron-says-france-to-start-vaccinating-12-18-age-group-from-july-15-2455313">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/emmanuel-macron-says-france-to-start-vaccinating-12-18-age-group-from-july-15-2455313</a>

news world France To Start Vaccinating 12-18 Age Group From July 15: Emmanuel Macron

Vaccine supplies have increased sharply, prompting officials to open up appointments to all adults. Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, France: France ...

Bill To Remove Per Country Cap On Green Card Introduced In US Congress

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The bill phases out the seven per cent per-country limit on employment-based immigrant visas
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Washington:
A bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the US House of Representatives to eliminate the per country cap on employment-based Green Card.
The legislation was introduced by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and Congressman John Curtis and it is likely to benefit Indian IT professionals anguishing over decades of Green Card wait.
The Equal Access to Green cards for Legal Employment (EAGLE) Act, 2021 needs to be passed by the Senate before it can be sent to the White House for the president to sign it into a law.
The bill phases out the seven per cent per-country limit on employment-based immigrant visas.
The bill also raises the seven per cent per-country limit on family-sponsored visas to 15 per cent.
Its predecessor, the Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act, was passed in the House in the 116th Congress with a resounding bipartisan vote of 365 to 65. "We all know that our immigration system is severely broken and it has been broken for decades," said Ms Lofgren, Chair of the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
The basic framework for allocating immigrant visas dates back to the middle of the 20th century and was last seriously updated in 1990, when the Congress established the worldwide numerical limits on visas and the seven per cent per-country cap that still exists today, she said.
Over time, these limitations have led to backlogs that were unimaginable in 1990. The effect has been that countries with relatively small populations are allocated the same number of visas as a relatively large population country.
"The result? A person from a large-population country with extraordinary qualifications who could contribute greatly to our economy and create jobs waits behind a person with lesser qualifications from a smaller country," she added.
"It makes no sense. Because of this, we are now seeing recruiters from outside America luring those with the highest skills away from the US. That hurts our economy. The bipartisan EAGLE Act moves our country toward a system that de-emphasises birthplace and better serves America. Simply put, it will allow US companies to focus on what they do best - hiring smart people to create products and services, which creates jobs in our districts," Ms Lofgren said.
Congressman Curtis said the 2020 census showed that Utah has the fastest-growing state in the nation due to major growth and innovation in the technology sector, bringing thousands of new jobs to the state.
At the same time, Utah is tied for the lowest unemployment rate in the country, leaving many companies to rely on foreign workers and navigate our complicated immigration system when there is a shortage of American's seeking these positions.
"The bipartisan EAGLE Act will create a more fair employment-based visa system by eliminating per-country limitations and creating a first-come, first-served system focused on merit instead of country of origin, making it easier for Utah's businesses to expand and compete globally," Mr Curtis said.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/bill-to-remove-per-country-cap-on-green-card-introduced-in-us-congress-2455254">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/bill-to-remove-per-country-cap-on-green-card-introduced-in-us-congress-2455254</a>

news world Bill To Remove Per Country Cap On Green Card Introduced In US Congress

The bill phases out the seven per cent per-country limit on employment-based immigrant visas Washington: A bipartisan legislation has b...

This Tycoon Has Lost $14 Billion In Just 5 Months

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A spokesperson for GSX declined to comment on the share plunge or Larry Chen's wealth
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Larry Chen, the former school teacher from a poor Chinese village who became one of the world's richest people, is closing in on losing his billionaire status as shares in his online-education business slump.
GSX Techedu Inc. fell 4% in New York trading Wednesday after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. downgraded the stock and slashed its price target. The shares have plunged 88% since late January, wiping almost $14 billion from Chen's fortune and leaving him a net worth of about $1.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The Chinese firm has been buffeted by a range of issues, including the country's crackdown on the online-education sector, a weaker-than-expected results outlook and the implosion of an investor, Bill Hwang's Archegos Capital Management.
"Policy risk is the No. 1 concern right now," said Tommy Wong, an analyst at China Merchants Securities International Co. based in Hong Kong, who rates the stock a buy.
A spokesperson for GSX declined to comment on the share plunge or Chen's wealth.
The Chinese education industry is under increased scrutiny after President Xi Jinping suggested in March that a surge in after-school tutoring was putting immense pressure on China's kids. The country's education ministry plans to create a dedicated division to oversee all private education platforms for the first time, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
GSX is shutting its pre-school education business for children ages 3 to 8 in response to regulations banning kindergarten and private-tutoring schools from teaching the elementary school curriculum, spokeswoman Sandy Qin said this week.
The company is laying off employees as a result, Qin said, while declining to say how many people are losing their jobs. Chinese media reported earlier that the company is cutting almost a third of its staff.
In April, GSX was among four private education providers fined the maximum penalty of 500,000 yuan ($78,356) for using false or misleading prices to lure customers.
It's a major headache for Chen, who owns about 44% of GSX, at a time when his company's shares were already being hit by a weaker-than-expected outlook. In late May, GSX gave a second-quarter revenue forecast that missed the average analyst estimate. Its shares tumbled.
And in March, one of the outside investors with the largest exposure to the firm, Hwang's Archegos, imploded when it failed to meet margin calls.
Hwang's family office had built highly leveraged positions in GSX and other firms using swaps. When some of those stocks fell, banks demanded collateral that Hwang was unable to provide, so they offloaded large blocks of GSX and other shares. GSX plunged as much as 56% in one day.
As recently as January, Chen had seen his fortune triple to $15.6 billion in about two weeks as GSX's shares surged. That was even after the company disclosed in September that it was being investigated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and short sellers including Carson Block's Muddy Waters questioned the firm's business.
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Chen started his career as a middle-school teacher before joining New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. in 1999 and eventually becoming executive president. He left to start GSX in 2014.
The stock rose more than 13-fold from its debut in 2019 through a Jan. 27 high as revenue surged. But short sellers repeatedly raised questions about the company.
Chen attempted to calm his employees after the Archegos fallout in an internal letter on March 29, according to a Chinese media report. He urged them to ignore short-term market moves and focus on long-term value.
But as the government sets stricter rules to regulate the industry, even GSX bulls are reconsidering what that value might be.
"We see slower revenue growth but with better profitability to be the long-term business model, versus growth at any cost in the past," China Merchants Securities' Wong said.
(With assistance from Pei Yi Mak and Tom Maloney)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/former-teacher-turned-tycoon-loses-14-billion-in-just-months-2455224">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/former-teacher-turned-tycoon-loses-14-billion-in-just-months-2455224</a>

news world This Tycoon Has Lost $14 Billion In Just 5 Months

A spokesperson for GSX declined to comment on the share plunge or Larry Chen's wealth Larry Chen, the former school teacher from a p...