Month: March 2020

The Argentine has helped fund Hospital Clinic which is both treating victims of the Covid-19 pandemic and researching the virus

Lionel Messi has made a reported donation of €1 million (£920,000/$1.08 million) to Hospital Clinic, a public hospital in Barcelona, to help combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The hospital confirmed Messi had made a donation on their official Twitter page, with Mundo Deportivo reporting the €1m figure.

Such a donation would match that of Messi’s former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, who has given €1m towards the purchase and production of medical supplies and equipment with another Barcelona-based campaign.

Cristiano Ronaldo and agent Jorge Mendes have also donated €1m to fund intensive care units in hospitals in Lisbon and Porto.

A general statement from Hospital Clinic reads: “The Covid-19 pandemic is a health challenge that is being worked on with maximum coordination and effective healthcare, but it is also necessary to face the disease from the scientific perspective.

“The Clinic teams are committed to this fight and we appreciate all the donations that come our way.

“We will dedicate it to the multidisciplinary approach to infection with the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, both in terms of research, and in the care of patients and their families.

“The exceptional nature of the situation means that the institution will allocate the funds received to meet the identified needs and priorities.

Click Here: New Zealand rugby store

“As always, in order to be transparent, the clinic will communicate to its donors in due course specifically where their donations have been allocated, how they have been used, and what the results have been.

“Each and every one of the contributions are important and add up.

“On behalf of all the Clinic workers, thank you!”

Spain has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, with Barcelona no exception.

Messi’s team-mate Ivan Rakitic has said he knew the situation was going to get worse after Barca travelled to Italy to face Napoli in the Champions League.

“It hasn’t been a surprise,” he told Barca TV .

“We went to Naples. People were talking about it a lot in Italy and I said to Xavi (the team doctor) that this would get worse.

“Now it’s the best thing we can do [to stay at home].

“I would like to go out on the street and walk about, but it’s not necessary. We have to be indoors. I don’t like it, but it’s necessary and important.”

The messaging from Canada’s public health officials to fight the spread of COVID-19 is clear: Stay home if you’re unwell. 

But for condo residents, that raises some questions. Given that there can be hundreds of dwellers in a condo building, the idea of social distancing can be tougher than a homeowner. 

Policies specific to COVID-19 will vary condo board to condo board but there are some changes in the video above that residents should come to expect. 

RELATED

• What Does It Mean To Declare A State Of Emergency?
• What To Do If Someone You Live With Has COVID-19
• How To Eat Healthy While Working From Home

Click Here: kanken kids cheap

MONTREAL ― Bombardier Inc. is temporarily halting production at its Canadian plants, sending 12,400 employees on unpaid leave as the plane maker suspends its 2020 financial forecast due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company said Tuesday it is stopping all non-essential work in the country, including aircraft and rail production in Quebec ― where 9,000 workers are heading home ― and Ontario.

The shutdown was set to start Tuesday evening and continue until April 26.

Earlier on HuffPost: New York pulls 300 Bombardier subway cars over safety concerns. Story continues below.

 

Bombardier, which carries a hefty debt despite multiple asset sales over the past five years, has cut all discretionary spending and “is pursuing additional measures to enhance liquidity,” chairman Pierre Beaudoin said in a statement.

Click Here: cheap Cowboys jersey

The Montreal-based firm, reduced to a single revenue stream after announcing the sale of its rail division to French train giant Alstom SA last month, may face falling demand for new business jets amid the broader economic slowdown triggered by the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The sale, made to help pay down Bombardier’s US$9.3 billion in debt, once again shrank a company that a year ago boasted three major divisions ― commercial aircraft, trains and business jets.

“It’s hard to see demand for new business jets holding up,″ Financial Bank analyst Cameron Doerksen said in a phone interview Friday.

EARLIER ON HUFFPOST

• After Selling Aircraft Biz, Bombardier Set To Sell Rail Division, Too
• Bombardier Shares Plunge 30% As Analysts Question Its Future
• Bombardier Lays Off Half The Workers At Thunder Bay Plant

The COVID-19 crisis is dragging down corporate profits and equities markets, which both correlate strongly with demand for private planes, said Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst with Teal Group in the Washington, D.C., area.

Last week, Financial Bank lowered its delivery forecast for Bombardier business jets to 145 planes from 154 this year, and to 120 planes from 150 for 2021. The backlog for the Global 7500 ― Bombardier’s new, ultra-long-range business jet listed at US$73 million apiece ― remains healthy, with the aircraft sold out through 2022.

“The bigger issue is going to be the supply chain, because they’re very complicated pieces of equipment with hundreds if not thousands of suppliers,” said AltaCorp Capital analyst Chris Murray, noting the ripple effect of plummeting travel demand for manufacturers.

Looming on the horizon are debt maturities of US$1.48 billion and US$1.7 billion due in 2021 and 2022 respectively. About 60 per cent of the US$9.32-billion total debt is due within five years.

The US$8.2-billion deal with Alstom and other recent transactions will leave Bombardier with net proceeds of between US$4.2 billion and US$4.5 billion after deducting the Caisse de Depot et Placement’s equity position, as well as adjustments for debts and other liabilities, Bombardier said in February.

The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2021 if it can move through European Union regulatory hurdles.

Trouble even before the virus

Meanwhile delays and “some volatility” continue to plague several “large, challenging” rail contracts, said Alain Bellemare last month, shortly before his ouster as CEO announced on March 11.

Bombardier shares have hit new lows over the past week, hovering between 38 and 50 cents at their cheapest price in decades.

In the Montreal area, the affected factories sit in Mirabel, Saint-Laurent, Dorval and Pointe-Claire, and east of Quebec City in La Pocatiere.

Executives as well as workers are forgoing pay, Bombardier said Tuesday. Board members have also agreed to forgo compensation for the remainder of the year.

Bombardier’s now suspended outlook from last month had projected revenue growth to US$15 billion from US$13.7 billion in 2019. The company also forecasted margins for earnings before interest and taxes of 3.5 per cent. Both figures fell below analyst expectations.

TORONTO — All Ontario businesses deemed non-essential have been ordered to close Tuesday night as part of escalating government measures meant to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Premier Doug Ford announced the closures Monday, issuing a lengthy list of the types of businesses that will be allowed to remain open.

“The grocery store clerks, transit and hydro workers and truckers are out there on the front lines making sure the people of Ontario continue to have access to the products and services they need,” Ford said in a statement.

“It is essential that their workplaces be kept as safe as possible so these local heroes can return home to their families worry-free.” 

The government said Ontarians will still have access to grocery stores and pharmacies, and their power and telecommunications will continue to run.

RELATED

• Ontario Orders Shutdown Of All Non-Essential Businesses

• Trudeau Delivers Blunt Warning To Canadians Who Think They're 'Invincible'

• Kids Won’t Be Going Back To School On April 6: Ford

• This Map Shows Where Coronavirus Cases Have Been Confirmed In Canada

Beer, wine and liquor stores have been giving the green light to continue operations, as have gas stations, taxis and vehicle repair businesses.

Businesses that support IT infrastructure service providers, power generation, natural gas distribution and clean drinking water will also stay open.

Child-care services, veterinary and animal health services, and funeral services are also exempted from closure, alongside dry cleaners, laundromats and a number of other industries.

The government said working from home and online commerce are permitted to continue for all businesses.

The shutdown takes effect at 11:59 p.m. ET and will last for at least 14 days.

Ontario reported 78 new COVID-19 cases Monday — the largest increase in a day so far — bringing the provincial total to 503, including six deaths and eight cases that have fully resolved.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on March 24, 2020.

TORONTO ― Cannabis companies are calling on Ottawa to provide immediate help for the industry, hurt by the steps taken to slow the spread of COVID-19.

About 71 cannabis firms and organizations have written a letter to Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Industry Minister Navdeep Bains asking for their companies to get access to wage subsidies being made available to small businesses.

Watch: What condo dwellers should expect in an age of pandemic. Story continues below.

 

They are also asking to get access to funding through federal agencies, the Business Development Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada.

They say the BDC has indicated that cannabis companies cannot access $10 billion in stimulus funding they have to offer, so the industry is seeking more equitable treatment.

RELATED

• Canadians Rush To Buy Weed As Some Retail Locations Shut Down
• People At N.S. School Event Became Sick After Eating Cannabis-Laced Cake
• Quebec's New Legal Age For Cannabis Come Into Effect In 2020

Among the letter’s signatories are Canopy Rivers Inc., WeedMD, Organigram Inc. and Fire and Flower Inc.

The cannabis industry had already experienced more than 2,000 job losses in the last six months and funding drying up, when COVID-19 hit, causing more layoffs and some pot retailers to close.

OTTAWA ― The federal government’s planned wage subsidy for businesses hit hard by COVID-19 is being panned this morning by a voice for thousands of small businesses and a major union.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the United Steelworkers union, in separate statements, say the Liberals’ proposed help to offset payroll costs doesn’t go far enough to save jobs.

Watch: House of Commons suspends until April 20. Story continues below.

 

The federal government’s stimulus bill contains provisions for a 10 per cent wage subsidy for 90 days, up to a maximum of $1,375 per employee and $25,000 per business.

The CFIB is calling on the government to increase the subsidy to 75 per cent, capped monthly at $5,000 per worker, while the Steelworkers want it increased to 80 per cent as is being done in the U.K. France, Germany, Italy and Spain have also announced wage subsidies of various kinds.

RELATED

• Canadian Cannabis Firms Ask For Help After Thousands Of Jobs Lost
• Feds Miss Chance To Test Universal Basic Income Amid Crisis
• Trudeau Gets Specific About Social Distancing During Coronavirus Crisis

The small business group says about one-third of its members are worried that they won’t survive more than a month under the current economic conditions.

CFIB says most of its members have seen a sharp drop in sales, up to 75 per cent in some cases, with the average hit around $136,000.

― With a file from HuffPost Canada

Click Here: cheap nrl jerseys

Canada’s economy will clock its steepest decline on record in the coming months, and unemployment is set to rise to its highest level in nearly a quarter century, a new CIBC forecast says.

Click Here: cheap all stars rugby jersey

The good news is that this economic crisis sparked by COVID-19 “has a visible end point in a way recessions don’t,” economists Avery Shenfeld, Benjamin Tal and Royce Mendes wrote in the forecast released Monday.

But in the meantime, the country will experience financial pain. The forecast predicts Canada’s economic output will shrink at a 15-to-20-per-cent annual pace in the second quarter, the fastest contraction in records going back to 1962.

 

The CIBC economists see unemployment jumping to above 9 per cent by the summer, from its current 5.7 per cent. If that happens, it will be the country’s highest jobless rate since 1997.

That spike in joblessness seems to be happening right now. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that the country saw 500,000 applications for employment insurance in a week, up from 27,000 in the same period a year earlier. 

“Some countries, including China and South Korea, have used aggressive testing, as well as social distancing, to have caseloads peak a few months after the onset,” the CIBC economists wrote. 

“If the U.S. and Canada can accomplish that feat (which isn’t yet apparent), we might get a return to at least some growth in (the July-September period).”

ALSO ON HUFFPOST

• Not Yet Time For Federally Ordered Lockdown, Trudeau Says
• Loblaws Raises Wages, Walmart Speeds Up Bonuses In Race To Hire
• Video Game Retailer Claims It's An ‘Essential Service’ During Pandemic

The CIBC economists’ forecast for Canadian unemployment is more optimistic than what experts are predicting for the U.S., where James Bullard, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, predicted a 30-per-cent unemployment rate before the middle of this year.

Economists at investment bank Goldman Sachs see the U.S. economy shrinking at an incredible 24-per-cent pace in the second quarter.

“[E]arly data points over the last week strengthen our confidence that a dramatic slowdown is indeed already underway,” they wrote, as quoted at Barron’s. 

“In some U.S. states, authorities have now issued statewide shutdown orders to slow the pace of virus spread and avoid overwhelming the health care system, measures that will further reduce the level of economic activity.”

‘Not the start of a lengthy Great Depression’

Even when the outbreak subsides, we could continue to see some supply shortages and flight restrictions because of the need to watch out for a second wave of the virus, the CIBC forecast noted. Putting a complete end to the emergency means finding a way to neutralize the threat.

“We don’t need a complete cure. A drug that lowers hospitalization and mortality rates enough could obviate the need for the most aggressive social distancing efforts for younger or non-health-compromised individuals.”

Because there is a clear end game in sight, “it’s not the start of a lengthy Great Depression,” the CIBC economists wrote.

“Cela fait 15 ans au mois de novembre que j’ai été intronisée. C’est vrai que je suis la seule blanche qui ait été intronisée traditionnellement avec toutes les cérémonies“, lâche Marie-Claude Lovisa, reine de Lovisa Kopé au Togo. C’est un accoutrement qu’elle ne quitte plus. “Quand on m’a intronisée, on m’a mis une couronne sur la tête, des bracelets aux bras, un pagne, des chaussures de reine. Je dois tout le temps sortir avec“, explique-t-elle.Arrivée au Togo en 1998Quand elle est venue au Togo pour la première fois en 1998 pour voir une amie, Marie-Claude Lovisa ne pensait pas y rester. Elle a tout quitté, vendu ses deux appartements en France. Elle était formatrice en bureautique avec des amis et une famille. Mère de deux enfants, elle a aujourd’hui trois petits-enfants en France. “Il m’est arrivée d’avoir envie de rentrer mais je me suis dit que ça ne me ressemblait pas“.Le JT

• JT de 20h du vendredi 26 avril 2019 L’intégrale

Les autres sujets du JT

• 1
  

  Emploi : le chômage recule légèrement

• 2
  

  Chômage : objectif plein emploi en 2025 ?

• 3
  

  Territoires ruraux : des maisons de services au public comme réponse

• 4
  

  Retraites : le minimum de 1 000 euros ne convainc pas forcément

• 5
  

  Annonces : quel est le coût de la réduction de l’impôt sur le revenu ?

• 6
  

  Notre-Dame : la cathédrale, menacée par le vent, inquiète

• 7
  

  Sri Lanka : 140 personnes recherchées après les attentats

• 8
  

  Maldives : l’envers du décor

• 9
  

  Gaspillage alimentaire : les dates de péremption coupables ?

• 10
  

  Gorilles : la photo qui a fait le tour du monde

• 11
  

  Photo Hebdo : Sri Lanka, Kim Jong-un, Notre-Dame…Les photos de la semaine

• 12
  

  Spectacles : les humoristes n’ont jamais été aussi nombreux

Commencé avant l’aube, le crépissage du bâtiment, un chef-d’œuvre de l’architecture soudano-sahélienne et l’un des plus grands monuments en terre du monde, s’est achevé dès 9h (heure locale et GMT) grâce à la participation de toute la population de la ville, en effervescence.Un crépissage annuel avec du bancoVisages et vêtements couverts de boue, les jeunes de la ville s’en sont donné à cœur joie pour renouveler le revêtement du monument. La bâtisse la plus célèbre du Mali est située sur une éminence, au centre de la cité baignée par le Bani, un affluent du fleuve Niger, à environ 500 kilomètres de la capitale Bamako.

Ce crépissage annuel avec du banco, un savant mélange de terre et d’eau, avec du son de riz, du beurre de karité et de la poudre de baobab, fabriqué par les habitants, permet de protéger la mosquée des intempéries avant la saison des pluies, parfois violentes.“La mosquée de Djenné est un symbole de cohésion sociale puisque chaque année, l’ensemble de la communauté participe aux travaux d’entretien, facteur de lien intercommunautaire et expression du savoir vivre-ensemble”, a expliqué le maire de Djenné, Balassiné Yaro.“Aujourd’hui, c’est un grand jour car cela n’arrive qu’une seule fois par an. Nous le considérons comme une grande fête et ça implique tout le monde : les vieux, les jeunes, les enfants”, s’est félicité Alpha Moye Diakité, l’imam de la mosquée.Un patrimoine mondial menacé par l’insécuritéConformément à la tradition, une cérémonie de bénédiction a suivi le crépissage. Mais cette année, la modernité a accompagné la tradition, avec l’adjonction d’un système d’alimentation de la grande mosquée en électricité, obtenue à partir de l’énergie solaire.

La ville de Djenné, qui compte une trentaine de milliers d’habitants et qui a préservé ses maisons traditionnelles en banco, est inscrite depuis 1988 par l’Unesco sur la liste du patrimoine mondial.Elle a aussi été placée en 2016 sur la liste du patrimoine en péril, en raison de sa situation dans une région affectée par l’insécurité, le Mali étant aux prises avec une insurrection des groupes islamistes radicaux.

Amy Winehouse semble avoir enfin retrouvé sa voie: la scène. Le 22 août, au Royaume-Uni elle a créé la surprise lors du concert de The Specials, le temps d’une chanson.

Amy Winehouse is back! La chanteuse à la voix d’or a retrouvé la scène, le temps d’un featuring avec The Specials, groupe mythique anglais. Certes Amy Winehouse n’a pas chanté Redemption Song de Bob Marley, mais elle a tout fait pour que le public lui pardonne ses frasques des derniers mois, et apprécie sa prestation.

La diva de la soul n’a en tout cas rien perdu de son côté « grande gueule ». Alors qu’elle est annoncée et doit monter sur la scène de Chelmsford, près de Londres (Royaume-Uni), Amy lance un « P*****, je ne suis pas prête! » Une fois disposée à remplir son rôle de chanteuse, Amy Winehouse, 25 ans entame avec le groupe le titre You ‘re Wondering Now et assure également les backs (reprises vocales) sur Ghost Town, deux tubes des Specials.

D’ailleurs elle n’a pas hésité à demander à la foule de faire plus de bruit. Après avoir passé de longs mois à Ste Lucie a essayer de chasser ses vieux démons (alcool, drogue,…), Amy semble avoir retrouvé le seul vrai amour de sa vie: la musique. À moins qu’elle ne craque de nouveau pour son ex, le très sombre Blake.

Découvrez l’extrait de ce concert.

Click Here: cheap kanken backpack

Lundi 24 août 2009