€200 million EIB-loan for new construction and renovation of ’s Heeren Loo’s care facilities.
Financing is first EIB-investment in The Netherlands specifically targeting care for people with intellectual disabilities.
’s Heeren Loo, market leader in care for people with intellectual disabilities in The Netherlands, will be the first party in its sector to borrow from the European Investment Bank (EIB). In first instance, this will regard a €200 million loan agreement used for s’ Heeren Loo’s medium-term investment plans. The financing will be used for direct investments in new construction of living quarters and daytime activities locations for its clients. The investments will create better care conditions for its residents and will also reduce CO2-emissions of s’ Heeren Loo’s various premises.
With this agreement,’s Heeren Loo is the first institution that takes care of people with intellectual disabilities to sign a European loan. “That is something we’re proud of, and we worked hard for this.”, says CFO Ernst Klunder. “For our organisation this represents a good addition to the financing possibilities we already have with regular Dutch banks. Our Fitch AA-rating, which we obtained earlier this year, allows us to split our financing needs over different financiers. This new collaboration shows that there is trust in our organisation with big parties even outside our own country. That is not just a compliment for our organisation, but also for our sector.”
“The investments of the European Investment Bank has, as their ultimate goal, to improve people’s lives.”, added vice-president Christian Thomsen of the EIB. “The EIB has financed quite a number of healthcare institutions in The Netherlands in recent years, but this is the first time a projects focuses specifically on care for people with disabilities. Not only is that something to be proud of, it is also very much in line with European priorities in the social field. ’s Heeren Loo is investing heavily in further improving her service and we are glad to be able to support these plans.”
For the 2021-2025 period, ’s Heeren Loo has investment ambitions totalling €555 million. The lion share of this, some €380 million, is meant for real estate plans in the regions where it operates. The living facilities of the organisation’s clients will be adapted to the newest demands and wishes. For example, clients who currently still share sanitary facilities, will obtain private bathrooms and larger bedrooms. To implement this, a new housing concept has been developed, with the overarching idea of ‘renovation where it is possible, new construction where it is necessary’. This last point is specifically relevant for the province of Zeeland, where ’s Heeren Loo merged with care institution Arduin in 2019. Apart from living facilities, ’s Heeren Loo is also working on the functional improvement of a number of daytime activities locations.
’s Heeren Loo is the largest organization when it comes to guiding, caring for and providing housing to people with an intellectual disability. With a working area of nearly 300 municipalities and nearly 650 locations, the organisation is active throughout the Netherlands and delivers care to more than 14,000 clients with 17,000 employees. ’s Heeren Loo distinguishes itself by offering complex care to a diverse client group. The vast majority of clients fall under the Long-term Care Act (84% of turnover). Many of them live with ‘s Heeren Loo all their lives. We mainly support clients with complex care needs. In addition, we provide care to clients who fall under the Social Support Act (WMO) and to clients who fall under the Youth Act, a client group experiencing strong growth.
Together with the Advisium knowledge center, ‘s Heeren Loo invests heavily in scientific research and innovation. This gives employees the knowledge and expertise to continuously improve the quality of treatments. The organization also has partnerships with universities through academic workshops to link theory and practice.
As the EU continues to deal with the impact of the pandemic, while delivering on priorities such as fighting climate change, here’s what to look out for in 2021.
MEPs will have to finalise the rules on the functioning of all programmes that are part of the EU’s 2021-2027 budget and the recovery plan, which will support people and businesses across the EU.
Making the EU’s 2050 climate-neutrality goal legally binding remains one of Parliament’s priorities, as the EU concludes negotiations on the Climate law. Parliament is advocating a 60% emission reduction target by 2030.
Digital services
2021 will be the year of regulating online platforms. At the end of 2020 the Commission proposed the Digital Services Act to set guidelines for the changing online landscape and ensure a better, safer digital environment for users and companies. Parliament outlined its priorities for the legislation in October 2020 ahead of the European Commission’s proposal.
Artificial intelligence
In early 2021, the Commission will propose new artificial intelligence legislation aimed at dealing with the technological, ethical, legal and socio-economic aspects of AI and ensuring Europe is at the forefront of developments. Parliament wants to make sure legislation helps boost the economy, while considering the impact on people.
Migration
The European Parliament will examine legislation seeking to create a common EU asylum and migration policy. The new measures, proposed by the Commission, aim to change and improve current asylum procedures by ensuring shared responsibility and solidarity among member states, while protecting the EU’s external borders.
Conference on the Future of Europe
The Conference on the Future of Europe is a new initiative looking at what changes could be introduced to better prepare the EU for the future, with direct involvement from citizens. The Covid-19 crisis delayed the initiative’s kick-off: however, the two-year, ongoing consultation process should begin in earnest in 2021.
Agriculture
The Parliament, Commission and Council sare expected to conclude negotiations on reforms to the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy for the period 2022-2027, including alignment with the European Green Deal and environmental objectives. The new Farm to Fork policy, which seeks to look at food more broadly, will also be scrutinised by MEPs.
EU4Health
The new year will see the launch of the EU4Health programme, which aims to help EU countries to better cooperate and coordinate in times of crisis. The priorities are protecting people from serious cross-border health threats, improving the availability of medicines and creating stronger health systems. MEPs will vote in early 2021 on a provisional deal with the Council on the rules for the programme.
EU support for emergencies
Parliament wants to revamp the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to improve the Union’s crisis management and increase preparedness for large-scale emergencies such as Covid-19 and natural disasters. MEPs want to enable the EU to acquire emergency capacities autonomously and advocate more prevention. Parliament will negotiate with the Council on the upgraded system that should become operational in 2021.
Space programme
This year should see the adoption of the EU space programme for 2021-2027, including expanding the scope of the current European GNSS Agency (GSA), renaming it the European Union Agency for the Space Programme.
EU-UK relations
The first day of the new year marked the official end of the transition period between the UK and EU, ushering in the start of a complex relationship between them. The Parliament will be involved in forging new ties with the UK, including the conclusion of ad hoc agreements in key fields such as aviation.
The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.
Jan 04, 2021 (The Expresswire) --
Global “Meat Flavors Market”Report 2021 studies the global market competition landscape, market drivers and trends, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors, and Porter’s Five Forces Analysis. Also, Meat Flavors Marketis predictedto grow at a CAGR of Growing rate during the forecast period. And report provides a complete market overview, a list of top manufactures, the scope of the report, key market trends of the Meat Flavors market, and the main aspect of the report- whydo you have tobuy this research report? So don’t miss it.
The report gives – Who are the global key players in this keyword market? What are their company profile, product information, and contact information? What Was the Global Market Status of Meat Flavors Market? What Was Capacity, Production Value, Cost and PROFIT of Meat Flavors Market?
Global meat flavors market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2018 to 2023. The global natural meat flavoring market accounted for USD 833.03 million in 2016, and is expected to record a CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period.
The growing trend of health consciousness has led to an exponential increase in the use of natural flavors by most food manufacturing companies. Natural meat flavoring are extensively used in most products in developed regions, such as North America. Natural ingredients are expected to have highest growth rate in Asia-Pacific due to the rising purchasing power and consumers demand for healthy products with natural flavors.
Growing demand for meat based foods
Due to globalization consumersâ taste has evolved, with consumers craving for newer flavors and tastes. This has stimulated the meat flavors market. Along with globalization, increasing disposable income in developing nations is giving a great push to the meat flavors market with consumers opting for ready-to-eat food to match their fast pace lifestyle. According to the FAO fact sheet, the global annual per capita meat consumption is expected to reach 35.3 kg by 2025. During 2016 – 2025, the consumption of meat and meat-based products is expected to grow by 60% more than the consumption rate in 2016.
This is due to the growth of disposable incomes in regions, such as Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The demand for meat in developed countries continues to increase, but at a lower growth rate compared to those developing countries. Moreover, the increasing demand for the ready to eat and processed food demands greater use of meat flavors in the production giving impetus to the market.
The Growing vegetarianism is a major restrain in the market. Constraints are also seen in the form of regulatory requirements in food additives, with animal derived flavors seeing a greater regulation due to the risk of contamination. As most of the meat flavors are applied to ready-to-eat food, increasing awareness among consumers about the negative health effects of processed food consumption is also a limiting factor in the market.
Opportunities can be seen in the form use of meat flavors to new and novel food items and application in new industries. The wider acceptance of GSFA among nations improves international trade of meat flavors. Innovations to meet the wellness demand of the consumers by introducing organic meat flavors is also giving new opportunity in the market.
Artificial flavoring is the most widely used
The meat flavor can be natural or artificial, wherein, artificial flavoring is the most widely used. In most cases, artificial flavors do not contain any animal source, and are instead made in the laboratory by carefully mimicking the taste and smell of the animal meat. Natural flavoring contains a meat source, and is usually available in the form of broths. Natural ingredients are expected to have highest growth rate in Asia-Pacific due to the rising purchasing power and consumers demand for healthy products with natural flavors.
The market is further segmented by source type into Beef, Chicken, Pork, Turkey, Shrimp, Fish, and Others. Chicken has the largest percentage of the meat flavor market share because of few cultural restrictions of the meat, especially in the Islamic and Jewish nations. Beef has the second largest market share, with popularity in the North American and European nations. Applications of meat flavors include; Soups and Sauces, Ready meals, Savories, Baked Goods, and Others.
North America is the major market for meat flavors
On the basis of region, market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and South America. North America is the main market for Meat flavors with the United States making up the largest market share in the continent. This is due to the high consumption of processed food in the country. The United States accounts for more than 50% of the natural meat flavors market share of North America. Over the years, there has been a wide range of innovation in the meat flavors industry to suit the consumerâs needs in the United States.
The Asian market comes in next with meat flavors being very popular in cuisines in countries like Japan, South Korea, and China. The meat flavors in the Asian region are heavily used in the instant noodle industry. A few major companies and several small manufacturers in the region dominate the market.
Major Players: KERRY GROUP, CARGILL Inc, BASF, DUPONT- DANISCO, INTERNATIONAL FRAGRANCE AND FLAVORS, Inc.(IFF), D.D. WILLIAMSON and CO Inc., ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND(ADM)
Reasons to Purchase this Report
⢠Analyzing outlook of the market with the recent trends and Porterâs five forces analysis ⢠Market dynamics which essentially consider the factors which are impelling the present market scenario along with growth opportunities of the market in the years to come ⢠Market segmentation analysis including qualitative and quantitative research incorporating the impact of economic and non-economic aspects ⢠Regional and country level analysis integrating the demand and supply forces that are influencing the growth of the market ⢠Competitive landscape involving the market share of major players along with the key strategies adopted for development in the past five years ⢠Comprehensive company profiles covering the product offerings, key financial information,
Top Key-players/Leading Manufacturers of Meat Flavors Market:
● Kerry Group ● Cargill Inc ● BASF ● Dupont- Danisco ● International Fragrance and Flavors ● Inc.(IFF) ● D.D. Williamson and Co Inc. ● Archer Daniels Midland(ADM)
With tables and figures helping analyze the worldwide Global Meat Flavors market, this research provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.
The Global Meat Flavors market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed.
This Meat Flavors Market Research/analysis Report Contains Answers to your following Questions
● What Should Be Entry Strategies, Countermeasures to Economic Impact, and Marketing Channels for Meat Flavors Industry? ● What Was the Global Market Status of Meat Flavors Market? What Was Capacity, Production Value, Cost, and PROFIT of Meat Flavors Market? ● What Are Projections of Global Meat Flavors Industry Considering Capacity, Production, and Production Value? What Will Be the Estimation of Cost and Profit? What Will Be Market Share, Supply, and Consumption? What about Import and Export? ● What Is Meat Flavors Market Chain Analysis by Upstream Raw Materials and Downstream Industry?
● What Is Economic Impact On Meat Flavors Industry? What are Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis Results? What Are Global Macroeconomic Environment Development Trends? ● Which Manufacturing Technology is used for Meat Flavors? What Developments Are Going On in That Technology? Which Trends Are Causing These Developments? ● Who Are the Global Key Players in This Meat Flavors Market? What are Their Company Profile, Their Product Information, and Contact Information? ● What Is the Current Market Status of the Meat Flavors Industry? What’s Market Competition in This Industry, Both Company, and Country Wise? What’s Market Analysis of Meat Flavors Market by Taking Applications and Types in Consideration? ● What Are Market Dynamics of Meat Flavors Market? What Are Challenges and Opportunities?
Reasons to Purchase Meat Flavors Market Report:
● The report analyses how stringent emission control norms will drive the global Meat Flavors market. ● Analyzing various perspectives of the market with the help of Porter’s five forces analysis. ● Study on the product type that is expected to dominate the market. ● Study on the regions that are expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period. ● Identify the latest developments, market shares, and strategies employed by the major Meat Flavors market players. ● 3 months’ analyst support along with the Market Estimate sheet (in excel).
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Covid 19 Analysis with Top Countries Data Research Reports, Industry Size, In-Depth Qualitative Insights, Explosive Growth Opportunity, Regional Analysis
Global “Meat Flavors Market”Report 2021 studies the global market competition landscape, market drivers and trends, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors, and Porter’s Five Forces Analysis. Also, Meat Flavors Marketis predictedto grow at a CAGR of Growing rate during the forecast period. And report provides a complete market overview, a list of top manufactures, the scope of the report, key market trends of the Meat Flavors market, and the main aspect of the report- whydo you have tobuy this research report? So don’t miss it.
The report gives – Who are the global key players in this keyword market? What are their company profile, product information, and contact information? What Was the Global Market Status of Meat Flavors Market? What Was Capacity, Production Value, Cost and PROFIT of Meat Flavors Market?
Global meat flavors market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2018 to 2023. The global natural meat flavoring market accounted for USD 833.03 million in 2016, and is expected to record a CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period.
The growing trend of health consciousness has led to an exponential increase in the use of natural flavors by most food manufacturing companies. Natural meat flavoring are extensively used in most products in developed regions, such as North America. Natural ingredients are expected to have highest growth rate in Asia-Pacific due to the rising purchasing power and consumers demand for healthy products with natural flavors.
Growing demand for meat based foods
Due to globalization consumersâ taste has evolved, with consumers craving for newer flavors and tastes. This has stimulated the meat flavors market. Along with globalization, increasing disposable income in developing nations is giving a great push to the meat flavors market with consumers opting for ready-to-eat food to match their fast pace lifestyle. According to the FAO fact sheet, the global annual per capita meat consumption is expected to reach 35.3 kg by 2025. During 2016 – 2025, the consumption of meat and meat-based products is expected to grow by 60% more than the consumption rate in 2016.
This is due to the growth of disposable incomes in regions, such as Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The demand for meat in developed countries continues to increase, but at a lower growth rate compared to those developing countries. Moreover, the increasing demand for the ready to eat and processed food demands greater use of meat flavors in the production giving impetus to the market.
The Growing vegetarianism is a major restrain in the market. Constraints are also seen in the form of regulatory requirements in food additives, with animal derived flavors seeing a greater regulation due to the risk of contamination. As most of the meat flavors are applied to ready-to-eat food, increasing awareness among consumers about the negative health effects of processed food consumption is also a limiting factor in the market.
Opportunities can be seen in the form use of meat flavors to new and novel food items and application in new industries. The wider acceptance of GSFA among nations improves international trade of meat flavors. Innovations to meet the wellness demand of the consumers by introducing organic meat flavors is also giving new opportunity in the market.
Artificial flavoring is the most widely used
The meat flavor can be natural or artificial, wherein, artificial flavoring is the most widely used. In most cases, artificial flavors do not contain any animal source, and are instead made in the laboratory by carefully mimicking the taste and smell of the animal meat. Natural flavoring contains a meat source, and is usually available in the form of broths. Natural ingredients are expected to have highest growth rate in Asia-Pacific due to the rising purchasing power and consumers demand for healthy products with natural flavors.
The market is further segmented by source type into Beef, Chicken, Pork, Turkey, Shrimp, Fish, and Others. Chicken has the largest percentage of the meat flavor market share because of few cultural restrictions of the meat, especially in the Islamic and Jewish nations. Beef has the second largest market share, with popularity in the North American and European nations. Applications of meat flavors include; Soups and Sauces, Ready meals, Savories, Baked Goods, and Others.
North America is the major market for meat flavors
On the basis of region, market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and South America. North America is the main market for Meat flavors with the United States making up the largest market share in the continent. This is due to the high consumption of processed food in the country. The United States accounts for more than 50% of the natural meat flavors market share of North America. Over the years, there has been a wide range of innovation in the meat flavors industry to suit the consumerâs needs in the United States.
The Asian market comes in next with meat flavors being very popular in cuisines in countries like Japan, South Korea, and China. The meat flavors in the Asian region are heavily used in the instant noodle industry. A few major companies and several small manufacturers in the region dominate the market.
Major Players: KERRY GROUP, CARGILL Inc, BASF, DUPONT- DANISCO, INTERNATIONAL FRAGRANCE AND FLAVORS, Inc.(IFF), D.D. WILLIAMSON and CO Inc., ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND(ADM)
An EU-funded project aiming to boost food safety for infants in the European Union and China has begun.
The Safe Food for Infants in the EU and China (SAFFI) project is planned to run until the end of August 2024 and involves academia, food safety authorities, infant food companies, and technology and data-science SMEs. EU funding in the Horizon 2020 project is almost €4 million ($4.9 million) with an overall budget of €6.75 million ($8.2 million).
Work from 20 partners, led by the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE), is targeting food for the EU’s 15 million and China’s 45 million children younger than age three.
Project plan The aim is to develop an approach to boost the identification, assessment, detection and mitigation of safety risks posed by microbial and chemical hazards along EU and China infant food chains.
Partners will benchmark the main risks through a hazard identification system based on multiple data sources and a risk ranking procedure. Four case studies will be selected to cover priority hazards, main ingredients, processes and control steps of the infant food chain.
The hope is to discover any unexpected contaminants by predictive toxicology and improve risk-based food safety management of biohazards by omics and predictive microbiology. The end result should be a decision support system designed to enhance safety control along the food chain.
Resulting databases, tools and procedures will be shared, cross-validated, linked, benchmarked and harmonized for further use in the EU and China.
SAFFI will also set up training and knowledge transfer activities to help EU-China harmonization of good practices, regulations, standards and technologies, and will work with other projects under the EU-China FAB Flagship initiative on food safety control.
Partners include the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), Wageningen University in the Netherlands, Institute for Food and Agricultural Research and Technology (IRTA) in Spain, Fraunhofer in Germany, manufacturers HiPP International and FrieslandCampina as well as Zhejiang University, Yangzhou Fangguang Food Co. and Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences in China.
Similar project ongoing Another project looking at food safety and authenticity in Europe and China is ongoing. The effort, called EU-China-Safe and coordinated by Queen’s University Belfast, began in 2017 and is scheduled to end in August 2021.
It involves 15 participants from the EU and 18 from China including the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Nestlé, Fera Science, Danone, Nofima in Norway, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the China National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA).
The aim is to build the core components needed for a joint EU-China food safety system including control management, food legislation, inspection, food control laboratories, and food safety and quality information, education and communication.
It will develop an EU-China Joint Laboratory Network to demonstrate equivalency of results, and a virtual lab, with interchangeable staff from two continents, as a showcase to communicate and demonstrate best practices.
Trade barriers caused by food safety and fraud issues are being analyzed with recommendations made on how to predict and prevent future issues. The project is looking at the most commonly reported foods linked to chemical and microbiological contamination and fraud such as infant formula, processed meat, fruits, vegetables, wine, honey and spices.
Digital tech project Finally, the EU-funded DiTECT project also recently launched with 33 participants and a budget of €4 million ($4.9 million).
The Agricultural University of Athens is leading the project with another 20 partners from the EU and 12 from China.
This work will develop a big data-enabled platform capable of predicting food safety parameters of a given product based on data collected in real time via sensors related to crops, grain storage, livestock and in the food supply. Methods will monitor and control environmental pollutants as well as chemical and biological hazards.
Digital Technologies as an enabler for a continuous transformation of food safety system (DiTECT) is a cloud-enabled storage system to predict food safety and will also incorporate blockchain.
Other partners are Cranfield University, Shandong Agricultural University, Videometer, Nemis Technologies, Glanbia and the Ministry of Health in Cyprus.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)
Confession: I’ve always hated self-help books. I don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all guide to being a better, smarter, fitter, richer, happier, more successful person.
I don’t believe in love at first sight and I’m not even sure monogamy is the best choice for everyone. And, like almost all of us, I’ve had my heart broken on several occasions.
Not the classic CV of a love guru then. But I do believe in science. I have a degree in neuroscience and I have spent most of my working life as a health journalist. Over the past 15 years of writing about the brain, I’ve come to the realisation that it has made me an accidental expert on all manner of self-help topics — including how to find, and keep hold of, a lasting, loving relationship. If only it had dawned on me earlier.
Helen Thomson who has been writing about the brain for the past 15 years, shares her science-based advice for finding a partner, predicting divorce and mending a broken heart (file image)
By understanding what happens in our brain as we fall in love, how that changes throughout our relationships, and how our innate biases might help or hinder our attraction to someone, we can all do better at the game of love.
Here, then, I present my best science-based advice — on how to find a partner, predict divorce and even mend a broken heart.
HOW TO WOO AND WIN OVER A LOVER
Over the years, I have been on my fair share of online dates. In fact, it wasn’t until date number 25 that I finally met Alex, my husband.
Our first meeting was great. We both felt an immediate physical attraction and our conversation flowed easily. But on our second date — a walk by the Thames — things didn’t go nearly so well. He was hungover and the conversation was stilted. A third date was looking less and less likely.
Then, just as we were preparing to say our goodbyes, an elderly woman suddenly collapsed at my feet. She was shaking uncontrollably, clearly having a seizure.
I ripped off my jumper to protect her head while the fit took its course, then placed the woman in the recovery position. Meanwhile, Alex phoned 999 and shouted to passers-by to see if he could find a medic.
It was all pretty dramatic, and it changed the course of my life. Why? Because I’m convinced it was the only reason we ended up agreeing to meet again — and then had a much better third date that led to a fulfilling relationship and marriage.
In fact, my experience tallies with numerous scientific studies showing that either a dramatic setting or meeting someone when you’re physiologically aroused increases the chance of having romantic feelings towards them.
Research suggests meeting someone when you’re physiologically aroused or in a dramatic setting increases the chance of having romantic feelings towards them (file image)
That’s because of a strong connection in the brain between anxiety, arousal and attraction. In the classic ‘shaky bridge’ study, carried out by psychologists, men who met a woman on a high, rickety bridge found the encounter sexier and more romantic than those who met a woman on a low, stable one.
A visit to a funfair works wonders, too. Photos of members of the opposite sex are more attractive to people who have just got off a roller coaster, compared with photos of those waiting to get on.
For the same reason, you should think carefully about what type of movie to share with a date. Why? Because couples feel more loved-up after watching a suspense-filled thriller than a calmer film — even a romantic one.
Chat-up lines are a waste of time. His impression of you is based 55 per cent on body language and 7 per cent on what you actually say
The theory is that the adrenaline rush you get from danger, panic or excitement may be misattributed in the brain to the thrill of attraction.
There are a few other ways to get a potential partner’s heart racing —like your choice of clothes. The colour doesn’t matter so much as wearing whatever makes you feel most confident.
This may sound obvious but it can really make a difference. When asked to rank mugshots of women, men consistently chose pictures of women who were wearing their favourite outfits.
And this was despite the fact that the women had been asked to keep their expressions neutral — and their clothes weren’t even visible. The way the women felt about their appearance was apparent in their faces, even though they weren’t consciously aware of showing it.
Another tip: when you’re trying to make conversation with someone you fancy, use lots of short, snappy words of encouragement — like ‘go on’, ‘OK’ and ‘I see’. In scientific tests, individuals who do this seem to be rated as more attractive by their date. Which isn’t that surprising, really, given that it makes you feel listened to and interesting.
It’s estimated that a stranger’s impression of you is based 55 per cent on your appearance and body language (file image)
What about chat-up lines? If you’re approaching an attractive man or woman in a bar, you may be frantically trying to formulate the perfect opener. Sorry, this is a waste of time. In reality, your body gives away a great deal before you open your mouth. When you meet a stranger, it’s estimated that their impression of you is based 55 per cent on your appearance and body language, 38 per cent on your style of speaking and a mere 7 per cent on what you actually say.
To create the best first impression, adopt an open posture — which means never folding your arms. Or copy the other person’s posture.
Another tip is to synchronise your gestures and body movements, such as taking a sip of your drink at the same time as your potential date or copying the other person’s posture, which can help create a feeling of affinity. Most people aren’t conscious of being ‘mirrored’ in this way but evaluate those who do it more favourably.
What about eye contact? Any flirt knows that this can be emotionally loaded — and psychologists agree.
When pairs of strangers were asked to gaze into each other’s eyes, their feelings of closeness and attraction rocketed compared with, say, gazing at each other’s hands. More surprising is that one couple who met during such an experiment ended up getting married.
A recent study suggests putting effort into writing long screeds while pursuing a potential partner is a waste of time (file image)
After measuring brain activity during such gazes, neuroscientists found that meeting another person’s eyes activates regions of the brain associated with reward and pleasure. But make sure you don’t hold that gaze for too long. If it’s not reciprocated or you forget to blink, you risk making the other person feel very uncomfortable.
A few last words of scientific advice. If you use online dating sites, don’t sell yourself short. Most people pursue potential partners — ie you — who are roughly 25 per cent more desirable than they are themselves.
And while you may be tempted to agonise over the content of your messages to them, it’s probably not worth it.
I can speak from experience here. By my 24th online date, I had become thoroughly bored with writing long-winded messages, then getting excited by weeks of witty repartee and, when we met in person, knowing instantly I didn’t fancy the guy.
Turns out I was right to stop. A 2018 study found that the variation in pay-off for different writing strategies is tiny — suggesting that putting effort into writing long screeds is a waste of time.
HOW TO IDENTIFY ‘THE ONE’
Selecting a partner can be one of the most crucial decisions of our lives and we devote a huge amount of time and energy to it. So how do you know when someone feels right?
It has long been known that we tend to fall for partners who rank similarly to us in attractiveness, intelligence and status. But there are also less obvious rules of attraction.
Helen said it’s important to trust your instincts when finding a mate with MHC genes that are dissimilar to your own (file image)
One of these involves a particular set of genes, known as MHC (the major histocompatibility complex), which play a critical role in our ability to fight pathogens.
Ideally, what you want is a mate with MHC genes that are dissimilar to your own. That’s because this combination will produce healthier children with broader immune systems.
So should we all rush to have gene tests? Not necessary. Without knowing it, we tend to choose partners with dissimilar MHC genes.
Despite decades of research, it’s still not particularly clear how we identify these genetically suitable mates. It may be to do with smell — in experiments, people tend to rate the scent of T-shirts worn by those with dissimilar MHCs as more attractive.
Perhaps this is the true meaning of sexual ‘chemistry’.
The message, therefore, seems to be to trust your instincts — with one alarming exception. Women who take hormonal contraceptives tend to prefer men whose MHC genes are similar to their own.
This means that women on the Pill risk choosing a partner who isn’t genetically suitable, which could be a problem when it comes to having kids. It may also mean the couple aren’t as compatible as they think they are.
Helen revealed men find women’s scents more attractive when they’re approaching ovulation (file image)
As a science journalist, I was well aware of this when I started dating Alex. So after he proposed, I came off the Pill just to make sure my feelings hadn’t been masked by chemicals. (They hadn’t.)
Another thing to bear in mind is that attraction between the sexes fluctuates over a woman’s menstrual cycle.
Men find women’s scents more attractive when they’re approaching ovulation. This is also the time when males are more loving towards their partners.
As for women themselves, their preferences also change over their cycle. Near ovulation, they prefer masculine traits in men; at other phases in their cycle, they prefer less sexiness and more stability.
HOW TO HOLD ON TO LOVE
Do ‘happy-ever-after’ couples behave in fundamentally different ways from those who cohabit unhappily or divorce?
To find out, psychotherapist John Gottman — known as ‘the Einstein of love’ — and his team began years of detailed work observing newlywed, heterosexual couples as they went about their lives.
Psychotherapist John Gottman and his team claim the fate of a marriage is linked to how a spouse engages with their partner’s casual remarks (file image)
They came to an important conclusion: that the fate of a marriage is linked to how a spouse engages with the other partner’s casual remarks. Let’s say a husband comments on a car parked outside the house.
The wife has a choice. She can either engage positively with him in her response — perhaps asking what car he would buy if he had unlimited funds. Or she can answer minimally or not at all.
In follow-up experiments six years later, the couples who had stayed together responded positively to such remarks 87 per cent of the time. The figure for those who had divorced was just 33 per cent.
Over decades of research, Gottman has found there are four things that are more corrosive to a relationship than anything else. They are: contempt, superiority, criticism and stonewalling.
The most negative is contempt, involving direct insults and sarcasm. But the best predictor of divorce is superiority — feeling that you are better than your partner
Criticism is another sign of a relationship going nowhere, as is defensiveness, such as responding to a complaint with righteous indignation. If you behave in this way, you aren’t taking any responsibility for the problem.
Meanwhile, stonewallers withdraw emotionally from an interaction. Rather than look at their partner, they tend to look down or away.
Helen said people who accept their partner’s apology are more likely to stay together than those who don’t acknowledge it (file image)
So how can you be confident you will avoid all these negative traps? Based on extensive research, Gottman has come up with five important questions you should ask yourself at the start of a relationship.
If you can answer yes to all of the following, you are more likely to stay together for the long haul.
Are you being treated with love, affection and respect?
Do you feel there’s mutual nurturing and support?
Do you really like spending time with this person, so that the time flows like wine?
Is it easy to be together?
Do you like yourself when you’re with this person?
HOW TO KISS AND MAKE UP
One secret of success in a relationship is how you make up after a fight. But don’t imagine that an apology is all that is required to make everything right again.
The key is accepting that apology. People who accept their partner’s apology, regardless of how inadequate it is, are more likely to stay together than those who don’t acknowledge it.
THE SECRET TO FIXING YOUR BROKEN HEART…
It’s a sad fact that, no matter how much we want something to work out, sometimes it just doesn’t.
Like most of you out there, I have had a few relationships that have ended with obsessive texting and crying under a blanket.
And when you’re in the midst of heartache, there’s nothing more earth-shattering than the physical and emotional pain of unrequited love.
Why does it hurt so much? Well, being in love is a lot like addiction — both activate the reward system in our brains.
So it’s not surprising we find it difficult to give up a habitual compulsion to see, hear or touch the object of our desires.
When anthropologist Helen Fisher studied people who had recently been left by a partner, she found activity in the brain that resembled the cravings seen in gambling or substance abuse.
And don’t let anyone tell you that the pain isn’t real — her team also found activity in areas of the brain responsible for physical pain and anxiety. There is, however, a common drug that may help — paracetamol.
It seems unlikely that it might help to overcome emotional heartache, as well as subduing a painful headache, but science tells us otherwise.
That’s because physical pain and social pain, such as that caused by a rejection, are controlled by overlapping neural systems.
Paracetamol acts centrally, easing pain by blocking chemical messengers in the brain, so it makes sense that it may also help to cure heartache. In studies, paracetamol taken daily for three weeks has helped people experience significantly fewer feelings of hurt than those who take a placebo.
The effect is increased if you also spend time each day thinking about forgiving the person responsible for your pain.
A word of warning, however: recent research suggests that taking paracetamol also reduces empathy for other people’s suffering.
Since we rely on empathy to be decent human beings, this raises questions about the impact of taking paracetamol for a prolonged period. And that’s before we even consider the risks associated with taking any drug, particularly for more than a day or two.
All in all, if you are suffering from heartache, it may be safer sticking to a simpler approach.
Just like any addict, you need to cut off your supply — so no calls or texts or spending time staring at old pictures.
Then replace your fix with something else that gives you a burst of the feelgood hormones dopamine or oxytocin.
Exercise will ramp up your dopamine, and bodily contact (for example, a hug) and social interaction (such as seeing close friends) can raise oxytocin.
What’s more, over several months the areas of the brain responsible for feelings of attachment diminish in activity. In the end, time does heal.
That’s something my mum always said, and it turns out to be true.
The British economy will not “prosper mightily” outside the EU, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised, but it won’t collapse either. Photo / AP
OPINION
Blaming the victims is never a good look. As Britain finally leaves the European Union, 1651 days after the Brexit referendum of 2016, we should try to remember that 48 per cent of the turkeys didn’t vote for Christmas.
Brexit was not exactly a national act of self-harm; it was really an attack by the nostalgic and nationalist old on the young. Sixty per cent of British over-65s voted to leave the EU, but 61 per cent of the under-35s voted to remain. Having had four years to think it over, most British now think it was a mistake – by a 48-39 majority, according to a YouGov poll in October.
Too late. Boris Johnson is Prime Minister and he dares not anger the English ultra-nationalists on the right of his own Conservative party. After months of the amateur dramatics that accompany any Johnson decision, on Christmas Day the United Kingdom concluded a pathetically thin “free trade” deal that reflects the real balance of power between the EU and the UK.
Johnson will smear lipstick all over this pig of a deal and declare it a triumph. Those who want to believe it will do so and the only early evidence of the huge defeat that it really is will be some delays at the ports as customs officers learn their new jobs. The real bill will come in later and almost invisibly, in lost trade, investment and opportunities.
The last official British government estimate was that 15 years from now, the British economy will be between 5 per cent and 7 per cent smaller than it would have been as an EU member (but still a bit bigger than it is now).
That’s not the raw material for a counter-revolution – and besides, any projection about the economic situation in 2035 is really pure guesstimate. One Covid more or less could make just as much difference as Brexit.
All one can say is that the British economy will not “prosper mightily” outside the EU, as Johnson promised but it won’t collapse either. And then, in due course, the younger, pro-EU Brits will become the majority, thanks to the magic of generational turnover. But until then, if Britain comes knocking at the EU’s door asking to be allowed back in, Brussels should say “no”.
What really happened on December 31 is that the European Union was finally freed to develop in the way that its other major members clearly want. The goal of “ever closer union”, anathema to English exceptionalists, is back on the agenda.
There is ambivalence in every member country about the idea of creating a semi-federal European super-state but, in a world where democracy and the rule of law are under siege, most people can see the need to strengthen the European Union. Last July the EU’s leaders took a huge step in that direction: for the first time they agreed to borrow collectively on the financial markets.
France and Germany were all for it and Italy and Spain needed the money to finance a trillion-euro aid programme to help them through the coronavirus crisis. Those four countries now contain more than half the EU’s population and they outvoted the “frugal four” (the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and Denmark) that opposed taking on debt to support “feckless” Mediterranean members.
If Britain had still been a member, it would have vetoed the measure because it infringed on the UK’s sacred “sovereignty’. French President Charles de Gaulle, who vetoed British membership applications twice in the 1960s, was right: England does not have a “European vocation” and it should not be allowed in.
The financial precedent that was set in July opens the door to a future EU that acts much more like a state. Even a common defence budget is now within reach – not something vital in military terms but a European army would be a hugely important symbol of unity.
The United States may be back soon but the world could certainly use a second powerful advocate for democracy and the rule of law. Brexit may be giving us just that by freeing the EU to move on – and we should be grateful.
• Freelance journalist Gwynne Dyer is author of Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy (and Work).
The new rules put in place following the split from the European Union has posed problems for the relegation-threatened side
Sam Allardyce says West Brom‘s transfer plans have been disrupted by the new regulations following the United Kingdon’s exit from the European Union.
Following the split, a points system has been introduced that will mean clubs need a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) to sign players from the EU.
A GBE will be awarded on the basis of senior and youth international appearances, the quality of the selling club and the players’ club appearances.
The new rules have already hindered West Brom’s attempts to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window.
“The new regulations are a problem. I have found three players already who were capable of coming here and they’re not allowed. It’s a shame,” Allardyce told reporters.
“Due to the new regulations in terms of the permit they were unable to come to this country, whereas [previously] they would have done. I have to look at that and think ‘can he qualify?’
“That has made life a bit more difficult. It’s not so much the pandemic, it’s the change of rules because of the Brexit deal.
“We will do what we can and finding a player in this pandemic is going to be the hardest window I have ever worked in.
“No disrespect to my players here because they are all working as hard as they can but I do have to find better to lift the squad.
“Whatever player comes in they have to be better than what we have and capable of going into the team almost immediately.”
Allardyce says his side’s preparations for matches have also been disrupted in recent weeks, damaging their attempts to end their current seven-game winless streak in the Premier League.
“Training sessions have been almost zero, because of the load of the games, and the recovery periods the players need, and because of the weather on some occasions,” he added.
“We’ve had zero chance to be on the training ground as often as we’d have liked.
“It means that practices we’d normally do haven’t been able to take place – we’ve tried to do that via our analysis room and screen, but that’s obviously an area you go to on top of your training – your training session is backed up by analysis and videos that follow.
“We’ve been on the analysis side of it more than on the training pitch which has left me very frustrated, but the more I can get on the training ground, the more organised we’ll become – particularly defensively.
“I can’t knock the players for trying their best – every player is shattered in there. They’ve run and I can’t knock them for that – they’re just falling short against this opposition.”
Despite that the world is not on track to meet climate objectives and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) for universal access to clean, affordable and reliable energy, Marcel Alers, UNDP Head of Energy, said that “clean energy solutions exist that can get us there”.
“There is growing momentum to make them political and investment priorities”, he added.
Fossil fuels used to be less expensive than clean energy but that is changing, according to Mr. Alers.
Renewables are becoming more affordable every year, and “some options are now cheaper than fossil fuels”, he said, pointing out that since 2010, the price of solar had decreased by 89 per cent.
Moreover, amidst an exceptionally challenging year, and despite suffering setbacks, the renewables sector has shown resilience.
“This fall in price, coupled with technological progress and the introduction of innovative business models, means we are now at a tipping point”, he said, urging for a large-scale clean energy investments from the public and private sectors.
Translating pledges to action
Throughout 2020, countries have pledged to build back better, greener and fairer.
“With support from UNDP’s Climate Promise, 115 countries committed to submitting enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions”, Mr. Alers said.
Among other things, he noted that high-emitting economies, such as China, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the European Union, had made net-zero commitments and that United States President-elect Joe Biden had vowed to rejoin the Paris Agreement.
“These pledges now need to be translated into action”, said the UNDP official. “Ambitious commitments are a strong signal and a necessary first step towards reaching net-zero emissions. We now need to build on them”.
Green recovery
Clean energy is also a win-win solution to recover from COVID-19 as it can improve healthcare for the world’s poorest while providing a reliable electricity supply – imperative for health centres to function.
“As COVID-19 vaccines – some needing to be stored at -70°C – get rolled out, powering a sustainable and reliable cold chain will be critical”, Mr. Alers reminded.
Furthermore, investing in renewables could create nearly three times as many jobs as investing in fossil fuels.
“As the world is rapidly urbanizing, energy efficiency in buildings, sustainable cooling and heating, smart urban planning and sustainable transport options…are key for the future of cities”, he maintained.
Looking to September
In September, for the first time in 40 years, the UN will host a High Level Dialogue on Energy for countries, businesses, civil society and international institutions to step up action on sustainable energy.
UN-Energy and UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner recently called for a reinforcement of global energy governance, saying “we know clean energy can both deliver universal energy access and contribute to tackling the climate crisis”.
Although phasing out fossil fuels and transitioning to green economies is a monumental task, Mr. Alers assured that “we are ready to rise to the challenge”.
Given the need to get this page ready for readers to read on Sunday morning, January 3, 2021, the draft of whatever gets on this page on Sunday, needs to reach my editor by 1p.m. on the preceding Friday for editing. Hence, today’s article was written on December 31 when the topic it now discusses was at its most exciting period; the moment of suspense, when it was not clear whether the position of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Ondo State on Crossover Service for the outgoing year would prevail over that of the state government. Time will tell.
But the avoidable controversy between Ondo State Government and the Ondo State Branch of CAN is one public debate that needs to be examined by public affairs observers and commenters, regardless of what takes place on Thursday night in Ondo State and other states where some CAN members have chosen to flex muscles with people elected to govern the state. The threats of CAN’s representatives in Ondo State over the position of the government on mitigating or even avoiding spread of coronavirus in its second wave in the state hints at aspects of the 1999 Constitution that requires rethinking.
A short summary of developments on federal government’s efforts to save Nigeria from the second wave of the pandemic, as it has succeeded in doing with the first wave. The Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 advised religious leaders against church services in the late hours of December 31, insisting on adherence to the regulation against mass gathering of people. Some of the main Christian denominations, such as Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), the Winners Chapel, and Daystar announced their agreement with the federal government’s advice on Crossover Service for 2020. The chairman of the national body of Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Samuel Ayokunle, advised it state chapters to abide by the federal government’s directives on mass gathering in the night of December 31, pleading with Christians, “There is no sacrifice that is too much to put an end to the Coronavirus pandemic in the interest of all and sundry,” a reference to the citizenry, primary owners of the country’s social contract and sovereignty to which this page will return to later in this piece.
It was also reported as the eve of Dec 31 got nearer that some states still quietly insisted on lobbying governors to allow Crossover services to hold. But the state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Ondo State has been reported to have kicked against the directive of the government, saying “the association was not consulted before the decision was taken.” It was immediately after Oladapo’s release of the preceding statement that the writing of today’s piece got written. And it is in the juxtaposition of the statement by the national body of CAN, “There is no sacrifice that is too much to put an end to the Coronavirus pandemic in the interest of all and sundry” and the statement of the Ondo branch of the same association, “Services hold as the normal tradition demands. We were not consulted. We are not aware of that” that the thesis of today’s page, the need to avoid needless disagreement capable of creating avoidable confusion in a democracy was formed.
The 1999 Constitution, despite its many flaws, is clear on the right of citizens to practice his or her faith without fetters. Correspondingly, conventional wisdom is a given in democracies that that nobody would ordinarily practice such faith at the expense of the security of others, in other words, at the risk of life and property of fellow members of the same physical and political territory. Even though citizens do not generally discuss the danger that can come from an irresponsible practice of religion, except as we often do in Nigeria when we choose to list fault lines at the instance of politicians. What makes human rights meaningful to citizens is recognition of the importance of each citizen protecting his right without disrupting national security and the security of individuals.
Should any religious group have the right to frustrate the government of any state from protecting citizens from physical or psychological danger? The main concern today is the danger posed by any attempt of groups of people—be they Christians, Muslims, Jews, Agnostics, Atheists, or Animists—for the security of citizens other areas including health matters such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Should the Ondo State branch of CAN succeed in holding this year’s Crossover service despite the insistence of the state government on the obligation of all citizens and residents in the state to refrain from holding mass gatherings that can add management of the pandemic to the country’s list of threats to the security of the land.
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Is the insistence of Ondo State Christian body a right thing to do in a situation of national health emergency such as the second wave of the pandemic represents across the globe? Does any religious organization require a special consultation other than the consultation with the most important stakeholders, the citizenry? Does any country struggling with such a deadly virus be further encumbered by a section of one of the country’s faith communities? If the federal government needs to consult every faith community specially about the logic of discouraging mass gatherings during a second wave of the pandemic outside the consultation with citizens as collective owners of the polity and the territory, how feasible would this be, given the uncontrollable speed of the virus?
As this column prays that this current pandemic is the last in the country’s history, democracy and constitution watchers should start thinking anew about the 1999 Constitution that avoids identifying itself as a secular State while proclaiming that Nigeria is a multireligious society. Given the fierceness of Ondo State branch of CAN on its right to special consultation from the state government before enforcing the federal government’s protocol of no Crossover service while the second wave of Covid-19 lasts, the danger remains real that the country may be put at the risk of subjecting policies made in the name and for the interest of all citizens to the whims of special religious groups in a multireligious society.
It should be possible to have a multireligious society that is also a secular polity. The United States is one such example. What may be confusing is what Nigeria has at present, a multireligious society that is unwilling to become a secular polity. Democracy is given its chance through an executive and legislative system that enables citizens or special interest groups to lobby those in government, but it frowns on encouraging special interest groups or individuals to insist that it requires to give its consent before government can carry out its regulations. Those who are clamoring for constitution amendments ought to consider making Nigerian constitution overtly secular, rather than hiding under the canopy of multireligious society.
This column plans to return to the confusion about which level of government has the authority to plan strategies and methods to prevent spread of Covid-19 infections after the true picture of the extent of adherence to protocols surrounding Crossover service in all states become clear after January 1 from reports of professional journalists.
/cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/nzme/F3MV7QOPV4S4XUX6Q27MYIYTPI.jpg?w=696&resize=696,0&ssl=1 "The European Union is free at last!")
