, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20201113STO91593/
Review of German Presidency of the Council of the European Union
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Real-time holograms, brain tech: Nokia leads 6G project for European Union
Nokia Oyj is leading a group of companies and universities in a European Union funded wireless project called Hexa-X to help jump-start a new generation of mobile technology that’s already being called 6G.
The group includes wireless gearmaking-peer Ericsson AB, mobile carriers Orange SA and Telefonica SA, and technology companies including Intel Corp. and Siemens AG. They’re joined by the University of Oulu and the University of Pisa, according to the membership list.
While 5G network deployment is still in its infancy, with 100 wireless carriers worldwide offering the service in limited areas, the preparation for 6G development is getting started in several regions around the world.
In addition to Nokia-led Hexa-X in Europe, there’s Next G Alliance and O-RAN Alliance in the U.S. The Chinese government is also funding a 6G development group.
6G technology is expected to use super high-frequency terahertz airwaves and deliver advanced connectivity, which could even link up to technology in the human body and brain — as well as real-time holographic imaging — starting in 2030.
Devaki Chandramouli is Nokia’s head of North American standardization and is one of the engineers leading 6G development with the Next G Alliance. She says she wants to establish three objectives initially.
“The main goal will be to develop the vision, the road map and the timeline,” she said. “Then put together a timeline for the technology direction. And the third point is to facilitate the interaction with U.S. government agencies to fund the research and also provide the input for the technology development.
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European Union – From Association of Compound states to a Federation
The discussion of the package in Finland led to a curious tug-of-war between the Constitutional Law Committee and the Grand Committee on EU Affairs, in which the last word on EU decision-making remained unclear.
No one denies that recovery and temporary indebtedness would be necessary. However, many disagree with the measures taken. Participation in the stimulus package will cost Finland about 3.4 billion on top of the guarantee liabilities. Together with the national stimulus, this will increase Finland’s indebtedness to about 135 billion euros next year. In comparison, our neighboring country Estonia, a virtually debt-free state will receive 8.3 billion from the stimulus package and pay only 2.4 billion. It is also telling that after the negotiations many heads of European countries received a hero’s return, but Prime Minister Sanna Marin returned to Finland without even saying a word to the media
Leaders in Finland highlighted the package as a unique response to a surprising economic crisis. However, soon after the negotiations, German Treasury Minister Olaf Scholz said that joint borrowing is the most fundamental change since the introduction of the single currency, the euro, and that there is no going back. In addition, this month, Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, urged EU leaders to consider whether the € 750 billion recovery fund could be made a permanent tool. It is questionable how much the stimulus package has to do with the corona crisis in the first place, as the European economy was already in trouble before the epidemic. The rules of the market economy are seemingly bent and circumvented by joint borrowing so that countries that have run their economies poorly can get loans.
In addition to the common economy, national decision-making is gnawed at by the EU’s proposal for a common refugee policy. EU President Ursula von der Leyen has presented her latest proposal for untangling the Gordian Knot. In this so-called solidarity model, the Dublin system is scrapped and the Member States are given two options: receiving asylum seekers or paying for the costs of the system. Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo has announced that Finland will participate ‘constructively’ in the EU negotiations for the refugee policy. Unfortunately, in the negotiations on the recovery package, Finland’s constructive line meant surrendering even before the negotiations even began. Finland’s negotiating position is well illustrated by the statement of Tytti Tuppurainen, Minister for European Affairs, that “thinking about one’s own people first is harmful”. I could not disagree more.
Mari Rantanen
Mari Rantanen is a Finnish politician currently serving in the Parliament of Finland for the Finns Party at the Helsinki constituency.
This article was written for MP Talk, a regular column from the Helsinki Times in which Members of The Finnish Parliament contribute their thoughts and opinions. All opinions voiced are entirely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the Helsinki Times.
All MPs of any party or political opinion are welcome to contribute by sending their columns to the editor: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The articles will be published in order of arrival.
Yoruba in North will respect hosts’ religion, tradition
Linus Oota, Lafia
THE Yoruba living in the North have resolved to support the laudable programmes and policies of the government of northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
A communiqué issued at the end of the delegate meeting of Yoruba communities in 19 northern states and the FCT said the Yoruba had resolved that the country must remain a single, united and indivisible entity as enshrined in the constitution.
The communiqué was signed by Chief William Alabi, Afeez Adigun, Chief James Bokirunduro and Yinus Alao, who are officials of the Yoruba community in the North.
It said: “Members of the Oduduwa nation living in northern Nigeria must be law- abiding, obedient and have respect for constituted authorities and traditional institutions in the North.
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“Members of Yoruba nation must carry on legitimate and lawful businesses within the ambit of the law, norms, values, customs, culture, tradition and way of life of the other tribes and nationalities residing in northern Nigeria.
“The Yoruba community shall prioritise education, health care, security and welfare of each and every member of the community with the aim of taking care of the children, widows, the less-privileged, the vulnerable and the down trodden.”
Holiday shopping: Best inclusive children’s books
And yet another option comes from a much more specific source: Finding My Way Books, which publishes and promotes the stories of children with disabilities. The bookstore collaborated with online bookseller Bookshop on a list of inclusive children’s holiday books. “The holidays seemed like a perfect opportunity to promote religious inclusion and understanding,” said the outfit’s publisher and author Jo Meserve Mach. She’s been working with Bookshop throughout 2020 on various books lists, including:
“For this specific list, I did not want any white Santa Clauses because they are so universal and exclusive,” Mach told Shopping, noting she attempted to find a “balance” in the number of titles that represent any one religious group. “I intentionally include under-represented people so their voices are lifted up within our society.”
Best inclusive picture books
To help you gifting this year, we listed Mach’s list below in alphabetical order and along with average reader ratings from reading network Goodreads.
1. “Binny’s Diwali“by Thrity Umrigar and Nidhi Chanani
- Goodreads: 4.29 star-average rating, more than 95 ratings
2. “Christmas Makes Me Think” by Tony Medina and Chandra Cox (available Dec. 19)
- Goodreads: 3.88 star-average rating, more than 30 ratings
3. “Grandma’s Gift” by Eric Velásquez
- Goodreads: 3.98 star-average rating, over 300 ratings
4. “Holiday Love Around The World: Holiday Love” by Lashaun Jackson and Tyrus Goshay
5. “I Got the Christmas Spirit” by Connie Schofield-Morrison and Frank Morrison
- Goodreads: 3.76 star-average rating, more than 250 ratings
6. “I’m in Charge of Celebrations” (Reprint) by Byrd Baylor and Peter Parnall
- Goodreads: 4.50 star-average rating, over 450 ratings
7. “Let’s Celebrate 5 Days of Diwali!” by Ajanta Chakraborty and Vivek Kumar
- Goodreads: 4.11 star average rating, over 15 ratings
8. “My Family! A Multi-Cultural Holiday Coloring Book for Children of Gay and Lesbian Parents” by Cheril N. Clarke
- Goodreads: 5.00 star-average rating
9. “My Family Celebrates Kwanzaa” by Lisa Bullard and Constanza Basaluzzo
- Goodreads: 3.17 star-average rating, over 10 ratings
10. “Nathan Blows Out the Hanukkah Candles” by Nicole Katzman and Tami Lehman-Wilzig
- Goodreads: 3.47 star-average rating, over 30 ratings
11.”Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story” by Angela Shelf Medearis and Daniel Minter
- Goodreads: 4.18 star-average rating, more than 200 ratings
12. “Shubh Diwali!” by Chitra Soundar and Charlene Chua
- Goodreads: 3.49 star-average rating, over 120 ratings
13. “The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol” by Arthur A. Levine and Kevin Hawkes
- Goodreads: 4.00 star-average rating, more than 20 ratings
14. “The Shortest Day” by Susan Cooper and Carson Ellis
- Goodreads: 3.87 star-average rating, over 700 ratings
15. “There Was a Young Rabbi: A Hanukkah Tale” by Suzanne Wolfe and Jeffrey Ebbeler
- Goodreads: 3.83 star-average rating
16. “Too Many Tamales” by Gary Soto and Ed Martinez
- Goodreads: 4.14 star-average rating, 4,400 ratings
17. “We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga” by Traci Sorell and Frane Lessac
- Goodreads: 4.30 star-average rating, more than 1,300 ratings
18. “What Do You Celebrate?: Holidays and Festivals Around the World” by Whitney Stewart Christiane Engel
- Goodreads: 4.43 star-average rating, more than 35 ratings
Why buy inclusive children’s books
Why opt for an inclusive picture book this holiday, whether for your kids or to gift others? For one thing, consider the same reason Mach said she found her calling in creating inclusive children’s books: The need for “books sharing positive stories about children with disabilities.”
“In the last century, stories tended to be about animals with a physical limitation or about children being cared for. Those books encouraged readers to see children with disabilities in a dependent way and exclusive way,” she explained. “Children with disabilities need to see the wonderful role models who are out there and children without disabilities need to see that children with disabilities are just like them.” With that in mind and so close to various gifting occasions, Mach urged parents and grandparents to consider diversity in the children’s books they shop for.
“It seems like a slight shift in thinking, but it could change the perspective of the children reading books throughout their lifetime,” she noted. “You don’t even realize how narrow your reading focus is until you stop and examine the books on your shelf.”
Catch up on the latest from NBC News Shopping guides and recommendations and download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. Looking for the perfect gift? Check out the Shop TODAY Holiday Plaza.
Shutting school systems, wrong response to COVID-19, UNICEF says
“What we have learned about schooling during the time of COVID is clear: the benefits of keeping schools open, far outweigh the costs of closing them, and nationwide closures of schools should be avoided at all costs”, Robert Jenkins, UNICEF Global Chief of Education, said in a statement.
Closing schools did not help in the fight against COVID-19, but simply removed a system that provides children with support, food and safety as well as learning, UNICEF said. Instead of shutting them, governments should prioritize school reopening and make classrooms as safe as possible.
Don’t scapegoat schools
“Evidence shows that schools are not the main drivers of this pandemic. Yet, we are seeing an alarming trend whereby governments are once again closing down schools as a first recourse rather than a last resort. In some cases, this is being done nationwide, rather than community by community, and children are continuing to suffer the devastating impacts on their learning, mental and physical well-being and safety”, Mr. Jenkins said.
November saw a 38 per cent jump in the number of children affected by school closures, UNICEF said, after a big wave of reopenings the previous month.
“In spite of everything we have learned about COVID-19, the role of schools in community transmission, and the steps we can take to keep children safe at school, we are moving in the wrong direction – and doing so very quickly”, the top education official added.
Expanding access
Reopening plans must include expanded access to education, including remote learning, and rebuilding education systems to withstand future crises, UNICEF said.
The agency cited a recent study using data from 191 countries, published by the independent non-profit foundation, Insights for Education, which showed no association between school status and COVID-19 infection rates in the community.
The UN agency, together with the UN educational agency UNESCO, the refugee agency UNHCR, the UN World Food Programme and the World Bank, has published a Framework for Reopening Schools, with practical advice covering areas such as policy reform, financing requirements, safe operations and reaching the most marginalized children, who are the most likely to drop out of school altogether.
Trump Administration Finalizes Rule to Protect Religion-Based Federal Contractors
The Trump administration released a finalized rule on Monday that will clarify religious protections for federal contractors. Many critics argue it will allow for discrimination.
The Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs said its upcoming rule will provide a “clearer interpretation” of the exceptions of Title VII and the 1965 executive order that established non-discriminatory practices for federal contractors, but noted that “religious organizations may prefer in employment ‘individuals of a particular religion.’” The department first issued the proposed rule in August 2019, and it was immediately met with widespread criticism that it would sanction discrimination. It received over 109,000 comments during the public comment period and is one of the “controversial and consequential” regulation changes the administration is pursuing during its lame duck period, according to a ProPublica tracker.
“First, the rule adds definitions of key terms. Second, it adds a rule of construction to provide the maximum legal protections of religious exercise permitted by the Constitution and law, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” a senior Labor Department official said during a press briefing on Monday. “The rule also adds several examples within the definition of ‘religious corporation, association, educational institution or society’ to better illustrate which contractors may qualify for the religious exemptions. And lastly, the rule and associated preamble demonstrate an abiding respect for religious organizations and allowing these organizations to fully participate in federal contracting without sacrificing their right to be religious.”
It will take effect on January 8, which is 12 days before President-elect Biden is sworn in. The senior official directed Government Executive to the public affairs office when asked if the department has spoken to the incoming Biden administration about the upcoming rule, as part of the transition process, and what its reaction was, if so.
The initial, proposed rule was based on an opinion by the father of Labor Solicitor Kate O’Scannlain, Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain, in Spencer v. World Vision Inc. (2010), which was brought before three judges and had no majority opinion.
Under Judge O’Scannlain’s test, an organization would be exempt if it: “1) Is organized for a self-identified religious purpose (as evidenced by Articles of Incorporation or similar foundational documents), 2) is engaged in activity consistent with, and in furtherance of, those religious purposes, and 3) holds itself out to the public as religious,” according to Brigham Young University’s law review.
The department added a fourth requirement to the final rule that says a contractor “either operates on a not-for-profit basis; or presents other strong evidence that it possesses a substantial religious purpose.” This is because “in certain, rare circumstances, an organization might be for-profit, yet still be fairly considered a religious rather than secular organization.” The department does not believe many for-profits will be seeking the exemption.
Lastly, in accordance with various Supreme Court rulings, the U.S. Constitution and other laws, “the rule clarifies the protections and obligations for religious organizations that qualify for the exemption,” said the senior official.
While religious advocates and two Republican members of the House Education and Labor Committee applauded the new clarifications (as Bloomberg Law reported), there was still much backlash to the rule.
“The final rule would significantly expand eligibility for federal contractors to claim a religious exemption from non-discrimination rules,” Matt Kent, regulatory policy associate at Public Citizen, an advocacy nonprofit, told Government Executive. “It’s an invitation for any contractor that’s loosely affiliated with a religious purpose to discriminate against LGBTQ employees. Yet another major, ideologically driven last-minute rule change from the Trump administration.”
American Atheists, an organization advocates for civil liberties for atheists and separation of religion and government, also criticized the rule. “Job applicants and workers should not have to pass a religious litmus test, especially when it comes to government funded contracts,” said Alison Gill, the group’s vice president for legal and policy. “The American taxpayer should not be forced to fund discrimination, period.”
Additionally, Jennifer Pizer, director of law and policy for Lambda Legal, the oldest and largest legal organization that protects the rights of LGBTQ individuals and all those with HIV, said in a press release “it is hard to overstate the harm that [Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs] is visiting on LGBTQ people, women, religious minorities and others with the sledgehammer it is taking to nondiscrimination protections.” The new rule has “a grotesquely overbroad exemption that will be used by many federal contractors as a totally improper, catch-all defense to discrimination complaints.”
The senior Labor official tried to quell some of those concerns on the call by stressing that the rule neither allows for discrimination, exempts religious organizations from undergoing the contracting office’s compliance reviews or favors religious organizations over non-religious ones.
The department doesn’t expect a majority of the 25,000 federal contractors to seek religious exemptions. Additionally, it noted in a statement that the rule also complies with President Trump’s 2017 executive order on deregulation because it minimizes confusion under the 1965 executive order.
European Union Climate Service Records Hottest November
… hottest November on record, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service …
Christian geneticist Francis Collins wants churches to stay with virtual services for now
Christian geneticist Dr. Francis Collins is advising churches to avoid in-person services as countries around the world fight to bring COVID-19 rates down.
The advice of the Templeton Prize laureate of 2020 came as some religious leaders are pushing for the right to worship as the COVID-19 pandemic rages in the United States, Christian Today reported.
He had an online conversation with theologian Russell Moore about vaccines, and said churches could be sources of “superspreading” events.
Collins was attending an online church at the moment as a practising Christian himself.
While in some places, churches are open and holding public worship, his recommendation is that in-person services are shelved until at least 2021.
Collins explained his and said some restrictions were working in the fight against COVID-19, but they would falter if people started ignoring them.
“I know people are tired of hearing these messages and having to be acting upon them, but the virus does not care that we are tired,” he said.
“The virus is having a wonderful time right now spreading through this country, taking advantage of circumstances where people have let their guard go down.
“We need to be just absolutely rigorously adherent to things that we know work. But they don’t work unless everybody actually sticks to them faithfully without exception.
“Churches gathering in person is a source of considerable concern and has certainly been an instance where superspreading has happened and could happen again.
ADVICE TO CHURCHES
“So I think most churches really ought to be advised, if they are not already doing so, to go to remote, virtual kinds of services. That’s the way I’m having my experiences as a churchgoer,” he said.
Not heeding his advice San Francisco’s Catholic archbishop in response to the U>S. Supreme Court’s Dec. 3 order saying federal judges should take another look at pandemic limits on California churches, said: “The time is overdue for our civil officials to work with us and other churches on worshiping safely.”
“Catholics need the body and blood of Christ this Christmas, in California as everywhere else. And they have every right to access it,” said Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone in a statement issued late Dec. 3.
The court’s decision was based on its Nov. 25 ruling to lift similar restrictions on congregations in New York due to the pandemic, Catholic News Service reported.
“Worship is not less important than shopping for shoes; it is certainly more important to people’s spiritual and psychological health; it is a natural and constitutional right,” he continued, “and we Catholics have shown for months that we can worship safely — with masks, social distancing, ventilation, and sanitation,” said Cordileone.
TEMPLETON PRIZE
Back in May, the Templeton Foundation had named Collins as the 2020 Templeton Prize Laureate.
“In his scientific leadership, public speaking, and popular writing, including his bestselling 2006 book, The Language of God, Collins has demonstrated how religious faith can motivate and inspire rigorous scientific research, said Templeton when it made the award.
“This book argues that belief in God can be an entirely rational choice,” he writes in the introduction, “and that the principles of faith are, in fact, complementary with the principles of science.”
In the book, he endeavors to encourage religious communities to embrace the latest discoveries of genetics and the biomedical sciences as insights to enrich and enlarge their faith.
Collins, 70, was selected as the 2020 Laureate by the Prize judges lin late 2019, but the announcement was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Valued at 1.1 million British pounds (about $1.83 million or €1.3 million), the prize is one of the world’s largest annual awards given to an individual.
It honors a living person who has made exceptional contributions to affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works.
From 1993 to 2008, Collins directed the National Human Genome Research Institute, guiding the Human Genome Project in its mapping and sequencing of the three billion DNA letters that make up the human genetic instruction book.
There has been a lot of debate about COVID-19 vaccines, but Collins said people should take one and also adhere to other guidelines like wearing face masks and social distancing.
He said he was optimistic that with the vaccines on their way, larger gatherings in church and other places like sports arenas would be possible again by next summer.
“And certainly, by next fall, I’m hoping we can get back to things like normal schools and businesses, and our economy can get back on its feet,” he said.
“But there are a lot of steps between now and then.
“And of course, it will go better if we don’t have our healthcare system utterly devastated by the ongoing pandemic that we could have potentially turned around by all of us taking those public health actions we just talked about.”
