5G technology has barely taken root with only 100 wireless carriers around the globe. Many are still yet to fully get onto 4G and are still holding on to 3G technology either from lack of access or simply out of choice.
Companies worldwide are already putting together the building blocks for next-generation, 6G technology, which will be broadband cellular networks. Several firms such as Nokia, Samsung and LG have shown interest in 6G.
Nokia leads the way in the next generation of wireless networks as the overall project leader for Hexa-X, the European Commission’s 6G flagship initiative for research that will drive the overall 6G vision.
The project goals include creating unique 6G use cases and scenarios, developing fundamental 6G technologies and defining a new architecture for an intelligent fabric that integrates key 6G technology enablers.
“Even though there is still a lot of innovation in 5G with the release of new standards, we are already exploring 6G in our research lab. In the 6G era we will see applications that will not only connect humans with machines but also connect humans with the digital world. Such a secure and private connection can be used for preventive healthcare or even to create a 6G network with a sixth sense that intuitively understands our intentions, making our interactions with the physical world more effective and anticipating our needs, thereby improving our productivity,” said Peter Vetter, Head of Access and Devices Research, Nokia Bell Labs.
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The Hexa-X project has been awarded funding from the European Commission under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, a significant step toward bringing together key industry stakeholders in Europe to take the lead in advancing 6G.
The Hexa-X project aims to connect the physical, digital and human worlds, firmly anchored in future wireless technology and architectural research. Wireless technologies are critical for society and the economy today and their importance will continue to steadily increase with 5G and its evolution, enabling new ecosystems and services.
Nokia has been at the forefront in commercialising every generation of wireless technology, from the first GSM call to the best performing 4G networks and the world’s fastest 5G speeds.
Brexit crunch time as EU and UK still divided over trade deal
07 Dec 2020 – 10:36
EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier takes part in a meeting of ambassadors of European Union governments in Brussels, Belgium December 7, 2020. John Thys/Pool via REUTERS
London/Brussels: Brexit hung in the balance on Monday as Britain and the European Union made a last-ditch attempt to bridge significant differences to strike a trade deal that would avoid a disorderly exit in just 24 days time.
As fears rose of a chaotic no-trade deal Brexit on Dec. 31 when the United Kingdom finally leaves the EU’s orbit, talks will resume in Brussels before Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen review the situation in the evening.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Sunday the odds of a deal were just 50-50 while investment bank JPMorgan said odds of a no-trade deal exit had risen to one third from 20 percent.
“Decisive hours for the future of EU-UK relations,” said Sebastian Fischer, an EU spokesman for Germany, the current holder of the EU presidency.
Failure to secure a deal would snarl borders, spook financial markets and disrupt the delicate supply chains that stretch across Europe and beyond just as the world tries to cope with the vast economic cost of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sterling was a touch lower vs the dollar, easing off the 2-1/2-year highs of $1.3540 hit on Friday, though overnight and one-week implied volatility rose to an 8-month high.
DEAL OR NO DEAL?
For weeks, the two sides have been haggling – as yet without a result – over fishing rights in British waters, ensuring fair competition for companies and ways to solve future disputes.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier told national envoys to Brussels on Monday morning that there was no agreement yet in UK trade talks, a senior diplomat told Reuters.
Updating the EU envoys from 0630 GMT, Barnier said the three most contentious issues in the negotiations have not yet been resolved, according to the diplomat, who was taking part in the closed-door briefing.
“I still think it is more likely than not that we will find a way of getting a deal done but I won’t be shocked if it falls apart,” Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney was quoted as saying by the Irish Times.
“If we don’t get a deal in the next few days, then obviously there are serious problems around ratification and timelines.”
In a move that could further undermine the talks, the British government will press ahead with draft laws this week that would breach London’s earlier divorce treaty with the bloc.
Junior Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly said on Monday the clauses that breach the treaty would be re-inserted.
ReutersGabriela Baczynska and John Chalmers and Guy FaulconbridgePublishing
date:Dec 07, 2020 • Last Updated 7 hours ago • 3 minute read
BRUSSELS/LONDON — Post-Brexit trade talks hung in the balance on Monday as Britain and the European Union made a last-ditch attempt to bridge significant differences and reach a deal that would avoid a disorderly exit in just 24 days.
With growing fears of “no-deal” chaos after the United Kingdom finally leaves the EU’s orbit on Dec. 31, talks will resume in Brussels before British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen review the situation on Monday evening.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Sunday the chances of a deal were 50-50. Investment bank JPMorgan said odds of a no-trade deal exit had risen to one third from 20%.
The British pound tumbled on concerns that there would be no agreement covering annual trade worth nearly $1 trillion.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier was “rather downbeat as to the prospects of agreement” when he spoke to national envoys over orange juice and pastries in Brussels on Monday morning, according to one diplomat who took part in the meeting.
“EU-UK negotiations have entered the endgame, time is running out quickly,” another EU diplomat said. “It is for the UK to chose between… a positive outcome or a no deal outcome.”
In London, a lawmaker in Johnson’s governing Conservative Party said France would have to make concessions on fishing, and the EU would have to drop what he said were new demands on fair competition known as the level playing field.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told RTE News: “I’d like to be giving more positive news but at the moment these negotiations seem stalled, and the barriers to progress are still very much in place.”
Britain, which joined the EU in 1973, formally left the bloc on Jan. 31 but has been in a transition period since then under which rules on trade, travel and business remain unchanged.
For weeks, the two sides have been haggling – as yet without a result – over fishing rights in British waters, ensuring fair competition for companies and ways to solve future disputes.
The Sun newspaper reported that Johnson, a figurehead for Britain’s campaign to leave the EU, was ready to pull out of the talks within hours unless the EU changed its demands.
NO DEAL?
Failure to secure a deal would clog borders, upset financial markets and disrupt delicate supply chains across Europe and beyond as the world tries to cope with the vast economic cost of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sterling fell 1% to 2-1/2 week lows against the dollar to $1.328, a U-turn in market sentiment from Friday when it had risen above $1.35 for the first time this year.
With just days left for a deal to be agreed, EU diplomats said it a decisive moment for both the United Kingdom and the bloc which built the ruined nations of Europe into a global power after the devastation of World War Two.
In a move that could further undermine the talks, the British government will press ahead with draft laws this week that would breach London’s earlier divorce treaty with the bloc.
Junior Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly said on Monday the clauses that breach the treaty would be re-inserted.
(Additional reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Sujata Rao-Coverley, Paul Sandle and Sarah Young in London, and Conor Humphries in Dublin, Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and John Chalmers, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
… Monday as Britain and the European Union made a last-ditch attempt … trade worth nearly $1 trillion. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier was … in the meeting. “EU-UK negotiations have entered the … running out quickly,” another EU diplomat said. “It …
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared intransigent on his country’s stance in the eastern Mediterranean and tensions with Greece, Cyprus, and the EU, calling on the latter to avoid acting “willfully blind” and serving the two countries.
In a video message at a Turkish university workshop on the Eastern Mediterranean, Erdogan said: “The Eastern Mediterranean has been at the centre of developments in recent years and many countries are watching what is happening. Turkey, the country with the largest coastline in the Mediterranean, cannot follow the developments … from the sidelines. We are closely monitoring what is happening to protect our own interests and the interests of the Turkish Cypriots.”
“We have clarified that we will not accept plans and maps aimed at limiting Antalya (coast of southeastern Turkey). We do not seek to violate anyone’s interests and laws. But we will not yield to blackmail, threats, pirate behaviour, we will not allow plans for imperialist expansion. We want to leave behind what happened in the previous months,” the Turkish president continued.
“We want to continue with mutual respect and dialogue to solve the problems, without excluding anyone from the solutions. We must give space to diplomacy if we want a permanent solution “, he added and then took aim at Greece, Cyprus, and the EU.
“We maintain our composure in matters with Greece and Cyprus after 2003. We also maintain the same compromising attitude today. The European Union must get rid of its strategic blindness as soon as possible and must not allow itself to be used as a “spearhead” in the Eastern Mediterranean by Greek Cypriots and Greece. The Union, in the name of solidarity, must not be unfair to Turkey.”
The EU is scheduled to meet in the week to discuss sanctions against Turkey as a result of its belligerent stance in the region.
“European Union foreign ministers will discuss measures against Turkey during their meeting today, as there has been no de-escalation of the conflict in the eastern Mediterranean in recent months”, German foreign minister Heiko Maas said today.
“Germany has worked hard over the past few months to facilitate a dialogue between the European Union and Turkey,” Heiko Maas said before meeting with his European counterparts.
“But there have been too many challenges, and tensions between Turkey, Cyprus, and Greece have prevented any direct talks,” he added.
“That is why we are going to talk about the consequences we have to draw – also in view of this week’s EU summit,” he said.
EU member states cannot find a common ground to respond to an escalating situation with Turkey ahead of a crucial summit later this week, EURACTIV has learnt.
“The feelings in Brussels are numb”, diplomatic sources told EURACTIV on Friday (4 December).
On 10-11 December, EU leaders will meet to discuss again the bloc’s next steps regarding Turkey following a series of disagreements on a number of issues ranging from illegal gas drillings in the Eastern Mediterranean to involvement in Nagorno-Karabakh or Libya, and a recent standoff in the France-Turkey relations.
In theory, the December summit is the deadline set by EU leaders to give Ankara time to de-escalate and move toward a positive agenda with Europe.
“I think that the cat and mouse game needs to end,” EU Council chief Charles Michel said in reply to a question by EURACTIV last Friday.
“We will have a debate at the European summit on 10 December and we are ready to use the means at our disposal”, he said. However, he did not mention the word ‘sanctions’.
The sources admitted that it’s now common knowledge that Turkey has done nothing positive to improve its chances at the summit. However, some EU countries are still cautious to impose sanctions against Ankara.
Turkey has not de-escalated its stand-off with Greece in response to diplomatic outreach, European Council chief Charles Michel said on Friday (4 December) and warned that EU member states would now consider “the means at our disposal”, which most probably means sanctions.
On 30 November, Turkey’s Oruç Reis survey vessel returned to the southern port of Antalya from Mediterranean waters. The same happened ahead of a previous EU summit in October, when Turkey avoided sanctions and EU leaders decided to revisit the issue in December.
The two fronts
On 25 November, sources close to the issue told EURACTIV that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would back down at first sign of EU unity.
However, achieving EU unity seems to be a long shot.
Led by Germany, a group of countries (Italy, Spain, Malta) invoke a number of arguments against imposing sanctions such as the return of Oruç Reis to Turkey or push for a “wait and see” approach, according to which Europe’s reaction should align with the stance toward Turkey of the new US administration.
In addition, particularly in Berlin, policymakers claim that Turkey’s role in migration should also be taken into account.
Another argument is the role of the bilateral NATO’s deconfliction mechanism introduced on 1 October. In Athens, critics suggest that this mechanism is of low value practically and apparently Greece was under huge political pressure to accept it.
Well-informed sources told EURACTIV that at the last summit, Germany rejected a Greek proposal to impose sanctions the first time Turkey takes a new provocative action.
Instead, Germany invoked NATO’s deconfliction mechanism as an adequate measure in case of a new Greek-Turkish confrontation.
In Madrid, analysts estimate that “Real Politik will prevail”.
“Turkey is one of Spain’s key trade partners. Spain has increased its investments in Turkey from 2012 to 2019 by between 3 and 4% per year. Turkey is one of the main destinations for Spanish exports of automobiles and other metallurgical resources, while Turkey exports a large quantity of textile products to Spain,” sources said.
These countries, according to the sources, would prefer to postpone the thorny issue until the next EU summit in March.
Portugal, which will take over the EU rotating Presidency after Germany, keeps a low profile on the issue. But critics suggest that Lisbon does not want to inherit Turkey’s “hot potato”.
Regarding Bulgaria’s leader Boyko Borissov, who is known as a close friend of Erdoğan, sources said his reaction was unpredictable.
Another group of countries push for a stricter EU stance. Together with Greece and France stand Cyprus, Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia.
Probable scenarios
The sources do not rule out “light sanctions” similar to the ones imposed on Ankara due to its illegal gas drillings off Cyprus.
The best-case scenario according to Athens, would be for EU leaders to give a mandate to EU top diplomat Josep Borrell to come up with a list of “written sanctions” in case Turkey continues escalating.
At a meeting of foreign minister in Berlin last August, Borrell presented some “options” to deal with Turkey. However, these options have only been presented orally and have never been put on a paper.
However, a new written list of sanctions will not be adopted at this summit.
Sources said such a list could be adopted at a foreign affairs meeting in January but it’s highly likely that it will be discussed at the March EU summit. In practice, this will mean granting Ankara another grace period.
Michel’s international conference hits the wall
In addition, sources say diplomatic efforts are currently taking place in order to come up with conclusions on Turkey before the summit, as there are fears that the veto posed by Hungary and Poland on the Recovery Fund and the Brexit deadlock will likely overshadow the discussion over Turkey.
Last but not least, EURACTIV was informed that Michel’s initiative for a Multilateral Conference on the Eastern Mediterranean involving all non-EU partners of the region is apparently failing.
Sources said Egypt, a key player in the region, refuses to sit at the same table with Turkey.
A new vlog launched by the Austrian Bahá’í Office of External Affairs will explore topics including environmental protection, migration, social cohesion, and the role of youth in social transformation.
VIENNA, Austria — A new vlog to explore issues of national concern in Austria was launched Saturday by the country’s Bahá’í Office of External Affairs.
“Like everyone else, most of our conversations with other social actors have moved online. Although this has had its challenges, it has also presented new opportunities,” says Leyla Tavernaro of the Office of External Affairs.
“For example, we can now document parts of our conversations and make them available to many other people interested in the same topics.”
Dr. Tavernaro explains how the new vlog, titled “Themes that move Austria,” will explore topics including environmental protection, migration, social cohesion, and the role of youth in social transformation.
In the first episode, environmentalist Marlene Nutz from an organization called Fridays for Future Austria discusses the relationship between science and religion as it relates to the future of the planet. “I think if we only have science, then we might be familiar with the facts … but do we feel connected to our planet? Can we really feel that our house is on fire?”
Another episode, which will be posted in the coming weeks, explores the question of identity and migration with Kenan Güngör, an expert on the issue. He says of this initiative of the Office, “It is refreshing to see a religious community actively engage in these important societal topics.”
In explaining other aspirations for the vlog, Dr. Tavernaro states: “By documenting conversations in this way, this initiative will allow people to follow the evolution of ideas as certain concepts are explored over time.
“For example, in conversations where we are looking at the question of identity—asking ‘what does it mean to be Austrian, European, or someone who has come from a different country?’—those engaged in related national discourses will be able to come back periodically and see how thinking is expanding and new insights are emerging.”
Upcoming episodes planned by the Austrian Bahá’í Office of External Affairs will include discussions on the issue of racism and social cohesion, and the role of education in raising public consciousness about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
In coordination with the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and the advertising agency Doner, Marvel has created a comic book, called The Vitals: True Nurse Stories, based on an amalgamation of experiences had by nurses in 13 hospital facilities in Western Pennsylvania.
Marvel’s new comic book pays tribute to nurses. (Photo:Getty Images)
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been in awe of the courage and resourcefulness of our nurses, who put their own health at risk to care for these vulnerable patients,” said AHN chief nurse executive Claire Zangerle in a statement. “We are so proud of them, and we want to make sure they know how much we appreciate their exceptional work. We hope that in seeing themselves as real Marvel Comics Super Heroes, they can take a moment to look back in pride on their exceptional work and compassion during an exceptionally difficult time for our communities.”
In a video made in conjunction with the comic book, the children of AHN nurses talked about their parents and the tireless work they’ve done throughout the pandemic. “We didn’t see her for like two months,” says one little boy of his mother, a nurse. “It makes me feel good that she’s being able to help,” says another.
In the video the children and their parents are given the comic book, which results in no shortage of tears. “That one looks like my mommy,” says one little girl as she points to a nurse on the cover of the comic. “You’re a hero,” says a little boy as he tearfully embraces his mother.
The comic books will be distributed at AHN hospitals and recruiting events, and are also available digitally on Marvel.com.
“At Marvel, we tell stories about heroes every day. But this story is special. It tells a story about our everyday heroes — the nurses and health care professionals working tirelessly and courageously to save lives,” said Dan Buckley, president of Marvel Entertainment, said in a statement. “Along with AHN, we are honored to help tell these stories, which we dedicate to the real heroes who are saving the world.”
Many secondary school students in Sokoto State do not know much about HIV and AIDS due to cultural and religious restriction to sex education in schools in the state.
Some of the students, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews in Sokoto on Sunday, expressed little knowledge about the virus, mode of transmission, prevention and care.
One of them, Abdullrasheed Umar, a Senior Secondary I (SS1) student at Sultan Bello Secondary School, Sokoto, said: “I have heard of HIV, but I have no idea what it really is.
“All I know is that it is a terrible disease and nothing more.”
When asked if there is HIV club or any form of sex education in his school, his response was negative.
“Sex education is not allowed in schools. No one talks to us about that,” he said.
Bello Mohammed, another student at the school, said he was ignorant of the diseases and its implication in the human body.
Similarly, Hussaini Abubakar and Abdul Mukaila, students of Community Demonstration Secondary School, told NAN that they had no idea what HIV was, or what it does to infected persons.
Also, Abduallhi Nura, a Junior Secondary School II (JSS II) at Sheikh Abubakar Gumi Memorial College, Sokoto said he only heard of the name HIV, but nothing more.
But Yunusa Mohammed, another JSS II student at the college, said he had some “useful” knowledge about HIV.
Mohammed said: “I heard that the disease is dangerous and one that can be infected through the use of sharp objects or blades used by an infected person. That is all I know,” he said.
Alhaji Umar Alkammawa, Executive Secretary, Sokoto State Agency for the Control of AIDS, Tuberculosis and Leprosy (SOSACAT), confirmed that culture and religion had made it “nearly impossible” to sensitise students on HIV.
“We have not been fair to ourselves by rejecting sex education in schools.
“But there is no way you will bring HIV education in schools without talking about sex and sex education is a no-go area in Sokoto State,” Alkammawa said.
Mohammed Garba, Deputy State Coordinator, Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN), has also said that the connection between HIV and sex had made it difficult to carry out HIV sensitisation in secondary schools.
Garba explained that corps members, under the Peer Educator Trainers (PET) programme, used to create awareness on HIV/AIDS among young people in secondary schools.
“The corps members conduct HIV sensitisation campaigns and most importantly train secondary school students as change agents among their peers, immediate families and communities.
“But about 10 years ago, the programme was stopped by the state’s ministry of education on the ground that the corps members were teaching students sex.
“But in the past three years, CiSHAN has been training youth corps members on HIV and reproductive health, after which they go to Churches, Mosques and other public places to sensitise people,” he said. (NAN)
Last-ditch discussions between the U.K. and the European Union over future trade ties are set to resume in Brussels later Sunday, two days after they were “paused” amid “significant differences” on an array of issues.
Britain’s main negotiator, David Frost, arrived in the Belgian capital on Sunday to pick up discussions with his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier.
The meeting was authorized by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson after a telephone call on Saturday.
The two leaders noted that fundamental differences between the two sides remain over the “level playing field” — the standards the U.K. must meet to export into the bloc — how future disputes are resolved and fishing rights for EU trawlers in U.K. waters. Still, they said a “further effort should be undertaken by our negotiating teams to assess whether they can be resolved.”
Negotiators may only have until Monday evening to make some headway. Johnson and von der Leyen said they would talk again and underlined that “no agreement is feasible if these issues are not resolved.”
With the U.K.’s post-Brexit transition period due to end this year, the discussions are clearly at a crunch point, not least because of the necessary approvals required on both sides after negotiators reach a deal. Without an agreement in place, tariffs will end up being imposed on traded goods at the start of 2021.
Both sides would suffer economically from a failure to secure a trade deal, but most economists think the British economy would take a greater hit, at least in the near-term, as it is relatively more reliant on trade with the 27-nation EU than vice versa.
ReutersGabriela Baczynska and John Chalmers and Guy FaulconbridgePublishing 
