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Breakthrough in biology that’s transforming lives, livelihoods and global food systems

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:39 GMT

Transformational times call for transformational innovations. That’s certainly the case today as the world wrestles with a multitude of challenges associated with global food security, climate change, energy transition and a population that’s expected to grow by another half a billion people by 2030.Amid this backdrop, we need to be focusing more of our attention on one such transformational technology ­— new genomic techniques (NGTs), commonly known as genome editing. This exciting new breeding technique is a breakthrough in biology with the potential for a wide range of applications.In human medicine, genome editing is applied to discover treatments or cures for serious genetic diseases and conditions.In pharmaceutical health care, NGTs are already being used in clinical trials to solve previously incurable diseases. For human medicine, genome editing is applied to discover treatments or cures for serious genetic diseases and conditions, such as certain types of cancer, sickl...

POLITICO Pro Morning Central Banker: Quantum financial risk — RBA raises rates — Whither Germany?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:39 GMT

Our one-stop source for central banking & monetary policy news.View in your browser or listen to audioBy GEOFFREY SMITHwith IZABELLA KAMINSKA, BEN MUNSTER and ANJULI DAVIESSNEAK PEEK— BIS urges central banks and financial institutions to quantum proof their systems. — Australia’s RBA and Poland’s NBP both have rate meeting decisions today. — Whither Germany? Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel wonders aloud if Germany’s business model still has a future.POLICY TICKERECB 3.75% ⇡ — BOE 4.5% ⇡ — FED 5.35% ⇡— SNB 1.5% ⇡— BOJ -0.10% ⇣— RBA 4.10% ⇡ — PBOC 3.65%⇣— CBR 7.5% ⇣ — SARB 8.25% ⇡Good morning and welcome to Tuesday. Technology, as we all know, poses a broad range of challenges. For some, that means devising a cryptography so secure that even some titanic future generation of supercomputers can’t crack it. For others, the challenge is to develop mechanisms that will root out deepfakes capable of emptying bank accounts. Others still, meanwhile, would be sa...

Kuwait, only Gulf Arab nation with a powerful assembly, holds another election mired in gridlock

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:39 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Voters in Kuwait were casting ballots on Tuesday for a third time in as many years, with little hope of ending a prolonged gridlock between the ruling family and assertive lawmakers after the judiciary dissolved the legislature earlier this year.Kuwait is alone among Gulf Arab countries in having a democratically elected assembly that exerts some checks on the ruling family. But in recent years, the political system has been paralyzed by infighting and unable to enact even basic reforms.“People on the ground are not very optimistic right now about change, and that’s why you see this frustration and probably a low voter turnout and low number of people running,” said Dania Thafer, executive director at the Gulf International Forum, a Washington-based think-tank.The polls will close at 8 p.m. and the results are expected on Wednesday.The last election, held a mere eight months ago, delivered a mandate for change, bringing 27 new lawmakers into the 50...

Mirvish announces Canadian cast of ‘Six’, the hit musical about Henry VIII’s wives

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:39 GMT

TORONTO — Henry VIII has chosen his “Six” wives in Canada.Mirvish Productions has announced the cast of the musical about the monarch’s ill-fated spouses, with Jaz Robinson of Whitby, Ont., starring as Catherine of Aragon and Julia Pulo of Mississauga, Ont., taking on the role of Anne Boleyn. The Tony Award-winning modern retelling of the lives of King Henry VIII’s six wives, presented as a pop concert, will run in Edmonton in August before moving to Toronto in September. Rounding out the cast are Montreal’s Maggie Lacasse as Jane Seymour, Krystal Hernandez as Anna of Cleves, Elysia Cruz as Katherine Howard and Lauren Mariasoosay as Catherine Parr.Mirvish says it looked for its queens in both Canada and the United States.Tickets for the Edmonton production of “Six” are already on sale, while Toronto tickets go on sale today and are priced between $39 and $159.This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2023.The Canadian Press

Zelenskiy says Russia is evading sanctions on weapons

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:39 GMT

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday (4 June) said that Russia was using a network of suppliers to evade international sanctions designed to prevent it from making missiles and other weapons.In a video address, Zelenskiy said unnamed countries and companies were helping Russia acquire technology with the emphasis on producing missiles. Russia has launched hundreds of missiles against Ukrainian targets since last October."Unfortunately, the terrorist state manages to use the technologies of the world through a network of suppliers, manages to bypass international sanctions," Zelenskiy said.Ukraine, Zelenskiy added, was well aware of all of Russia's efforts to evade sanctions and will seek to ensure that "there are no products of the free world in Russian missiles".In April, a senior Zelenskiy aide said Ukrainian forces were finding a growing number of components from China in Russian weapons used in Ukraine as Western supplies are squeezed by sanctions. China has denied ...

Video captures 80-year-old man assaulted, robbed in Rowland Heights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:39 GMT

An 80-year-old man was attacked, pepper sprayed and robbed outside his Rowland Heights home by a pair of thieves Sunday.  The incident occurred in the 2000 block of RavenFall Avenue at around 1:30 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.   Sneaky purse thieves caught on video in Beverly Hills Authorities said the suspects followed the man home as he left a nearby 99 Ranch Market. That’s when a neighbor’s surveillance cameras captured the thieves attacking the 80-year-old with pepper spray.  The suspects demanded the man’s $2,500 watch and then fled the area in a gray, four-door sedan.  So far, no arrests have been made.  

Ventura man arrested for DUI after crash that caused car to spin out of control 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:39 GMT

A man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after he was involved in a crash that injured a 66-year-old man in Ventura on Monday. At approximately 5:49 p.m., California Highway Patrol authorities responded to reports of a collision on US 101 northbound, south of the Johnson Drive off-ramp, involving a Dodge Charger and an Acura SUV, according to a CHP news release. When they arrived, CHP says they found an Acura that was severely damaged and facing the wrong way down a concrete and brush embankment.  After a preliminary investigation, police determined that both vehicles were traveling northbound on US 101 when the Charger collided into the Acura, causing the Acura to spin out of control across the traffic lanes and onto the embankment where it collided with a light pole and a concrete wall. Multiple witnesses helped provide first aid to the driver of the Acura, 66-year-old Majid Lashkari of Ventura, until emergency personnel arrived to continu...

Zebra Passes by Blackboard Jungle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:39 GMT

Zebra Passes by Blackboard Jungle: The annual reunion of Sunset Strip rockers Blackboard Jungle has become an event to really dig your teeth into. 1980s hair/sleaze/glam metal isn’t anything like as cool as it used to be, even around these parts. But the people that are holding on, are holding on tight. The men of BBJ know this, and every year they assemble a killer bill featuring some of the bands that strutted their stuff back in the day and hold onto a cult following, but didn’t quite crack the big time.These shows, incidentally, take place at the Viper Room and, as far as we know, there’s a finite time for that to continue due to new owners. Right now, we don’t know where next year’s show will take place.When they do have to find an alternative home, we hope that they can stay on the Strip. It just feels right. And for the last couple of years, a hair metal mini fest has been created; last year, the Whisky across the street was hosting Quiet Riot, s...

Frank Somerville arrested in Berkeley after getting into fight with family member: report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:39 GMT

BERKELEY – Ex-KTVU anchor Frank Somerville was arrested Monday night in Berkeley after getting into a fight with a family member, according to jail records and media reports.Officers were called around 6:30 p.m. to a home in the 800 block of Indian Rock Avenue, where Somerville’s brother was restraining Somerville, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.A spokesperson for the Berkeley Police Department told the newspaper Somerville had arrived at the residence intoxicated. He then got into a dispute that quickly escalated, police said.Somerville, 65, was being held at the Berkeley City Jail on misdemeanor charges of battery, criminal threats and disorderly conduct, according to jail records. His bail was set at $27,500.Somerville is set to be arraigned Thursday at the Wiley M. Manuel Courthouse in Oakland.The police spokesperson did not immediately return messages seeking details about the arrest.Somerville’s 31-year career at KTVU ended on Jan. 31, 2021, when his contract expired and...

College baseball: Stanford beats Texas A&M 7-1 to win Stanford Regional

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:39 GMT

STANFORD — Saborn Campbell tripled and scored the go-ahead run, Malcolm Moore added a two-run home run and Stanford beat Texas A&M 7-1 on Monday night to win the Stanford Regional.Top-seeded Stanford (42-17) won its third straight regional and 23rd overall. The Cardinal will be shooting for their 19th College World Series appearance when they square off against Texas in the super-regional opener at home this coming weekend. Stanford won back-to-back titles in 1987-88 and finished as the runners-up in 2000-01 and 2003.Texas A&M (38-27), the No. 2 seed, fell short of winning back-to-back regional titles. The Aggies made their seventh CWS appearance last season.The teams traded home runs in the second inning. Jace LaViolette, who had three the team’s seven hits, homered to give Texas A&M the lead. It lasted until Braden Montgomery went deep. It was all Stanford after that.Campbell hit a one-out triple down the right-field line — his first extra-base hit of the season — and ...