CharlieH

Videos removed. Please do not post music videos in news items.

Reported misleading post removed.

Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotic eye drops or ointments and compresses. Viral infections often clear up on their own, but sometimes antiviral eye drops are beneficial. You may find this useful. https://www.healthline.com/health/infected-eye#Eye-infection-basics

Nationalistic bashing always ends the same way. After this will be "what ya think of....(next nationality) Which will also end up the same way. CLOSED.

You tap the main title Heath & medicine If you reading this this you are where you need to be !

You cannot delete, ask a Mod to close or Support.

CLOSED Do not post in pale gray text highlighted etc. as per forum nettiquette. Troll topic.

Newspapers and politicians discuss general’s skin tone, saying actor’s casting in the role created ‘a historical error’ A decision to cast black actor Denzel Washington as the ancient Carthaginian general Hannibal in an upcoming Netflix film has sparked a small but heated debate in Tunisia, the military general’s birthplace. After a similar controversy on race and representation in nearby Egypt over a Netflix docudrama about Cleopatra, Tunisian newspapers, social media and even the halls of parliament have seen discussion on the skin tone of the long-dead leader. French-language Tunisian news outlet La Presse published an article saying the casting created “a historical error”, while on social media, some users accused Netflix of promoting “woke culture”. An online petition signed by 1,300 people urged Netflix to “cancel its pseudo-documentary” and called on the ministry of culture to “take action against the attempt to steal our history”. FULL STORY

Australian climate change minister, Chris Bowen, says umbrella group of countries is united in saying draft agreement is too weak A group of countries including Australia, the US, the UK, Canada and Japan have said they will “not be a co-signatory” to “death certificates” for small island states, and have demanded a stronger agreement at the Cop28 summit to deal with fossil fuels and address the climate crisis. A statement delivered by the Australian climate change minister, Chris Bowen, on behalf of what’s known as the umbrella group of countries, came as tensions flared at the United Arab Emirates over the text of a draft deal proposed by the summit presidency. Released early on Monday evening local time, the draft avoided highly contentious calls for a “phase-out” or “phase-down” of fossil fuels in an attempt to find consensus from nearly 200 countries that have been meeting in Dubai for nearly a fortnight. Some observers welcomed elements of the draft, including the first mention in a Cop text of reducing fossil fuel production, but others were scathing, describing it as “grossly insufficient” and “incoherent”. Cedric Schuster of Samoa, the chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, said: “We will not sign our death certificate. We cannot sign on to text that does not have strong commitments on phasing out fossil fuels.” Bowen referred to Schuster’s statement in his intervention in a later meeting between government representatives and the UAE summit president, Sultan Al Jaber. He was speaking on behalf of the umbrella group of countries, which also includes New Zealand, Norway, Israel, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. “My friend Cedric Schuster, the Samoan minister, said tonight of this draft that we will not sign our death certificates,” Bowen said. “That’s what’s at stake for many countries who are represented here tonight and many people who do not have a voice. We will not be a co-signatory to those death certificates.” FULL STORY

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing a battle to persuade Tory MPs to back his flagship Rwanda bill, ahead of a key vote on Tuesday. The legislation seeks to revive the government's plan to send some asylum seekers to the east African country. MPs on the right of the party have said the bill does not go far enough and will not work in its current form. But more centrist MPs warned against any changes which would breach international law. Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace urged his fellow Tory MPs not to "wreck" the government by voting down the bill. Writing in the Telegraph, he warned against "making the perfect (but unrealistic) the enemy of the good". Former attorney general Sir Geoffrey Cox told BBC Newsnight that "if we go on like this of course we're going to switch off millions of people upon whose votes we depend". He told the programme: "This bill is the beginnings of the solution to the problem… We need to unite - improve it - but get it through." The Safety of Rwanda Bill faces its first Parliamentary test - known as its second reading - on Tuesday, when MPs get a chance to debate and vote on the main principles of the bill. The aim of the policy is to deter migrants from crossing the Channel and it is central to the government's plan to "stop the boats" - which Mr Sunak has made one of his key priorities. A rebellion by Tory MPs could sink the Rwanda scheme and severely damage the prime minister's authority. How much trouble is PM in over Rwanda bill? Why does the UK want to send asylum seekers to Rwanda? Chris Mason analysis: PM's authority is on the line Among those on the right of the party, the New Conservatives group said the bill required "major surgery or replacement". FULL STORY

The US Supreme Court has been asked to decide whether Donald Trump can be prosecuted for crimes he allegedly committed while he was president. Jack Smith, the special counsel overseeing two criminal investigations into Mr Trump, asked the court on Monday for a quick ruling on whether he is immune from federal prosecution. The top court later agreed to consider his request. It asked Mr Trump's legal team to file a response by 20 December. The former president is scheduled to stand trial in March on federal charges relating to an alleged plot to overturn the 2020 election results. But his lawyers have repeatedly argued that former presidents cannot face criminal charges for conduct related to their official responsibilities. That argument, however, was rejected by a lower court judge earlier this month who ruled the case could go ahead as planned. Mr Trump then said he would appeal that decision. Mr Smith's rare direct request to America's highest court on Monday was an attempt to leapfrog the lower courts altogether and quickly settle the matter. Mr Smith wrote in his request: "This case presents a fundamental question at the heart of our democracy: whether a former president is absolutely immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office or is constitutionally protected from federal prosecution." He added that Mr Trump's claims of presidential immunity are "profoundly mistaken" and "only this court can definitively resolve them". The Trump campaign earlier accused Mr Smith of trying "a Hail Mary by racing to the Supreme Court and attempting to bypass the appellate process". "There is absolutely no reason to rush this sham to trial except to injure President Trump and tens of millions of his supporters," a spokesperson said. A very simple guide to Trump's indictments Five takeaways from Trump's third indictment Court says Trump can be sued for Capitol riot The billion-dollar question at heart of Trump fraud trial Prosecutors rarely seek the top court's intervention before a lower appeals court rules on a matter, and Mr Smith's request reflects the urgency of his case. If Mr Trump's appeal delays the trial beyond the November 2024 election, it raises the possibility that the former president could return to the White House before his case is fully resolved. FULL STORY

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued an impassioned appeal for continued US military aid as he arrived in Washington on Monday. Addressing military officials, he said Ukraine is not fighting just for its own freedom but for global democracy. His comments come as an aid package worth millions languishes in Congress amid a partisan political row. Rebuking Republicans, who are blocking the aid, Mr Zelensky called the delay a "dream come true" for Vladimir Putin. "If there's anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it's just Putin and his sick clique," the Ukrainian leader argued. Mr Zelensky is expected to make similar remarks in a meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday. He will also meet House Speaker Mike Johnson, a noted sceptic of additional military aid. The visit marks Mr Zelensky's third trip to the US since Russia's 2022 invasion, and the White House said in a statement on Sunday that his visit was meant "to underscore the United States' unshakeable commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia's brutal invasion". Ukraine counter-offensive hopes 'didn’t come true' Ukraine aid from US in doubt after failed Senate vote Olena Zelenska: Ukraine in 'mortal danger' without aid The US military aid package, worth $60bn (£47.9bn; €55bn), is currently stalled in Congress, facing pushback from Republicans who argue that more money should be going to domestic security at the US-Mexico border. A vote in the Senate last week saw a package, which included the funding but no border measures, blocked by Republicans. FULL STORY

Please refer to the correct forum/topic for this content. https://aseannow.com/forum/424-air-pollution-in-thailand/

In a move to align with the Liberal government’s commitment to “inclusivity,” Canadian military bases are required to provide menstrual products, including tampons and pads, in men’s washrooms by December 15. This directive, issued by Employment and Social Development Canada, extends to all federally regulated workplaces and military installations. True North has independently verified the implementation of this policy in at least one Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) military base, where menstruation kits are now available in men’s washrooms. Major Soomin Kim of the Department of National Defence confirmed that this decision aligns with federal government directives, emphasizing compliance with the Canada Labour Code. “Starting December 15, 2023, as per the Canada Labour Code, all federally managed washrooms will be required to provide menstrual products to all employees,” Major Kim told True North. The federal directive underscores its commitment to “better protect menstruating employees” by mandating the presence of menstrual products in all toilet rooms, irrespective of their designated genders. According to a recent federal briefing note, the CAF is facing a recruitment crisis as it struggles to find willing Canadians to fill the military’s thinning ranks. FULL STORY

My Office gives an "under consideration" every year for extensions based on marriage. I have had ONE home visit in the last 10 years. As I think many of us now Know, these things can not only vary by office and province, but even by who you see on the day. One thing consistent is the inconsistency.

It sometimes causes a glitch which is why we recommend not quoting more than one post in a response.

Laptop upgrade adds M3 chips, more power, longer battery life, brighter screen, lower price and darker colour Apple’s latest upgraded MacBook Pro adds a wider range of chip options, a cheaper price and a new black colour option, alongside even greater performance and battery life. The much-loved laptop now starts at £1,699 (€1,999/$1,599/A$2,699), which isn’t exactly cheap but is £450 less than its predecessor, lowering the barrier to entry significantly. The outside of the machine has the same great-looking combination of retro and modern design of its predecessor, solidly made from aluminium with a precision worthy of the price. The port selection remains the same, including the very welcome HDMI port and full-size SD card slot. The screen is still one of the very best on a laptop: sharp, smooth and super bright when working with or viewing HDR content. It is now 20% brighter in general use compared with its predecessor, which was noticeable when working on documents in bright winter sun. New for 2023 is the space black colour option, which is more of a very dark grey but is about as black as you can make anodised aluminium. It looks great and repels fingerprints better than before. The new colour is limited to the mid- and high-end versions of the machine starting at £2,099 (€2,499/$1,999/A$3,499). Specifications Screen: 14.2in mini LED (3024x1964; 254 ppi) ProMotion (120Hz) Processor: Apple M3, Pro or Max RAM: 8, 18 or 32, or up to 128GB Storage: 512GB, 1, 2, 4 or 8TB SSD Operating system: macOS 14.1 Sonoma Camera: 1080p FaceTime HD camera Connectivity: wifi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, 2/3x USB/Thunderbolt, HDMI 2.1, SD card, headphones Dimensions: 221.2 x 312.6 x 15.5mm Weight: 1.55 to 1.62kg FULL REVIEW ARTICLE

Winter is fast coming to Gaza. Rain storms and powerful winds have already swept through the coastal strip, scattering tents and soaking those with little shelter in a crisis in which about 1.8 million Palestinians have been displaced by Israel’s offensive. And with the advent of winter, an already catastrophic situation in which almost all of Gaza’s healthcare has collapsed is quickly worsening. Women are giving birth in tents in unsterile conditions. Smoke from the wood fires is exacerbating respiratory ailments. Those in need of medicine have been forced to go sometimes to up to 10 pharmacies in an often fruitless search. “It’s so cold, and the tent is so small. All I have is the clothes I wear, I still don’t know what the next step will be,” said Mahmud Abu Rayan, displaced from the northern town of Beit Lahia to Rafah. “We didn’t see anything good here at all. We are living here in a tough cold. There are no bathrooms. We are sleeping on the sand,” added Soad Qarmoot, a Palestinian woman who was also forced to leave Beit Lahia. “I am a cancer patient,” Qarmoot said as children circled a wood fire for warmth. “There is no mattress for me to sleep on. I am sleeping on the sand. It’s freezing.” Displaced Palestinians who spoke in Rafah in recent days, tell a similar story: a perfect storm of colder weather, hugely overcrowded and insanitary conditions and a lack of food and proper shelter. Communicable diseases are increasing alarmingly, according to surveillance data shared by the World Health Organization. There is bloody diarrhoea, respiratory infections, jaundice, hepatitis A and meningitis. A shortage of antibiotics is driving deaths from post-operative infections among the wounded. The chronically ill, unable to access care and medication are dying often unrecorded as victims of the war. The mother of Ramzy S, aged 54 years, who had been evacuated from northern Gaza to Rafah, was one of those cases. “My mother died last week,” Ramzy told the Guardian. “She had high blood pressure and diabetes. We’re living in bad conditions in a Rafah UNRWA shelter. We’re in tents, lacking the most basic things we need, and everything is hard to get. FULL STORY

The next election is set to be the most unequal in 60 years thanks to a rising gap in voter turnout based on age, income, class, home ownership and ethnicity, a new study has found. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), a centre-left thinktank, found that the turnout gap was negligible between social groups in the 1960s, but that it had grown by 2010 to 18 percentage points between the top set of earners – who are more likely to vote – and the bottom set. It rises to a 23-point gap between homeowners – who were more likely to vote – and renters, and a 15-point gap between graduates and those who did not go to university. There are 28 points between those aged 61 and over who were more likely to vote than 18-24-year-olds. The IPPR found that nine in every 10 people in the top third of the income distribution voted in the two most recent general elections, compared with only seven in 10 from the bottom third. The bottom third of earners were about three times more likely to say it is not worth voting than the top third, while renters are also more than twice as likely as homeowners to say the same. The study also analysed those who have been in contact with politicians, finding that one in three university graduates has directly contacted a politician, compared with one in seven people without degrees. The study did not look at whether the Conservatives or Labour benefit most from the gap in turnout, although older voters are more likely to opt for the Tories than Labour. Dr Parth Patel, a senior research fellow at the IPPR, said one of the consequences was that government policy was more attuned to the needs of the older, better-off and those with higher levels of education. FULL STORY

I cant say i have but then I havnt been actively looking for them, I will keep an eye now though.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — It wasn’t the most uplifting of inaugural addresses. Rather, Argentina’s newly empowered President Javier Milei presented figures to lay bare the scope of the nation’s economic “emergency,” and sought to prepare the public for a shock adjustment with drastic public spending cuts. Milei said in his address to thousands of supporters in the capital, Buenos Aires, that the country doesn’t have time to consider other alternatives. “We don’t have margin for sterile discussions. Our country demands action, and immediate action,” he said. “The political class left the country at the brink of its biggest crisis in history. We don’t desire the hard decisions that will need to be made in coming weeks, but lamentably they didn’t leave us any option.” South America’s second largest economy is suffering 143% annual inflation, the currency has plunged and four in 10 Argentines are impoverished. The nation has a yawning fiscal deficit, a trade deficit of $43 billion, plus a daunting $45 billion debt to the International Monetary Fund, with $10.6 billion due to the multilateral and private creditors by April. “There’s no money,” is Milei’s common refrain. He repeated it Sunday to explain why a gradualist approach to the situation, which would require financing, was not an option. But he promised the adjustment would almost entirely affect the state rather than the private sector, and that it represented the first step toward regaining prosperity. “We know that in the short term the situation will worsen, but soon we will see the fruits of our effort, having created the base for solid and sustainable growth,” he said. FULL STORY

Former President Trump on Sunday, in a last-minute reversal, said he won’t be testifying again in his New York fraud trial, posting on Truth Social that he has already “successfully and conclusively testified” in the case and had nothing more to say. Trump had been expected to take the stand Monday to be questioned by his own defense team as the nearly two-month-long trial winds down. Trump previously testified last month under questioning by the New York attorney general’s office and was unexpectedly hauled to the witness stand once before to respond to the judge’s assertion that he had violated a gag order in place. “As everyone knows, I have very successfully & conclusively testified in the corrupt, Biden directed, New York state attorney general’s rigged trial against me,” Trump wrote Sunday in a Truth Social post. In a separate post, Trump wrote, “Based on the above, and the fact that our unassailable final expert witness has been so strong and irrefutable in his testimony, which will conclude on Tuesday, & that I have already testified to everything & have nothing more to say other than that this is a complete & total election interference (Biden campaign!) witch hunt, that will do nothing but keep businesses out of New York, I will not be testifying on Monday.” One of Trump’s lawyers in the case, Chris Kise, reiterated the notion in a statement shortly after the Truth Social post and also referred to the gag order imposed by the judge that limited how much the former president could speak about those overseeing the trial. FULL STORY

Makros for Lamb,including Legs and shanks. Thai family love it. Great cold in sandwiches or recycled into a curry or stew.

And yet another topic descends into a Bickering fest. This is getting really tiresome. CLOSED.