Hoffa: Teamsters Laud Biden's Choice Of Tai As Next U.S. Trade Representative


NEWS PROVIDED BY International Brotherhood of Teamsters

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President, on President-elect Joe Biden's nomination of current House Ways and Means Committee trade lawyer Katherine Tai to serve as U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in his administration.

"In these times, our nation requires a steady and experienced hand to guide trade policy, particularly with countries which we have a sometimes contentious relationship. That is why the Teamsters are delighted that President-elect Biden has chosen Katherine Tai to serve in this capacity. We urge the next Senate to approve the nomination quickly once it is seated.

"Tai knows trade policy front to back. In her current role with the House Ways and Means Committee, she played a pivotal role in negotiating with the Trump administration on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). From the Labor Chapter and its enforcement mechanisms to fixing the cross-border trucking provisions of NAFTA with a new safeguard remedy, she was instrumental in advancing pro-worker outcomes throughout the negotiations and eventual ratification, which enjoyed bipartisan support.

"Tai also previously served as China enforcement head at USTR, and thus has the expertise to challenge Beijing on issues like forced labor and intellectual property rights while preserving the trade relationship between our two nations.

"Having a leader who will stand up for workers as head of USTR is essential. The Teamsters are confident that Katherine Tai is that person."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

NASA, US, European Partner Satellite Returns First Sea Level Measurements




NEWS PROVIDED BYNASA

Dec 10, 2020, 11:07 ET


WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, a joint U.S.-European satellite built to measure global sea surface height, has sent back its first measurements of sea level. The data provide information on sea surface height, wave height, and wind speed off the southern tip of Africa.

"We're excited for Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich to begin its critical work studying sea level and helping us understand the many aspects of our planet's global ocean," said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's associate administrator for science at the agency's headquarters in Washington. "I know Mike would be thrilled that the satellite bearing his name has begun operating, but he'd also be looking forward to studying the data from this important mission, as we all are."

Since the successful Nov. 21 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a Space-X Falcon 9 rocket, engineers and scientists have spent several weeks switching on and checking out the satellite and its instruments, making sure everything is operating as it should.

"Christmas came early this year," said Josh Willis, project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "And right out of the box, the data look fantastic."

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will continue a decades-long effort to measure global ocean height from space, which started in the early 1990s. Since then, the rate of sea level rise has doubled with a current rate of 0.16 inches (4 millimeters) per year. The rise is caused almost entirely by a combination of meltwater from land-based glaciers and ice sheets and the fact that seawater expands as it warms.

"Data from Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will help us evaluate how the Earth is changing," said Karen St. Germain, director of NASA's Earth Science Division. "When we combine the data from instruments like the altimeter on Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich with data from other satellites like GRACE-FO and IceSat-2, we can tell how much of the sea level rise is due to melting ice and how much is due to expansion as the oceans warm. Understanding these underlying physical mechanisms is what allows NASA to improve projections of future sea level rise."

The initial orbit for Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich was 11.4 miles (18.4 kilometers) lower than its ultimate operational orbit of 830 miles (1,336 kilometers) above Earth. Engineers plan to move the satellite into its operational orbit by mid-December, where it will trail the Jason-3 satellite by 30 seconds. During this tandem flight, scientists and engineers will spend the next six to 12 months cross calibrating the data collected by both satellites to ensure the continuity of measurements between the two. Once assured of the data quality, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will then become the primary sea level satellite. The first publicly available sea level data will be available in about six months, with the rest available within a year.

"We are now gearing up the operational systems supporting the processing of the instruments' data by EUMETSAT and partner organizations, as they are all contributing to this complex process," said Manfred Lugert, program manager for the Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission at the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). "This will keep us busy for the next few months, as the independent scientific validation and fine tuning need to be undertaken very carefully." Lugert expects the first operational products from the mission would be available to those who need them by mid-2021.

In addition to measuring sea level, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich is monitoring atmospheric temperature and humidity, which will help improve weather and hurricane forecasts. Engineers and scientists turned on that instrument Nov. 27, and the initial data look good.

More About the Mission

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich is named in honor of the former director of NASA's Earth Science Division, who was a leading figure in advancing ocean observations from space. Freilich passed away Aug. 5, 2020. "I think he would be proud," said Willis. "Like Mike himself, we expect great things from the satellite that bears his name, and so far, it's looking good."

The spacecraft is one of two identical satellites that will extend a nearly 30-year sea level record collected by an ongoing collaboration of U.S. and European satellites by another decade. That record began in 1992 with the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite and continued with Jason-1 (2001), OSTM/Jason-2 (2008), and Jason-3, which has been observing Earth's oceans since 2016. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will pass the baton to its twin, Sentinel-6B, in 2025.

Both spacecraft are a part of the Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission, which will collect accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world's oceans. The satellites will also monitor atmospheric temperature and humidity, as well as wave height and wind speed, which will provide crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies.

ESA (European Space Agency), EUMETSAT, NASA, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are jointly developing the Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission, with funding support from the European Commission and support from France's National Centre for Space Studies (CNES). The mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union's Earth observation program, which the European Commission manages.

NASA's contributions to the Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission are three science instruments for each of the two satellites: the Advanced Microwave Radiometer for Climate, the Global Navigation Satellite System - Radio Occultation, and the Laser Retroreflector Array. NASA also contributed launch services, ground systems supporting operation of the NASA science instruments, the science data processors for two of these instruments, and support for the U.S. members of the international Ocean Surface Topography Science Team. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena manages the agency's contribution to the mission.

For more information, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/sentinel-6

https://www.esa.int/Sentinel-6

https://edefis.eu/CopernicusFactsheets

Seafarer Announces; 

Discovery of Historic Period Shipwreck Material

NEWS PROVIDED BY Seafarer Exploration Corp.

TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Seafarer Exploration Corp. (OTCQB: SFRX) - Seafarer Exploration Corp. is announcing that we have discovered a large concentration of colonial era shipwreck material in Area 2 off Melbourne Beach, Florida. The historic period shipwreck material comprises a variety of artifacts situated within a concentrated area and includes standing rigging, ships fittings, rope and wood fragments. The historic artifact area is still under investigation and could either be part of the historic material previously found over the past few years or a second historic shipwreck entirely. Currently there is not enough information to precisely determine the provenance of the artifacts. In accordance with the current site permit, the site has been reported to the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research (FBAR) and we have temporarily paused bottom-disturbing activities within 50 meters of the location containing the artifacts in order to preserve the archaeological site context until a continued site exploration plan can be submitted to the FBAR. Once submitted, the site can be more extensively explored. In the meantime, Seafarer Exploration will continue to archaeologically investigate this area as well as explore other locations of interest in Area 1 and Area 2.

According to the project archaeologist, Dr. Robert H Baer, "The Seafarer Exploration discovery possibly dates from the mid - 1600s to the period ending before the Industrial Revolution - no later than 1800. The type and orientation of the artifacts on the ocean floor is indicative of materials used to construct a colonial period sailing vessel that came to rest on the ocean floor where it decayed leaving a fairly compact scatter pattern. The location and depth would have also minimized scatter from storms and near-shore surge. This is unlike other sites which can be scattered for miles."

The work product described here was performed under the authority of an exploration permit from the State of Florida FBAR.

About Seafarer Exploration:

Seafarer Exploration Corp. is a publicly traded underwater salvage and exploration company traded under the symbol SFRX. The principal business of the company is to develop the infrastructure necessary to engage in the archaeologically-sensitive research, documentation, exploration, recovery, and conservation of historic shipwrecks. The company has secured multiple sites it believes contain historic and valuable shipwrecks. The company will use accepted archaeological methods to properly document, research and recover portions of the wrecks. Seafarer employs scientists and historians and is committed to preserving the cultural and historical significance of every wreck it finds.

Disclaimer:

The press release may include certain statements that are not descriptions of historical facts but are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements may include the description of our plans and objectives for future operations, assumptions underlying such plans and objectives, and other forward-looking terminology such as "may," "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "projects," or similar terms, variations of such terms or the negative of such terms. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements made herein. Such information is based upon various assumptions made by, and expectations of, our management that was reasonable when made but may prove to be incorrect. All of such assumptions are inherently subject to significant economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies beyond our control and upon assumptions with respect to the future business decisions which are subject to change. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that actual results will meet expectation and actual results may vary (perhaps materially) from certain of the results anticipated herein.

SOURCE Seafarer Exploration Corp.
Related Links

http://seafarercorp.com

PATER PEDERASTY SOROR PEDOPHILIA

German nuns accused of enabling child sex abuse

by priests

Nuns in the city of Speyer "dragged" children to be sexually abused by priests and politicians, a survivor told a German court. His explosive testimony is the latest abuse scandal to rock the German Catholic Church.


The scandal comes as the Archbishop of Cologne faces accusations of covering up allegations of child sexual abuse involving a now-deceased priest

Catholic nuns who ran a former children's home in the German city of Speyer allegedly aided in the sexual abuse of the children who were under their care, according to a newly-surfaced court decision.

The latest scandal came to light after a victim filed a case to claim compensation from the Catholic church, prompting the Darmstadt Social Welfare Court to investigate.

Although the court ruled on the case in May this year, it was not made public until now.

Protestant news agency EPD and Catholic news agency KNA acquired copies of the court's decision, which detailed claims of horrific abuse that children suffered at the hands of clergy members in the 1960s and 1970s.

Nuns were key in aiding the abuse, regularly bringing boys and girls to predatory priests and even receiving money to do so, the man testified in court.

On Thursday, the Bishop of Speyer, Karl-Heinz Wiesemann, went public with the allegations of abuse for the first time in an interview with Catholic magazine Der Pilger. He said that "several" abuse allegations had been filed.

Years of abuse at children's home

The court testimony in the court case stems from a 63-year-old man who lived at the nun-run children's home in Speyer for several years.

Much of the alleged abuse centered on one priest in particular — identified by the Bishop of Speyer as a now-deceased vicar named Rudolf Motzenbäcker.


The victim in the case was an altar boy at the Speyer Cathedral

During the 10 years that he lived in the children's home, nuns would allegedly take him to the priest's apartment once or twice a month and that they "downright dragged" him there.

The man estimated he'd been assaulted around 1,000 times.

Motzenbäcker was also alleged to have organized so-called "sex parties" that took place every three or four months that included several male clergy members and politicians.

Nuns would allegedly bring boys and girls — serving drinks and food to the men in one corner of the room while children were assaulted nearby.

"The nuns earned money from it. The men who were present would have donated generously," the victims testimony reads, according to KNA.

The man suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the ordeal. He said that many of the children who were involved at the time are dead now, many of whom died by suicide.

Watch video 02:53 Cologne archbishop criticized for refusal to publish abuse report

Church encourages other victims to come forward

The abuse commissioner for the religious order that ran the children's home, which closed down in 2000, said there were no longer any documents on the children in the Speyer home.

The court and the experts who interviewed the man said they had no doubt about the victim's credibility.

Other victims have separately come forward with their own allegations of abuse, the diocese of Speyer said, providing similar stories of abuse — particularly involving Motzenbäcker.

The diocese paid the man €15,000 ($18,100) in recognition of his suffering.

Speyer Bishop Wiesemann said that the archdiocese agrees with the court that the man suffered sexual abuse during his time in the church-run home. He said the church has been passing information to prosecutors and encouraged other victims to come forward.

The latest scandal to hit Germany's Catholic Church comes as the Archbishop of Cologne is facing accusations of covering up allegations of child sexual abuse involving a now-deceased priest.

rs/aw (epd, KNA)

AND IN THE REST OF THE G20?

Almost 2,000 FGM cases identified in Germany last year — study

A rights group found evidence of 2,000 women, including some 200 minors, in Germany last year who underwent female genital mutilation in the past and were in need of treatment, calling that figure the tip of an iceberg.

A 2019 protest by the Terre des Femme NGO in Berlin. The main German-language banner reads: 'Protect girls!"

Almost 2,000 patients in Germany last year were diagnosed with genital mutilation in need of treatment, a women's rights group said on Friday, demonstrating a sharp increase in recent years.

The figure is up almost 40% compared with 2016, when around 1,300 diagnoses of people who had previously undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) and were in need of treatment were made, according to The TaskForce for effective prevention of FGM.

The TaskForce conducted a survey of German physicians associations and the results showed that roughly 200 of those diagnosed were minors — half of whom were younger than 12.

The research included females who received outpatient care by statutory health insurance providers. Cases discovered during inpatient stays in hospitals, or during private medical treatment, were not included.

Watch video 02:01 Kenya: Traditional beads and the fight against FGM

'Tip of the iceberg'

"What we see from these figures is only the tip of the iceberg and represents perhaps 2 to 5% of the actual mutilation victims who live in our country, because political leaders do not want complete data collection," TaskForce's founder, Ines Laufer, said of the current situation in Germany.

The rights group estimates more than 20,000 girls may have undergone FGM because they or their parents "come from countries with an FGM rate of over 75% such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Mali and Somalia and others" the TaskForce website states.

The unusually large numbers of migrants allowed into Germany from the Middle East and Africa in 2015 and 2016 is thought to help explain the uptick in known FGM numbers in Germany in recent years.

"We call for the implementation of state protective measures, such as regular medical checks and the introduction of mandatory medical reports to the law enforcement authorities if genital mutilation is found in underage victims," Ines Laufer said.

FGM, also known as female genital cutting (FGC), is a practice that involves the partial or total removal of the female genital organs, such as the clitoris or labia, for non-medical reasons.

As well as severe bleeding, FGM can cause a variety of health issues, from infections and cysts to infertility and complications in childbirth. It can also result in an increased risk of newborn deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

VIDEO Former Miss Tanzania stands up to FGM

'GET THE CHURCH OUT OF MY WOMB'

Argentina's lower house approves bill legalizing elective abortion

In a landmark move, Argentina's lower house has passed a law to legalize elective abortion. The bill still needs approval from the predominantly Catholic country's traditionally conservative Senate.

Hundreds of protestors, who had spent the night outside of the congress building in Buenos Aires, celebrated the landmark decision

Argentina's lower house of Congress on Friday approved a bill to legalize elective abortion to the 14th week of pregnancy, sending the proposal to the Senate, which rejected a similar bill two years ago.

The draft bill was passed with 131 votes in favor, 117 against and six abstentions. The bill still needs approval from the country's Senate in a debate expected before the end of 2020.

Argentine law currently only allows abortions when there is a serious risk to the health of the mother or in the event of rape. Women who have an abortion, as well as those who assist them, can face prosecution.

If passed, those below the age of 16 would also be allowed to exercise "their rights through their legal representatives" and seek "legal assistance" in cases of "conflict of interest."
Tight vote expected at Senate

Friday's approval follows more than a decade of campaigning by the National Campaign for the Right to Free and Safe Legal Abortion.

Hundreds of protesters had spent the night outside of the congress building in the capital, Buenos Aires, calling for the decriminalization of abortion.

Elizabeth Gómez Alcorta, the government's women, gender and diversity minister, called the lower house's approval a "fundamental step and recognition of a long struggle that women's movements have been carrying out in our country for years."

"We are going to continue working so that the voluntary termination of pregnancy becomes law," Alcorta said after the vote.

However, many women's rights activists are concerned that an even tighter vote can be expected at the Senate , a traditionally more conservative chamber.
Roman Catholic Church condemns decision

Ahead of the debate, which extended from Thursday into Friday morning, the Roman Catholic Church had urged legislators for "a second of reflection on what respect for life means."

Lawmakers from several parties have argued that abortions would be a violation of the American Convention on Human Rights, and that the right to life should be safeguarded by law, "in general, from the moment of conception."

Rights group Amnesty International, however, lauded the lower house vote and appealed to the Senate not to "turn its back" on women.

According to the government, several thousand women seeking abortions have died during clandestine abortion procedures in Argentina since 1983. Around 38,000 women are hospitalized every year in the South American country after undergoing unsafe abortion procedures.

'Moving forward'

Mexico City, Cuba and Uruguay are among the few places in Latin America where women can undergo abortions during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy regardless of the circumstances.

Before being elected a year ago, center-left President Alberto Fernandez had vowed to push for making abortion voluntary and cost-free as part of efforts to provide women with access to "comprehensive health."

Health Minister Gines Gonzalez Garcia said Friday's approval showed that Argentina was "moving forward."

"If this were a masculine problem it would have been resolved a long time ago," Garcia said.

Celebration in Argentina after lawmakers pass bill to legalize abortion



Women celebrate in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Friday after the lower house of congress passed a bill legalizing abortion. The proposal faces a challenge in the senate, where a similar measure was defeat two years ago. Photo by Juan Ignacio Roncoroni/EPA-EFE

Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Lawmakers in Argentina's lower house of congress narrowly passed legislation Friday to legalize abortion, a key parliamentary step that followed nearly an entire day of contentious debate.

The Chamber of Deputies passed the bill by a vote of 131-117 after 20 hours of debate.

The bill, if it becomes law, would make it legal to end pregnancies up to 14 weeks -- and Argentina would be just the fourth Latin American country to legalize abortion.

The bill is part of President Alberto Fernandez's social agenda, which leans heavily toward reforms for women's rights.

While the bill faces uncertainty in the Argentine Senate, Fernandez's support lends the abortion-rights movement a voice it did not have under former center-right President Mauricio Macri.

A bill legalizing abortion was narrowly defeated two years ago in Argentina's Senate, which has long been opposed to abortion-rights legislation.

Another factor at play in the debate is that Pope Francis, an Argentina native, spoke out against the bill that failed in 2018.

The new version offers some changes from the old bill, including provisions to allow medical institutions to refer women to another clinic for an abortion. The updated bill also changes protocols in dealing with underage women with no parents.

Advocates hope the changes will be enough to get the bill passed in the Senate.

Argentina's lower house approves draft bill legalising abortion

Issued on: 11/12/2020 -

Aerial view of demonstrators displaying green headscarfs -symbol of pro-abortion activists - outside the Argentine Congress in Buenos Aires, on December 10, 2020

AFP - Emiliano Lasalvia

Lawmakers in Argentina’s lower house on Friday passed a bill that would legalise abortion in most cases, responding to long-sought demands from women's rights activists. 

The bill, which needs approval from Argentina's Senate in a debate expected before the end of the year, allows for abortions to be carried out up to the 14th week of pregnancy.

Backed by President Alberto Fernández, the bill was approved in a 131-117 vote with six abstentions after a debate that extended from Thursday into the early hours of Friday morning.

The Roman Catholic Church in Argentina appealed to legislators before the vote for “a second of reflection on what respect for life means", echoing the position of Pope Francis, an Argentine, that abortion is part of today’s “throwaway culture” that doesn’t respect the dignity of the unborn, the weak or elderly.

Green and blue flags outside Congress

Protesters supporting the bill had gathered outside Congress wearing green scarves for an overnight vigil to await the news. A similar vote to legalise abortion was narrowly defeated in 2018.

Opposition groups, wearing light blue scarves, also took to the streets to demonstrate against the bill.

The initiative includes a parallel bill which will face a separate vote to assist women who want to continue with their pregnancy and face severe economic or social difficulties.

Argentine law currently only allows the voluntary interruption of pregnancy when there is a serious risk to the mother or in the event of rape, although activists say many women often do not receive adequate care.

The country has seen a gradual rise in agnosticism in recent years. While the current government is strongly behind the bill, that was not the case in 2018 during the conservative administration of Mauricio Macri.

Latin America has some of the world’s most restrictive abortion laws. Mexico City, along with Cuba and Uruguay, are among the few places in the region where women can undergo abortions during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy regardless of the circumstances.

On Thursday, dozens of members of a group called the National Campaign for the Right to Free and Safe Legal Abortion gathered near congress and followed the lawmakers’ debate on large video screens set up outside the building. They wore green, in contrast with anti-abortion activists who often wear blue.

Abortion rights and anti-abortion demonstrators gathered in separate, designated areas under tight security. They wore masks as part of efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19. 

(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)

#CORVID #INTELLIGENCE
Ravens are as intellectually 'skilled' as chimpanzees — study

Young ravens showed social and physical skills "on a par" with Great Apes, say German scientists. Their study also suggests that ravens' brains, while different from mammals, are cognitively advanced.


Ravens are on par with Great Apes in cognitive performance, researchers in Germany have found

Eight young ravens, put though cognitive tests often used on chimpanzees and orangutans, exhibited physical and social intelligence "very similar" to adult primates, a study published in Scientific Reports concluded Friday.

The first "large scale" study of ravens' cognitive skills helped to unravel "one of science's great mysteries," researchers said: How avian brains — different from mammals — had evolved, providing "parallel" intelligence over 300 million years.
How was the test carried out?

The common ravens (Corvidae) were hand-raised at the Max Planck Institute (MPG) for Ornithology near Munich. They were released into an outdoor aviary and put through so-called PCTB experiments — often used for Great Apes.

In one test, a raven would select one of three moving cups hiding a food treat, using its beak to peck or point at it, whereas a chimpanzee would use a finger.

Also run were tests on whether the ravens understood causality, had spatial and rotational memory, could communicate by looking and pointing, and exhibited mind capability by following the gazes of others.

Already, at four months, the young ravens demonstrated "full blown" cognitive skills in handling nine physical and six social tasks, said the project's leading cognitive scientists, Osnabruck University professor Simone Pika and MPG's Miriam Sima.

"At four months of age young ravens are already quite independent," said Pika, adding that they aggregated together, and were "cognitively on top of things to deal with these new challenges."

"Our ravens and the great ape individuals showed considerable similarities," said the authors, referring to cognitive skills tested until the birds were 16 months old. 

Researchers used an experimental test-battery developed for primates, but made it 'raven-friendly'

How will the results be used?

In an ever-changing ecological environment, raven survival relies heavily "on successful cooperation and alliances," and their "cognitive toolkit" to rapidly deal with complex challenges, the authors said.

For future studies, the scientists suggested comparing the cognitive skills of ravens and parrots if experimenters were involved or not involved in hand-raising.

The raven study was carried out at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, once the workplace of behavioral scientist and Nobel Prize winner Konrad Lorenz.

Four-month-old ravens just as intelligent as adult apes, study suggests


The cognitive abilities of ravens are on par with apes, according to new research.

 Photo by Pxhere/CC

Dec. 10 (UPI) -- The cognitive capabilities of four-month-old ravens are on par with those of full-grown apes, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports.

Researchers subjected different-aged ravens to a series of experimental tasks to test the birds' spatial memory, communication abilities and learning capacity.

They also tested the ravens' ability to understand relative numbers and addition, as well as their ability to grasp object permanence -- the understanding that an object still exists when it is out of sight.

"For instance, to investigate whether ravens know where food is located, we hid treats under a cup, and moved it quickly back and forth among other cups that were empty, just as one does in the 'shell game,'" study co-author Miriam Sima said in a news release.

"A raven selected a cup by pecking or pointing at it with its beak, while a chimpanzee would have done this with their fingers," said Sima, researcher with the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Germany.

Testing revealed all eight hand-raised ravens, ages 4, 8, 12 and 16 months, to be of similar intelligence, suggesting the species' cognitive capabilities develop at a rather rapid pace.

It makes sense that ravens reach cognitive maturity by four months. Around the same time, the birds tend to first exert their independence and begin exploring their surroundings.

The ravens showed individual differences in their cognitive capabilities, but overall, the eight birds were best at addition and understanding relative numbers, and less adept at spatial memory.

When the authors of the new study compared the performance of the ravens with those of 106 chimpanzees and 32 orangutans, they found the birds -- with the exception of spatial memory -- were just as cognitively capable as the apes.

Authors of the new study suggest the tests show the intelligence of ravens isn't specific to their domain. Their cognitive skills, scientists contend, are exemplary of an impressive general intelligence.

"Our results suggest that ravens are not only social intellects but have also developed sophisticated cognitive skills for dealing with the physical world," researchers wrote.

In followup studies, researchers hope to design tests that reveal the more species-specific cognitive skills.

Ruhollah Zam: Iran executes journalist who inspired 2017 protests

Authorities say journalist Ruhollah Zam, who was convicted of fomenting violence during the anti-government protests, has been executed. His Telegram channel had over a million followers.

Iranian journalist Ruhollah Zam speaks during his trial at a court in Tehran

Iranian authorities on Saturday morning executed once-exiled dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam over his online work that helped inspire nationwide anti-government protests in the Middle East nation in 2017.

The execution took place just months after he returned to Tehran under mysterious circumstances.

In June, a court sentenced 47-year-old Zam to death, saying he had been convicted of "corruption on Earth," a charge often used in cases involving espionage or attempts to overthrow Iran's government.

Iran's Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentence.

'Serious blow to press freedom'

Zam's website AmadNews and a channel he created on the popular messaging app Telegram had spread the timings of the mass protests and embarrassing information about officials that directly challenged Iran's Shiite theocracy.

Those demonstrations, which began at the end of 2017, represented the biggest challenge to Iran since the 2009 Green Movement protests and set the stage for similar mass unrest in November of last year.

The initial spark for the 2017 protests was a sudden jump in food prices, but they later morphed into broad demonstrations against the nation's ruling class.

Zam, who has said he fled Iran after being falsely accused of working with foreign intelligence services, denied inciting violence on Telegram at the time.

The details of his arrest still remain unclear. Though he was based in Paris, Zam somehow returned to Iran and found himself detained by intelligence officials. He's one of several opposition figures in exile who have been returned to Iran over the last year.

France previously has criticized his death sentence as "a serious blow to freedom of expression and press freedom in Iran.''

sri/mm (AP, Reuters)

Steelmaker Thyssenkrupp rejects German state aid

Industrial giant Thyssenkrupp has ruled out government participation to support it during the COVID pandemic, an option favored by unions but judged too costly by management.

A worker at a Thyssenkrupp steel manufacturing unit in the German town of Duisburg

The management of Thyssenkrupp has rejected the prospect of the German government coming to the rescue of the ailing conglomerate, arguing that it would be too costly.

"State participation off the table," Klaus Keysberg, the group's financial director, told the German daily Rheinische Post.

In an interview published Friday evening, Keysberg blamed "high costs" in the long term of government assistance, "due to the interest payments and the terms of repayment."

Thyssenkrupp CEO Martina Merz, however, has yet to rule out state assistance.

Already weakened by years of cut-price competition from China in the steel industry, Thyssenkrupp has further struggled with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that caused business activity to plunge.

The company incurred heavy losses over the course of its fiscal year, ending September 30, particularly in its steel business. Earnings before interest and tax plunged to minus €1.6 billion (minus $1.94 billion), with the steel sector accounting for €946 million in losses. In the previous fiscal year, Thyssenkrupp made a net loss of €110 million. Revenue fell year-on-year by 15% to €28.9 billion.

Looking ahead, Thyssenkrupp expects to make a net loss of "over one billion euros" in its 2020-2021 financial year.

Watch video Thyssenkrupp moves ahead with company split

The right response?

To counter the headwinds, Thyssenkrupp has indicated it is looking for partners to help shore up steel operations. British steel giant Liberty launched a takeover bid in October. Discussions are also underway with Sweden's SSAB and India's Tata Steel.

An alliance with fellow German steelmaker Salzgitter to create a national steel champion is also being considered. But these options won't be decided until "spring 2021," Thyssenkrupp said.

In mid-November, the troubled company said it would cut an additional 5,000 jobs as part of its restructuring plan, bringing the total to nearly 11,000, to be spread out over several years.

Watch video 06:22 Can steel production be made greener?

The powerful IG Metall union had organized rallies in October to demand a rescue plan from Berlin.

But the government was never enthusiastic, despite their acquisition of stakes in the airline Lufthansa and tour operator TUI, which also had business ravaged by the health emergency.

"I don't believe that nationalization is the right response at the moment," Germany's Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said in October on Thyssenkrupp.

OBIT IN THE AGE OF #METOO

Praise, criticism as S. Koreans react to death of director Kim Ki-duk

Issued on: 12/12/2020 - 

South Korean director Kim Ki-duk won acclaim for his films, but he was tarnished by allegations of sexual abuse in his later years Tiziana FABI AFP/File

Seoul (AFP)

There were mixed reactions Saturday in South Korea to the death of acclaimed director Kim Ki-duk, whose cinematic legacy was tarnished by allegations of sexual assault.

Kim, who won global fame with his bold portrayal of extreme violence and human brutality, died nine days shy of his 60th birthday in Latvia on Friday.

He faced a number of sexual assault and abuse allegations from actresses who worked in his films as well as other staffers in recent years, all of which he denied.

"'Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring' directed by Kim is a masterpiece. I wish him peace in heaven," wrote one user on Naver, South Korea's biggest web portal.

"I have watched many of his films. May he rest in peace," said another user.

But many on social media criticised the controversial director, pointing to the abuse allegations against him.

"A big loss and grief for Korean cinema," read the headline of the report on Kim's death in South Korean daily The Financial News.

Some responded to the piece saying such praise was not deserved.

"Kim does not and should not represent the Korean cinema," read one comment.

"Directors who respect actors on the set and entertain the audience in theatres are those who represent the industry, not Kim."

Another user said: "I hope the victims of Kim's abuses overcome their struggles and live a happy life."

Coverage of his death in other South Korean media reflected the conflicting views on the director.

"Kim Ki-duk: Golden Lion winner, alleged abuser and died of the coronavirus... a life filled with ups and downs," read a headline by News 1, a local news agency, referring to the top prize at the Venice Film Festival.

In 2017, a South Korean actress accused Kim of physically abusing her the previous year on the set of "Moebius".

Soon, another actress accused him of rape, and a spate of other allegations from staffers and performers followed.

Kim denied the allegations.

© 2020 AFP