New 48-Volt Quant supercar can go 600 miles on a tank of ‘salt water’

By Joshua Hawkins
November 24th, 2022 


Electric vehicles are just one of the many solutions that engineers have been pushing as a way to cut down on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. However, there are a ton of issues holding back the EV market, most of all the time that it takes to charge a new battery. Now, the Quantino electric supercar could help change all of that, though.

The supercar, which is currently being developed and worked on by nanoFlowcell, utilizes a special kind of saltwater mixture that the company calls bi-ION electrolyte. The Quant48, which has been available for over five years at this point, has proven time and time again that the nanoFlowcell technology powering this electric supercar has a lot to offer.

And now, the company is looking to push things a step further, by working on a new 2+2 roadster that will offer even better mileage and performance. Part of what makes the current electric supercar so enticing, though, is that it offers up to 600 miles on one tank. This means you won’t need to worry about tracking EV charging stations on Google Maps for each trip you take.

But, you won’t have to worry about charging this electric vehicle up after every trip. Instead, it just needs to be filled with the company’s bi-ION electrolyte mixture, similar to how you would fill a normal car’s gas tank at the gas station. Because it offers such rapid refueling options, the Quant electric supercar is helping to offer better ways to approach the EV problem.

Of course, even with the good things we’re seeing from nanoFlowcell, companies like Tesla continue to lead the market with electric vehicles that rely on batteries you need to wait to recharge completely.

With a solution like this bi-ION electrolyte technology, as well as flow batteries, which use two electrolyte liquids to store a charge, better mileage and performance are things that are more in reach than ever when it comes to EVs.

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Federal government ends partnership with Bell Let’s Talk

Story by MobileSyrup • Nov 18

Bell’s Let’s Talk charity is losing support from the federal government.


 MobileSyrup

The annual mental health awareness initiative included talks and messages from various federal leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, since 2018.

According to CityNews, the collaboration is no more.

“Since the beginning of this collaboration, approaches to mental health and employee well-being have evolved within the federal public service, and there are now well-established government-wide and department-specific structures, forums, events, and activities supporting important conversations on mental health,” Monica Granados, Press Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, told the news outlet.

Related video: 'The federal government will be stepping up with more money for health care' — Trudeau

Duration 1:10 View on Watch

Granados says the government will focus on “public service-driven activities,” and the collaboration didn’t cost either party anything.

The mental health awareness campaign saw Bell donate five cents to a mental health initiative every time social media users shared the #BellLetsTalk hashtag.

Bell celebrated a “successful” campaign in 2022, recording 47 million interactions online.

But the irony of the campaign is hard to ignore, given the way Bell treats its employees. In perhaps the most widely reported example, Bell didn’t renew Lisa LaFlamme’s contract for her former role as CTV National News anchor. Reports indicate LaFlamme had various disagreements with the executive who made the decision.

It’s unclear if the federal government’s stance to end support has anything to do with LaFlamme’s dismissal or the general treatment of Bell’s employees.

Source: CityNews

With attacks on Kurds, Erdogan aims to weaken opposition ahead of election

Story by By MAYA MARGIT/THE MEDIA LINE • Yesterday 

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference in Istanbul, Turkey October 16, 2021© (photo credit: REUTERS/MURAD SEZER)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled that a ground incursion in northern Syria and Iraq may be on the table after Ankara launched a series of airstrikes on Kurdish bases in the two countries.

Erdogan has blamed Kurdish groups for a deadly bombing in Istanbul that took the lives of six people and wounded dozens more. For their part, Kurdish groups have denied any involvement in the blast. The female assailant who carried out the bombing is said to be of Syrian extraction and had entered Turkey through Afrin in northern Syria, according to Turkish media reports.

On Sunday, Turkey announced the launch of Operation Claw-Sword aimed against the positions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq as well as at the Kurdish People’s Protection Group (YPG) along the Syrian border.

Dozens were reported to have been killed in the ensuing Turkish air strikes on Syrian and Iraqi targets that took place over the weekend.

Erdogan warned that the military campaign could well involve ground forces.


People react after an explosion on busy pedestrian Istiklal street in Istanbul, Turkey, November 13, 2022 (credit: REUTERS/KEMAL ASLAN)© Provided by The Jerusalem PostPeople react after an explosion on busy pedestrian Istiklal street in Istanbul, Turkey, November 13, 2022 (credit: REUTERS/KEMAL ASLAN)

However, regional experts believe that the uptick in Turkey-Kurdish tension is mainly a pretext aimed at boosting Erdogan’s chances of reelection.

Is the timing of the military campaign, politically charged?

Guney Yildiz, a London-based researcher, journalist and former think tank expert on Turkey, told The Media Line that the timing of the military campaign appears to be politically motivated.

“If the [Kurds in Turkey] vote for the opposition candidate then Erdogan is at a huge risk of not being elected.”Guney Yildiz, a London-based researcher, journalist and former think tank expert on Turkey

“There’s an upcoming election for Erdogan [in June] and the Kurdish voters in Turkey are among the key constituents who will determine who will not be the next president,” Yildiz explained. “If the [Kurds in Turkey] vote for the opposition candidate then Erdogan is at a huge risk of not being elected.”

Related video: Turkiye President Erdogan threatens ground operation into Syria

Duration 2:01

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Ahead of the pivotal vote, Erdogan has been pushing a very strong anti-Kurd policy aimed at sowing division in the Turkish opposition bloc and thereby strengthening his position, Yildiz said.

“When the Kurds in Turkey react to Turkish attacks in Syria, the opposition will most probably side with the government or support the incursion, and that may create divisions within the Turkish opposition or among Kurdish voters,” he explained, adding that the move also holds strategic significance for Turkey, which fears Kurdish independence.

The female assailant behind the Istanbul bombing was named by Turkish media as 23-year-old Ahlam Albashir. Although Ankara was quick to accuse her of being backed by Kurdish groups, other reports indicate instead that Albashir has links to the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army.

“Other suspects linked to this woman turned out to be part of the Islamist Syrian opposition rather than Kurdish groups,” Yildiz affirmed. “From the first moment, the Turkish government was blaming the Kurds for being behind the attack but evidence circulating [shows] that it is difficult to deduce that.”

“Even though the terrorist was a Syrian Arab – and not a Kurd – the Turkish government is still blaming the Kurds. This is why I believe that the blame is mostly political. As soon as he attacks the Kurds that greatly weakens his opposition,”Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak

Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, an expert on Turkey at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security and Tel Aviv University’s Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, also believes that Erdogan is scapegoating the Kurds for political reasons.

“As soon as the state is fighting the Kurds, how can the opposition unite with the Kurdish party,” he said. “Even though the terrorist was a Syrian Arab – and not a Kurd – the Turkish government is still blaming the Kurds. This is why I believe that the blame is mostly political. As soon as he attacks the Kurds that greatly weakens his opposition,” he told The Media Line.

According to Yanarocak, Ankara currently is focused on attacking the Kobane area, which holds great symbolic value since this is where the Kurds fought against the Islamic State group.

To further complicate matters, Iran also has recently begun attacking positions in Iraq that are held by Kurdish groups. The Islamic Republic reportedly is seeking to divert attention away from the internal unrest brought about by months of widespread anti-government protests.

Whether or not Ankara decides to move forward with a ground incursion is dependent on the Russian and American response to the move, Yanarocak said, recalling that the United States relied heavily on Kurdish forces to defeat Islamic State jihadists in 2014.

Washington has so far urged de-escalation, while Moscow has called on Turkey to refrain from using excessive military force.

“If there will indeed be an incursion then it will happen similarly to previous ones and be limited in scope,” Yanarocak predicted. “It can’t last for a long time and therefore I do not believe that it will destabilize the region.”

The Nature Trust of British Columbia to purchase part of a crucial habitat

Crowdfunding campaign aims to conserve 66.9 hectares within the Columbia River Valley

By Chadd Cawson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

When surrounded by such beautiful landscapes, waters, wetlands, and wildlife it is imperative that we nurture our nature. The Nature Trust of British Columbia a leading non-profit land conservation organization since 1971 was given the opportunity to purchase and conserve 66.9 hectares of crucial habitat in the Columbia River Valley on Oct. 5.

“We knew that this was a wonderful opportunity to protect endangered and at-risk species, as well as the land itself from development,” said Jasper Lament, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Nature Trust. “The wetlands provide us with incredible benefits; not only will the conservation of this area protect wildlife habitat, but it also helps us directly fight climate change and biodiversity loss.”

Nature Trust started a crowdfunding campaign on Nov. 4 to assist with raising the remaining $70,000 needed to protect this ecologically vital land known as Columbia Lake North – Wetlands, located near the north end of Columbia Lake close to the headwaters of the Columbia River. This conservation area is at north end of the Fairmont Hot Springs community within the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa Nation and the Secwépemc (Shuswap Band Kenpesq’t). To learn how to become involved visit: www.naturetrust.bc.ca

“While we have been working to drive this project forward for a while and have some donors already the crowdfunding campaign aims to help us secure the remaining funds,” said Lament. “Our success depends on those who share a passion for biodiversity in BC. Every donation is one step closer to purchasing the Columbia Lake North-Wetlands property and conserving it for generations to come. The area is in a bio geoclimatic zone of conservation concern and if we purchase the land, it will protect critical staging areas for waterfowl, habitats for endangered and at-risk species, and the wetlands themselves which provide countless benefits to the Columbia Valley. We are grateful to the donors who have made it possible for The Nature Trust of BC to conserve 498.5 hectares of land this year. We have raised over $1million for the Columbia Lake North-Wetlands so far and need to raise the last $70,000 by November 30 to complete this fundraising campaign. We are committed to doing all we can to protect this ecologically critical area; we rely on the generosity of sustainably minded donors to help us keep protecting ecologically important areas like the Columbia Lake North-Wetlands.”

Just 1.3 km southeast of the Hoodoos, the Columbia Lake North – Wetlands are not only a hotspot of biodiversity but a Wetland of International Importance (Ramsar Site) – one of only 37 sites in all of Canada and 3 in BC. Lament shares Wetlands are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world, providing food and habitat for all types of wildlife. Nearly 10,000 acres and home to 260 recorded bird species, as well as several fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and countless invertebrates. Species such as the Blue-listed Great Blue Heron, Red-listed American Badger, the Barn Swallow, Common Nighthawk, Red-listed California Gull, and the Western Painted Turtle; all considered endangered under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA).

The Nature Trust is expanding protection of wetlands in the Columbia River Valley. Conserving this property protects pocket old-growth forest, largely undisturbed Wetland, and rare riparian ecosystems which include open water, marsh, and swamp wetlands as well as willow-dominated riparian communities. This Wetland also contains provincially identified Ungulate Winter Range (UWR), habitat that is necessary to meet the winter habitat requirements of many ungulate species that live along the Columbia River and throughout our valley such as Moose, Elk, Mule Deer, and White-tailed Deer. It has also become an important movement corridor for Grizzly Bear, Badgers, Wolverines, Mountain Goat, and Elk.

“Going forward some of our first steps will involve collecting data on the property’s ecological attributes such as mapping the vegetation and conducting wildlife surveys. This data, as well as information collected on the use of the property by humans will contribute to the development of a Management Direction Statement,” said Lament. “The Management Direction Statement will establish the management planning objectives and goals for the property and guide our land management activities over future years.”

Chadd Cawson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Columbia Valley Pioneer

After decades as a nuclear powerhouse, France makes its play in offshore wind

Story by Anmar Frangoul • Yesterday 

EDF says the 480-megawatt Saint-Nazaire Offshore Wind Farm would help to "support the French State's energy transition goals."

For decades, France has been something of a powerhouse when it comes to nuclear.
In wind power, the country has an established onshore sector. Its offshore industry is, by contrast, very small.


This image, from Sept. 2022, shows French President Emmanuel Macron speaking with workers on board a boat during a visit to the Saint-Nazaire Offshore Wind Farm.© Provided by CNBC

A facility described as "France's first commercial-scale offshore wind project" is fully operational, multinational utility EDF said this week.

The news represents a significant step forward for the country's offshore wind sector, with more projects set to come online in the years ahead.

In a statement Wednesday, EDF said the 480-megawatt Saint-Nazaire Offshore Wind Farm would help to "support the French State's energy transition goals, which include targets to generate 32% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030." EDF's majority shareholder is the French state.

Located in waters off the south west coast of France, the Saint-Nazaire project consists of 80 turbines. Its first electricity was generated in June 2022.

Related video: France's energy mix in turmoil

Duration 12:15  View on Watch

Looking ahead, EDF said the wind farm would "supply the equivalent of the consumption of 700,000 people with electricity every year."

While the Saint-Nazaire project represents a significant shot in the arm for France's nascent offshore wind sector, the country has for decades been something of a powerhouse when it comes to nuclear.

According to the World Nuclear Association, France is home to 56 operable reactors. "France derives about 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy," it adds.

In wind power, the country has an established onshore sector. Its offshore industry is by contrast miniscule, with a cumulative capacity of just 2 MW in 2021, according to figures from industry body WindEurope.

This is set to change in the coming years. "Offshore installations are finally set to take off as of 2022, and we expect 3.3 GW of offshore wind installations from now until 2026," WindEurope's Wind Energy in Europe report, which was published in Feb. 2022, said.

In a statement, EDF Renewables' CEO Bruno Bensasson expressed pride in commissioning what he called "France's first industrial offshore wind farm."

"Over the past 10 years, this project has contributed to the construction of the offshore wind power industry in France and has mobilized a significant number of jobs during construction and now in the operating phase," he later added.

Russian Duma gives LGBTQ 'propaganda' bill final approval

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian lawmakers on Thursday gave their final approval to a bill that significantly expands restrictions on activities seen as promoting gay rights in the country, another step in a years-long crackdown on the country's embattled LGBTQ community.


Russian Duma gives LGBTQ 'propaganda' bill final approval© Provided by The Canadian Press

The new bill expands a ban on what authorities call “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” to minors, established by legislation dubbed the “gay propaganda” law. It was adopted by the Kremlin in 2013 in an effort to promote “traditional values” in Russia.

This year, the lawmakers moved to ban spreading such information to people aged 18 and older.

The bill was approved in the third and final reading on Thursday by the State Duma, the lower house of parliament. It will go next to the upper house, the Federation Council, and then to President Vladimir Putin, whose signature will give it legal force.



Related video: Russian lawmakers advance expansion of anti-LGBTQ law
Duration 7:41
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Russian lawmakers give final approval to bill banning 'LGBT+ propaganda'

The new bill outlaws all advertising, media and online resources books, films and theater productions deemed to contain such “propaganda,” a concept loosely defined in the bill. The 2013 ban was often enacted against any depictions of same-sex unions and used as a tool to crack down on LGBTQ rights groups and activists.

Violations are punishable by fines. If committed by non-residents, they can lead to their expulsion from Russia. The fines range from 100,000 to 2 million rubles ($1,660-$33,000). For some violations, foreigners could face 15 days’ detention prior to expulsion.

The bill does not make violations a criminal offense. Russian law stipulates that the criminal code can be amended only through an independent bill. Some lawmakers have suggested they favor such a measure.

Russia explicitly outlawed same-sex marriages in 2020 by adopting amendments to the country's Constitution that, among other things, stipulated that the “institution of marriage is a union between a man and a woman.”

The Associated Press

NDP Vows to Fight Against ‘War on Workers’

“When envisioned, the whole idea of the notwithstanding clause was to bring provinces on board. It was never meant to be used preemptively to undermine fundamental rights of workers,” Singh said.

BUILD THE MASS STRIKE

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh wants provincial governments to be prevented from using the Constitutions’s notwithstanding clause to deny unions’ right to strike after Ontario Premier Doug Ford invoked it in an attempt to head off job action by education workers.

Singh told delegates at the BC Federation of Labour convention this week that Ontario’s abandoned attempt to use the clause to impose a collective agreement on education workers could set a dangerous precedent.

“There has got to be a limitation. It should not be used that way,” Singh told delegates. “We’re working at the federal level to find ways to limit its use.”

Singh’s comments came a week after Ontario repealed Bill 28, which imposed a contract on 55,000 education workers represented by CUPE and banned them from going on strike.

The law relied on Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms — the notwithstanding clause — which allows the federal and provincial parliaments to pass legislation overriding guaranteed human rights.

The bill sparked condemnation from labour and human rights groups and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Singh told the convention it was part of an ongoing “war on workers.” Premier Doug Ford backed down from the bill and the government reached a tentative deal with CUPE workers earlier this week.

The affair sparked concerns from labour groups who worry other provincial governments may bypass collective bargaining with unions. Employees’ right to bargain collectively was recognized in the B.C. Hospital Employees’ Union’s landmark Supreme Court victory in 2007.

Newly minted B.C. Premier David Eby made a point of telling federation delegates that his government would not invoke the clause in that way. He received a standing ovation.

“Can you imagine that I have to make that commitment to you? That that is an issue?” Eby said.

Related video: NDP leader weighs in on Ontario's use of notwithstanding clause
Duration 1:41
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And Canadian Labour Congress president Bea Bruske dedicated part of her speech to excoriating the Ford government, backed by yells of “shame” from the crowd.

Singh, whose party is supporting the federal Liberals in Parliament, argued the clause should be limited to “very specific or unique situations.” He and others worry Bill 28 could create a new precedent for how the clause is invoked.

“It can’t have been what was envisioned when we signed on to having a Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” Singh said in an interview after he spoke at the convention.

A spokeswoman for federal Attorney General David Lametti said the clause should not be used pre-emptively and that government is “looking at our options,” though she did not say what those were.

“We believe that the notwithstanding clause should be used as a last resort, and that governments must explain the exceptional circumstances that justify the suspension of legal protections,” Chantalle Aubertin said in a statement.

The federal government does not have the power to change that on its own. Amending Canada’s Constitution would require the backing of two-thirds of Canadian provinces who collectively represent at least half the total population.

Ottawa law professor Carissima Mathen says the federal Parliament could adopt a bill limiting its own powers to invoke the notwithstanding clause. But that wouldn’t affect provinces’ powers — though it would send a strong political message.

Singh said the federal government could instead submit a case to the Supreme Court of Canada, essentially asking the judiciary to rule on how broadly the notwithstanding clause can be applied.

Mathen said that court has considered similar cases in the past but that nothing prevents them from examining it again.

“The court isn’t bound by its own decisions. It’s able to reconsider them. The court has done that on a couple of occasions in very important ways,” Mathen said.

Asked why provinces would voluntarily give up the power to make their own laws, Singh said the vast majority of Canadians were uncomfortable with the prospect of their Charter rights being overturned.

“When envisioned, the whole idea of the notwithstanding clause was to bring provinces on board. It was never meant to be used preemptively to undermine fundamental rights of workers,” Singh said.

Zak Vescera, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Tyee

U.S. will likely challenge Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition: report

Story by MobileSyrup • Yesterday 





Microsoft’s pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard could face a major roadblock from the U.S.’ Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Politico, citing “three people with knowledge of the matter,” reports that the FTC will likely file an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft in an effort to block the tech giant’s takeover of the Call of Duty maker. While the publication notes that the FTC hasn’t yet made a formal decision, the agency is nonetheless skeptical of Microsoft’s case for purchasing Activision Blizzard.

As the deal has faced regulatory approval across the globe, a key point of contention has been Call of Duty. Rival Sony has argued that Microsoft owning the massively popular first-person shooter franchise would provide an unfair advantage.

“Call of Duty is not replicable. Call of Duty is too entrenched for any rival, no matter how well equipped, to catch up. It has been the top-selling game for almost every year in the last decade and, in the first-person shooter (‘FPS’) genre, it is overwhelmingly the top-selling game,” wrote Sony in a filing to the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). As an example, Sony mentioned that EA’s Battlefield, which is a direct Call of Duty competitor, “cannot keep up” with Activision’s series.

Related video: UK Regulator Concerned About Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Purchase
Duration 1:32   View on Watch




Microsoft, in turn, has said it’s willing to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for many years while arguing that it would still be third in the gaming market after Sony and Tencent even upon acquiring Activision Blizzard.

“The suggestion that the incumbent market leader, Sony, with clear and enduring market power, could be foreclosed by the smallest of the three console competitors, Xbox, as a result of losing access to one title, is not credible. Sony’s PlayStation has been the largest console platform for over 20 years, with an installed base of consoles and market share more than double the size of Xbox,” said Microsoft in a November 23rd statement to the CMA.

However, Politico reports that FTC investigators are also concerned about Microsoft’s plans beyond Call of Duty. The outlet notes that there’s uncertainty surrounding how Microsoft could use future unannounced Activision Blizzard titles to boost its business. So far, Microsoft has only said it intends to make these titles available on its Xbox Game Pass service. Microsoft has also outlined plans to leverage Activision Blizzard to create an app marketplace independent of Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store, which it claims will offer consumers more choice. Naturally, such a move would also face significant regulatory scrutiny.

Interestingly, Politico adds that Google is also opposing Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard bid. While the search engine giant’s gaming efforts will be limited to Android games following the January 2023 closure of its Stadia streaming service, Google’s issues with Microsoft reportedly concern other matters. Specifically, Politico reports that Google is alleging that Microsoft purposefully degrades the quality of its Game Pass service on Google Chrome in an effort to steer consumers towards Microsoft products and services. Google claims that Microsoft owning Activision Blizzard would only bolster Microsoft’s efforts in this regard.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen what action the FTC will take. Politico reports that investigators may move ahead with an antitrust case as early as December, although it could opt to do so later down the line, given that Microsoft is currently subject to in-depth probes in both Europe and the U.K. As it stands, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard aim to close the deal by June 2023.

Source: Politico

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for BLIZZARD 

Foxconn apologizes for pay dispute at China factory

BEIJING (AP) — The company that assembles Apple Inc.’s iPhones apologized Thursday for a pay dispute that triggered employee protests at a factory where anti-virus controls have slowed production.


Foxconn apologizes for pay dispute at China factory© Provided by The Canadian Press

Employees complained Foxconn Technology Group changed the terms of wages offered to attract them to the factory in the central city of Zhengzhou. Foxconn is trying to rebuild the workforce after employees walked out last month over complaints about unsafe conditions.

Videos on social media showed police in white protective suits kicking and clubbing workers during the protest that erupted Tuesday and lasted into the next day.

Foxconn, the biggest contract assembler of smartphones and other electronics for Apple and other global brands, blamed a “technical error” in the process of adding new employees and said they would be paid what they were promised.

"We apologize for an input error in the computer system and guarantee that the actual pay is the same as agreed and the official recruitment posters," said a company statement. It promised to “try its best to actively solve the concerns and reasonable demands of employees.”

Late Wednesday, Apple said it had people on the ground at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou facility.

“We are reviewing the situation and working closely with Foxconn to ensure their employees’ concerns are addressed,” the company based in Cupertino, California, said.

Unrest builds among Foxconn Apple factory workers in China
Duration 1:57
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The dispute comes as the ruling Communist Party tries to contain a surge in coronavirus cases without shutting down factories, as it did in 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Its tactics include “closed-loop management,” or having employees live at their workplaces without outside contact.

Authorities promised last month to reduce economic disruption by cutting quarantine times and making other changes to China's “zero-COVID” strategy, which aims to isolate every case. Despite that, the infection surge has prompted authorities to suspend access to neighborhoods and factories and to close office buildings, shops and restaurants in parts of many cities.

On Thursday, people in eight districts of Zhengzhou with a total of 6.6 million residents were told to stay home for five days. Daily mass testing was ordered for a “war of annihilation” against the virus.

Apple earlier warned iPhone 14 deliveries would be delayed after employees walked out of the Zhengzhou factory and access to the industrial zone around the facility was suspended following outbreaks.

To attract new workers, Foxconn offered 25,000 yuan ($3,500) for two months of work, according to employees, or almost 50% more than news reports say its highest wages usually are.

Employees complained that after they arrived, they were told they had to work an additional two months at lower pay to received the higher wage, according to an employee, Li Sanshan.

Foxconn offered up to 10,000 yuan ($1,400) to new hires who choose to leave, the finance news outlet Cailianshe reported, citing unidentified recruiting agents.

Foxconn's statement Thursday said employees who leave will receive unspecified “care subsidies” but gave no details. It promised “comprehensive support” for those who stay.

The protests in Zhengzhou come amid public frustration over restrictions that have confined millions of people to their homes. Videos on social media show residents in some areas tearing down barricades set up to enforce neighborhood closures.

Foxconn, headquartered in New Taipei City, Taiwan, earlier denied what it said were comments online that employees with the virus lived in factory dormitories.

Joe Mcdonald, The Associated Press

Offensive names against Native Americans officially changed in U.S. West

Story by PeterMertz • Yesterday 

The screenshot taken from the website of the New York Post on Nov. 24, 2022 shows the title and picture of its latest report about the renaming of Indian Gardens, a location along the Grand Canyon National Park's popular Bright Angel Trail. (Xinhua)

Offensive names against Native Americans officially changed in U.S. West© Provided by XINHUA

Efforts are already underway to update signage, website and other materials with the new name. A rededication ceremony is planned for the spring.

DENVER, the United States, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- A prominent national landmark in U.S. Southwest is getting a name change finally this week, as indignant human rights groups and wrongfully-treated Native American tribes are getting action from the federal government to help rectify century-old slights.

The most recent case applauded by local media involves U.S. most famous and internationally popular national park, the Grand Canyon National Park in Northern Arizona.

A popular hiking spot in the massive Grand Canyon changed its racially "offensive" name after an agreement was reached with a local Native American tribe which had been forced out of the area almost a century ago.

Indian Gardens, a location along the Grand Canyon National Park's popular Bright Angel Trail, is now called Havasupai Gardens, the National Park Service (NPS) said in a statement released Monday. It was previously known as Ha'a Gyoh in the Havasupai language.

The move reflects the fact that the NPS instituted policies that forced the Havasupai people, who had lived in the Grand Canyon for at least 800 years, from Ha'a Gyoh and in 1928, the last Havasupai resident, Captain Burro, was forcibly removed.

The screenshot taken from the website of USA Today on Nov. 24, 2022 shows the title and picture of its latest report about the renaming of Indian Gardens, a location along the Grand Canyon National Park's popular Bright Angel Trail. (Xinhua)

Related video: Native Americans reclaim stewardship of US bison

Duration 3:30

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Today, Havasupai is a federally recognized Indian Tribe located in northwestern Arizona with only 730 members.

"The eviction of Havasupai residents from Ha'a Gyoh coupled with the offensive name, Indian Garden, has had detrimental and lasting impacts on the Havasupai families that lived there and their descendants," the NPS statement said. "Every year, approximately 100,000 people visit the area while hiking the Bright Angel Trail, largely unaware of this history. The renaming of this sacred place to Havasupai Gardens will finally right that wrong."

Efforts are already underway to update signage, website and other materials with the new name, the NPS added. A rededication ceremony is planned for the spring.

"The Havasupai people have actively occupied this area since time immemorial, before the land's designation as a National Park and until the park forcibly removed them in 1926. This renaming is long overdue. It is a measure of respect for the undue hardship imposed by the park on the Havasupai people," Grand Canyon park superintendent Ed Keable said.

The name change followed the initiative led by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history, to rename nearly 650 geographical locations that bear a racist slur for a Native American woman and name changes advanced by local governments in U.S. West based on extensive tribal engagement.

In September, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a state bill into California law that would remove the word "squaw" from places in California by 2025 and create a process to review petitions to change offensive or derogatory place names against Native Americans.

The screenshot taken from the website of The Guardian on Nov. 24, 2022 shows the title and picture of its latest report about the renaming of Indian Gardens, a location along the Grand Canyon National Park's popular Bright Angel Trail. (Xinhua)

Last week, about 700 km northeast of the Grand Canyon, in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado's Geographic Naming Advisory Board voted unanimously to recommend renaming Mount Evans to Mount Blue Sky.

The vote came after months of discussions, presentations and public comment. Colorado Governor Jared Polis and the U.S. Board of Geographic Names are expected to approve the change.

One of Colorado's 58 internationally recognized "Fourteeners," 14,265-foot Mount Evans was named for former Colorado Territorial Governor John Evans, in office during the Sand Creek Massacre, a surprise attack where U.S. Army troops killed 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho people on Nov. 29, 1864, mostly women, children and older adults.

Native people have called for Evans' name to be removed from the mountain and that may finally occur before the new year.

Fred Mosqueda, a Southern Arapaho who has been fighting to erase the Evans name from Colorado's highest peak, was quoted by the Colorado Politics news website Wednesday the move signified the indigenous connections.

The Arapaho are known as the Blue Sky People.