Governor rolls out Zika virus outbreak prevention plan for New York

Gov. Andrew Cuomo launched a new plan on Friday to prevent an outbreak of the Zika virus and target the mosquitos that may carry the disease.

                                                     Andrew Cuomo

The state will give out 100,000 larvicide tablets to New Yorkers to kill mosquito larvae, and set 1,000 traps to catch 60,000 of the bug’s aedes albopictus species each month and test them for Zika.
 “We want to be prepared. We want to be head of it. And we want to be taking aggressive action to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to combat the possible spread of Zika,” Cuomo said at a briefing at his Midtown office with Health Commissioner Howard Zucker.

Yellow Fever Death In Angola’s Rises To 158

A yellow fever outbreak in Angola that began late last year has killed 158 people, up from 50 a month ago, as deaths from the disease transmitted by mosquitoes,accelerate, a World Health Organisation official said on Saturday.
There has also been an increase in malaria, cholera and chronic diarrhoea in Luanda and other cities, partly due to a breakdown in sanitation services and rubbish collection, health officials say.
City authorities have slashed their budget for rubbish collection to cope with a budget crisis, leaving piles of waste building up in poorer suburbs including Viana, where the first case of yellow fever was reported in late December. “This is an urban pattern of outbreak of yellow fever and it is much more complicated to tackle and deal with,” said Hernando Agudelo Ospina, the WHO representative in Luanda. “The possibility of spreading out to other provinces or even to the all country is much higher than if it had happened in a rural area.”
 The disease was mainly confined to Luanda and its suburban areas where the outbreak was first registered, he said. Angola relies on crude exports for around 95 percent of its foreign exchange earnings and a sharp decline in oil prices since mid-2014 has hobbled Africa’s second biggest oil exporter, sending the kwanza currency plummeting and necessitated deep cuts in public spending.

Germany adopts policing treaty with Czech Republic

A treaty to boost German and Czech police and customs patrols along the two nations' border has been ratified by Germany's lower house of parliament. The border region has a reputation for the smuggling of crystal meth.
The treaty, signed last year but still dependent on parliamentary approvals, passed quietly in Germany's main chamber on Thursday despite major differences between Prague and Berlin over EU responses to refugee arrivals.
Backing came from the conservatives and Social Democrats in Chancellor Angela Merkel's grand coalition. The cooperation treaty was opposed by the opposition Left party, with the Greens abstaining.
Günter Baumann, a conservative federal parliamentarian from the Erz Mountain region in Germany's Saxony state, bordering the Czech Republic, described the treaty as a "single but important building block" in Europe's security mosaic.
It would create a new basis for "more effective" joint police and customs work on both sides of the 646-kilometer (400-mile) German-Czech border, he said, and incorporate jointly staffed headquarters located at Schwandorf in Bavaria and Petrovice in the Czech Republic.
The treaty now hinges on approval by Germany's upper house of parliament.

BREAKING:Istanbul suicide bombing shakes city center

An explosion in the center of Istanbul's busiest shopping area killed at least five people on Saturday, emptying the streets of Turkey's largest city.
Police believe that Saturday's attack on Istiklal Street, Istanbul's main pedestrian shopping street, was a suicide bombing gone wrong. In addition to the five deaths, at least 36 people were injured - 12 of them foreign nationals, according to the Ministry of Health.
Helicopters circled overhead as police quickly cordoned off the main entrances and side exits of Istiklal Street, while the smell of the explosion hung in the air long after the attack.
According to officers at the scene, an unknown attacker detonated an explosive device on the corner of Istiklal and Balo sokak, a side street next to the office of the district governor.

Compiled by Tom Stevenson

Botswana government lose battle to ban gay group

Botswana's highest court has said the organization Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO) can be allowed to register. A five-judge bench at the Court of Appeals said the refusal had been unconstitutional.
Activists launched their legal battle after the Home Affairs Ministry rejected an application to register the gay rights lobby group.
But judges dismissed Home Affairs Minister Edwin Batshu's argument that registration might encourage the group's members to break the law.
"That concern or reason for refusal was irrational on the evidence before us, so there can be no question of his decision being necessary in the interests of public order," said Judge Ian Kirby, who handed down the ruling from a five-judge bench.
"It is clear that the government's decision [to seek the ban] interferes in the most fundamental way with the respondents' right to form an association to protect and promote their interest," he added.
 The ruling means LEGABIBO will be able to register and campaign for changes in anti-gay legislation.

Leadership Qualities: Teaching Kids to be Leaders

As a parent I want my children to be extremely successful and happy, believing that their level of happiness will be their level of success. In short, I want my kids to lead a good and fulfilling life. As the parent of two children I am constantly gaining a further realization at what a monumental task this is. What do I teach them? What experiences can I share to further their journey in life? What skills and attributes do I feel are important to compete and survive in this world?
One of my key philosophies in life is stop and listen. In a hectic world with many distractions, stopping what I am doing and just listen has allowed me to ponder my existence and draw conclusions about life. One such instance of this has to do with the qualities of a leader. This is not to say that I want my children to go out there and be a CEO of some large corporation, but rather I wish my child to learn how to take control of their life and direct it for good. It just so happens that some of these qualities are those that have allowed businessman and women to do well in their line of work.
Whatever your definition of success is, the qualities that leaders should, and many do possess, are ones that parents could use to improve the quality of life for their children.

Teaching Communication Skills

In the early years of life, children quickly develop language skills and progress in their ability to effectively communicate their thoughts and desires.
A leader must have the ability to communicate effectively in a wide variety of situations, whether with employees, consumers, applicants, or the general public. A loss of communication leads to a loss of productivity and confidence.
Here are three tips and ideas to assist in fostering good communication skills with your children:

• The communication game:

Materials: Blocks, crayon/pen and paper, playdough, anything that will allow you to build or create something. All participants must have identical materials.
Participants: 2 to many
Time limit: 7 to 10 minutes
Participants are to face away from each other, and avoid peaking! One person constructs an object using the materials, and as they construct the object of their desire, they communicate with others the process. Each instruction is to be followed by the other participants, using the same materials as the "Master Builder". Once the Master Builder finishes the creation and walking everyone through the steps, all participants can look at how similar their creation is to the participant who instructed. This makes it so children have to rely on listening and giving good instructions to ensure everyone ends up with the same results.
Depending on age level, the adult may want to be the Master Builder for younger ages, and allow older children a chance to be the Master Builder.

• A handshake and hello:

One of the things I taught my son as a toddler was to shake hands and greet people with a, "Hello, how are you?" The simple gesture of physical contact and a genuine interest is a great way for kids to learn to communicate. Here are some things to work on when teaching children to greet in this manner:

1. Eye contact: Maintain before the handshake, during the handshake, and when talking
2. Good grip: Teach them to shake back and not be afraid to squeeze a little to show the other person they are there!
3. Speak clearly: When asking a question or saying hello, make sure the kids are speaking audible and clear
4. Listen: When asking the question, "How are you today?", teach your kids to listen and respond appropriately.

Written by Jared Zane Kessie

THE RIGHT NEIGHBOURHOOD

Finding the right place to live will make the difference between living in a place you look forward to getting home to, or constantly working out how to break the lease!
Many choices about where we live are made because of our familiarity and existing knowledge of a particular area, in which case much of your decision is already made, but in the event you need to find somewhere new and unfamiliar to live, here are some helpful reminders of the physical and emotional aspects of choosing your next perfect rental property:
Take heed of your first impressions as you drive around the corner, into the street and pull up near the property. These will give you an immediate comfort rating. Have a look at the street, the lighting, litter, people on the street and the availability of parking spaces.
Finding that sense of community where you live will make you feel comfortably part of a neighbourhood. Look at the quality of the gardens, their maintenance and the neighbours' gardens for that sense of pride and cleanliness. Check out the external features of the building, is it in good repair, does it feel inviting? Are other properties in the street looked after?
If you don't have off street parking, your security at night time will be important. Check out the lighting, security access and dark areas, do you feel safe? This will also apply to your visitors.
How far are the nearest local shops, schools, pharmacy, deli, pub, cafes and restaurants? Are they in walking distance? If not in walking distance how will you get there? Where and how far is the nearest public transport of buses and trains?
If you like to walk and exercise, find out where the nearest parks, walkways, cycle tracks and gyms are.
Remind yourself what you wanted from your neighbourhood, was it for caf'e lifestyle or easy beach access or peace and quiet in your garden? Don't let a particular rental price or incentive compromise your real desire.
If you work from home and like your remote, then be sure to ask around or ring your telecommunications provider to find out if ADSL is installed for your entertainment and high speed internet access.
Some like it busy, some like it quiet. Consider 'possible noise factors' such as trains, planes, dogs, neighbours, kids playground, clubs, shortcuts, thorough fares and building projects, as well as the overall pollution effect.
Lastly, notice the people coming and going as they are likely to be your new neighbours and friends. Do you fit in? Is this demographic what you were looking for? The best possible feel you could get about an area is to stop and chat with a few of the locals, try out your conversation skills to obtain some on the ground feedback.
It's a good idea to visit the property at night time also; the people, traffic and car space situation could be different.
Go with your instinct and remember that one of the great advantages of renting is that you can move out after 6 or 12 months if you are not happy.

Source:rent.com.au