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How did these companies survive the pitfalls of the pandemic pivot?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

Nick Ngo still vividly remembers the spring of 2020, and the sudden wave of new shops making the same acrylic barriers as his business. “During that time, companies would pop up. I remember (it was) anybody with a saw who was able to cut it,” said Ngo, project manager at Sixstream Signs Ltd. in Surrey, B.C. “I don’t necessarily agree with it, but that was what they were doing.”What Ngo saw was part of a larger trend, a cascade of companies suddenly jumping into the COVID-19 economy, switching production from other fields into making everything from protective barriers and hand sanitizers to cleaning wipes and personal protective equipment. Fast-forward three years, and many companies that emerged to manufacture and procure PPE in the early days of the pandemic have gone bust. But others like Sixstream that had pre-existing product lines before pivoting to pandemic-related products related to social distancing and hygiene have since managed to switch bac...

North Korea launches missile into sea amid US-S Korea drills

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the sea on Sunday, its neighbors said, ramping up testing activities in response to ongoing U.S.-South Korean military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.The North’s continuation of missile tests showed its determination not to back down despite the U.S.-South Korea exercises, which are the biggest of their kind in years. But many experts say the tests are also part of North Korea's bigger objective to expand its weapons arsenal, win global recognition as a nuclear state and get international sanctions lifted.The missile launched from the North’s northwestern Tongchangri area flew across the country before it landed in the waters off its east coast, according to South Korean and Japanese assessments. They said the missile traveled a distance of about 800 kilometers (500 miles), a range that suggests the weapon could target South Korea.The chief nuclear envoys from South Korea, Japan and ...

Daily horoscope for March 19, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or major decisions from 6 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EDT today (3 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. PDT). After that, the Moon moves from Aquarius into Pisces.Happy Birthday for Sunday, March 19, 2023:You are active and imaginative. You work tirelessly for what you want. You also have strong views and tend to stick to them. This is a quieter, slower paced year for you. Focus on relationships, on your needs and what brings you happiness.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★You’ll be chatty in the next two weeks. The pace of your days will probably accelerate as well. You will be on the go with errands, short trips, plus learning and studying. Tonight: Solitude. This Week: It’s a high-energy week with good fortune!TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★This is a lovely day to get the advice of someone older. They might be a mentor figure or an older friend. Whatever they say can help you rethink future goals. Tonight: Helpful conversation. This Week: It’s a mellow week. Shop for ward...

Dear Abby: Florida depresses me, but my husband has no sympathy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

DEAR ABBY: I lived in New York all my life. I moved to Florida a year ago because of my health and to be near my daughter and granddaughters.I have been depressed ever since I got here. I miss New York and my best friend very much. I can’t sleep. I sit and cry and I have no motivation to do anything.My daughter has been great to me, but when I try to talk to my husband about how I feel, he doesn’t care. He yells and walks away.I’m so confused. I feel I can’t move on. Can you give me any advice?DISPLACED IN THE SOUTHDEAR DISPLACED: Your reason for moving to Florida was a rational one. However, feelings are not always rational. Your move has placed you in a situation where the surroundings are unfamiliar and your support system (your best friend) is no longer there for you.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: I’m disgusted by my co-worker’s noises Advice | Dear Abby: She upset her grandmother with this out-of-line fashion c...

In Zimbabwe’s rainy season, women forage for wild mushrooms

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s rainy season brings a bonanza of wild mushrooms, which many rural families feast upon and sell to boost their incomes.But the bounty also comes with danger as each year there are reports of people dying after eating poisonous fungi. Discerning between safe and toxic mushrooms has evolved into an inter-generational transfer of indigenous knowledge from mothers to daughters. Rich in protein, antioxidants and fiber, wild mushrooms are a revered delicacy and income earner in Zimbabwe, where food and formal jobs are scarce for many.Beauty Waisoni, 46, who lives on the outskirts of the capital, Harare, typically wakes up at dawn, packs plastic buckets, a basket, plates and a knife before trekking to a forest 15 kilometers (9 miles) away.Her 13-year-old daughter Beverly is in tow, as an apprentice. In the forest, the two join other pickers, mainly women working side by side with their children, combing through the morning dew for shoot-ups under tre...

State news: Kuwait court annuls 2022 parliamentary election

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Kuwaiti court on Sunday annulled the results of a parliamentary election held last year, saying it would reinstate the previous slate of lawmakers elected in 2020. The decision by Kuwait’s Constitutional Court, reported by the state-run KUNA news agency, threw more chaos into the politics of this small, oil-rich nation on the Persian Gulf.In its decision, the court cited “discrepancies” in the decree dissolving the 2020 parliament for its ruling. Authorities did not immediately explain what this meant for Kuwait’s parliament. Kuwait has the freest and most active assembly among the Gulf Arab states, but political power is still largely concentrated in the hands of the ruling Al Sabah family, which appoints the prime minister and Cabinet, and can dissolve the assembly at any time. In September, voters sent conservative Islamist figures and two women to the assembly in the second election in less than two years. The election results wer...

Bosnia: rights activists assaulted following LGBT event ban

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Rights activists in the Serb-run part of Bosnia were assaulted late Saturday, hours after banned an LGBT event planned there over the weekend, citing security concerns.The attack took place as the activists were leaving a meeting at the offices of the Bosnian branch of the global anti-corruption group Transparency International in Banja Luka. The meeting was organized after the event they hoped to stage in the northwestern city on Sunday to promote LGBT rights was banned by local police. The activists said a few dozen men chased them through the streets, hurling insults and punches. Before police arrived on the scene, several activists were hurt, including one who required medical attention. The Banja Luka police said law enforcement officers had escorted the activists to the police station to take their statements and were still looking for the perpetrators. The canceled LGBT event, organized and supported by several rights groups from across Bos...

North Korea launches missile into sea amid US-SKorea drills

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the sea on Sunday, its neighbors said, ramping up testing activities in response to ongoing U.S.-South Korean military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.The North’s continuation of missile tests showed its determination not to back down despite the U.S.-South Korea exercises, which are the biggest of their kind in years. But many experts say the tests are also part of North Korea’s bigger objective to expand its weapons arsenal, win global recognition as a nuclear state and get international sanctions lifted.The missile launched from the North’s northwestern Tongchangri area flew across the country before it landed in the waters off its east coast, according to South Korean and Japanese assessments. They said the missile traveled a distance of about 800 kilometers (500 miles), a range that suggests the weapon could target South Korea.The chief nuclear envoys from South Korea, Japa...

Letters: Use Alternatives to Violence in St. Paul Schools

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

Alternatives to ViolenceThis is in response to a March 12 Letter to the Editor entitled “Control behavior in our schools.”The author states that he had taught school in St. Paul for 18 years but did not mention at what grade level. He suggests several policy controls to bring about more student behavior, which is the typical fallback position of educators with a long history. What he is suggesting is that students are lacking (personal) self-control. But what school offers classes in “life skills” where they can learn and practice such skills? It’s just not part of the curriculum, and teachers will tell you that they would not have time to include it, nor would they know how to teach it.However, there is a solution close at hand that few know about.It is called the Alternatives to Violence Project, or AVP.  The program, which teaches alternatives to violent situations, has a long successful history. It began in New York in a state prison after the 1975 Attica Prison riot...

Voting Begins in Parliamentary and Local Elections, A Key Step in Building a Just Kazakhstan

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

Legislative elections are taking place today in Kazakhstan to elect members of the Mazhilis, the lower house of parliament, and the maslikhats, local representative bodies.Significant changes have been made to the electoral system in comparison to previous elections following constitutional amendments last year. A proportional-majoritarian model is being used for the first time since 2004, where 30 per cent of Mazhilis members are elected in single-member districts. The threshold for political parties to gain seats in parliament has been lowered from seven to five per cent. Other changes include an “against all” option on the ballots, and a 30 per cent quota for women, youth, and persons with special needs in party lists, both prior to the election and in the distribution of mandates.Seven political parties are competing in the election, including two new parties that are able to participate due to simplified party registration rules. A total of 281 candidates from seven party lists...