More Both municipalities reported a shortfall of several million if serious reforms were not carried out which are the capitals of their respective regions employees in the municipality worked only four working days last year the budgets in both municipalities were reported to be balanced That is the question posed by LSM's Latvian language service February 5 Balvi municipality councillors reported last year that they lacked 4.8 million euros to fulfill basic functions in 2024 Regardless of who was the first to express concern everyone had to agree on decisions to improve the situation the municipality adopted an action plan to balance expenses Part of the plan was the transition to a shorter work week This was directly felt by municipal employees who often did not see their workload decrease the budget revenue of Balvi was over 32 million euros and expenses – over 35 million euros it was necessary to borrow almost 3.5 million euros from the state purse.  residents of Balvi municipality had to live with several more changes the optimization of municipal institutions and workplaces The local government set a minimum number of people from which a kindergarten group can be opened Work was also optimized in other municipal institutions Mayor Sergejs Maksimovs (Latgale party) explained that it is difficult to say how many people lost their jobs in this process He estimated that last year the workforce was reduced by approximately 200 "I can't say exactly how many people lost their jobs We haven't counted exactly how many shifts we reduced But it wasn't economically viable to maintain them so we didn't renew them," explained the mayor of Balvi municipality Maksimovs emphasized that now employees' wages have returned to their previous level – that is the local government approved the budget for 2025 It foresees revenues of over 31 million euros and approximately 1 million euros in borrowing the local government plans to repay almost 2.5 million euros from previous borrowings "We can't say that everything is over and everything is fine There are also finances to cover the loan," Maksimovs said This will bring Balvi an additional 220,000 euros the region will receive one million more from the equalization fund than in 2024 which have to pay millions into it every year Although the Ministry of Finance came up with a proposal for a new procedure last year discussions are still ongoing and it is not known when it will be changed "Providus" researcher Līga Stafecka agreed that the current equalization fund is not effective She pointed out that the costs of local governments have gradually increased which they must be able to finance themselves all local governments were required to have a municipal police force Local governments must also find the money in the budget for this themselves which was initially financed from European Union funds Local governments could have foreseen this and it had to be taken into account and resolved And there is a reason why not all local governments end up in such difficulties The question is how economical the decisions have been," explained Stafecka Talsi region also reported similar problems - the local government lacked several million to ensure its operations and planned to borrow from the state purse 62.7 million euros were planned in revenue This region also developed an action plan to reduce expenses A four-day work week was established for employees the workload of positions was reduced by 15% and bonuses and benefits for employees were waived The salaries of deputies were also reduced The municipality refused to co-finance voluntary initiatives and also limited daily spending the reorganisation of parish administrations took place a three million euro loan was planned from the state but less than two million euros were spent The local government reports that this year's budget will be balanced but the exact figures have not yet been revealed as the budget is in the process of being adopted "We plan to adopt the budget by the deadline in February and salaries are being restored to the previous amount," Lita Rollande deputy executive director of the Talsi municipality social services and benefits this year are planned to be at the same level as last year "The increase in the social budget is significant but the county's priority is to ensure the needs of vulnerable residents for social services and assistance in accordance with regulatory enactments," noted Rollande Talsi will also receive a larger share of personal income tax and the grant from the municipal equalization fund will increase by 3.6 million euros the local government also decided not to raise salaries for municipal employees the council also decided to freeze salaries for elected officials The mayor of Balvi admitted that actions should have been taken earlier but the negative reaction of the public discouraged them from doing so Talsi pointed out that the budget was also affected by previously made decisions regarding salary increases both local governments had not optimized their internal structures in a timely manner Local governments also mentioned the inevitable increase in costs the increase in loan interest rates and high energy prices which were affected by both the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine Balvi particularly emphasizes the local government financing model and the equalization fund as a reason "The root cause is the inadequate financing model for local governments It is outdated and unfriendly to border regions and regions further from the capital the Union of Local Governments and the Ministry of Finance were unable to agree on a new model leaving it for the future," said the mayor of Balvi municipality Select text and press Ctrl+Enter to send a suggested correction to the editor Select text and press Report a mistake to send a suggested correction to the editor two Latvian municipalities – Talsi and Balvi – introduced a four-day work week for municipal employees due to a lack of money both municipalities have resumed working in a five-day work week Employees of the Balvi municipality admit that they have felt the salary reduction but the municipality management reveals that one million euros have been saved from the salary reduction and currently the financial situation in the municipality is quite good this year's budget will most likely be not only balanced When asked how their lives have been affected by the decision Balvi District Council made last year to close many municipal institutions on Fridays those interviewed on the streets of the city told Latvian Radio it has not affected their lives overmuch During last year's municipal budget process informed councillors that there was a 4.8 million euro shortfall in the budget Deputies responded by deciding to introduce a four-day work week in the municipality The opinions of the municipal employees about last year's four-day work week differ – there are also those who are not ready to speak publicly but are not happy with their salary reduction when the amount of work remained the same or even increased last year was a kind of test for the county's librarians – when some of the services previously received from parish administrations were redirected to libraries The number of library visitors has also decreased over the past six months It was during this period that ten libraries in the region took on additional tasks – collecting payments and also paying out benefits people were inconvenienced that the library was not open on Friday or Saturday," says Cibule the municipality has several million euros in its accounts "Due to the relatively good implementation of personal income tax and the fact that we started receiving both this tax and the Financial Equalization Fund money very early the Balvi municipality was able to put its finances in order in relation to the 2024 budget we could have not implemented these four working days or shortened working hours for employees," admits Maksimovs The reduction in salaries due to the introduction of a 4-day work week affected around 500 employees The municipality saved one million euros at the expense of its employees The municipality is currently working on this year's budget and predicts that it will most likely be a balanced budget with a surplus The Balvi municipality's budget is planned to be approved at the end of January Kuprava Industry started operations in summer 2022 The idea for the production of the mobile sauna came from Gints Dzērve His like-minded friends had bought part of a Soviet-era clay drainpipe factory in the small village of Kuprava All the prototypes so far have been built by me from the drawings to the procurement and execution of the material I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty," said Dzērve Asked why the operation is located in Kuprava and whether this is an obstacle to the development of production Photo: PublicitātesPhoto: PublicitātesPhoto: Publicitātes we are closer to Rīga than Liepāja much lower than in the Rīga vicinity," said Dzērve 95% of the saunas produced at the company are shipped outside Latvia Sweden and Norway as the most important markets Although it might seem that demand comes from places with colder climates "There was a helicopter installation in the Swiss Alps The one that is dearest to my heart at the moment But my favourite project at the moment is Lofoten in Norway We installed a spa 200 kilometres above the Arctic Circle to the North And in the middle of a fjord we installed a four-building complex," said Dzērve The company started its activities at a time when the war in Ukraine had already begun this has not caused any particular difficulties as they have had to work in a new environment where material prices have risen the geopolitical situation is changing the direction of potential exports the company joined the Latgale Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and received tax breaks by investing in their development or creating new jobs they can get an 80% discount on corporate income tax and up to 100% on real estate tax it is also important to be recognized and to build new partnerships it promotes new opportunities also from the municipality And at the moment I feel very strongly that we are seen as partners that we are a company that can be counted on that we can be approached with offers and specific support programmes This is what I expect and what we will work on." the Latgale SEZ was established to promote the development of the Latgale region create new jobs and attract investment for manufacturing 33 companies with SEZ status operate there and 73 investment agreements have been signed The investment volume is more than EUR 109 million Around 400 new jobs have been created in the Latgale Special Economic Zone Five new companies joined the Latgale SEZ last year The reform planned for Latvia’s network of hospitals includes the closure of maternity wards in Dobele and surrounding area hospital as well as in Balvi and Gulbene association of hospitals redirecting patients to Jelgava city and Rezekne hospitals maternity wards as mentioned in the report prepared by the Ministry of Health on changes to the network of hospitals it is also planned to improve all hospitals’ Emergency Medical Service and Patient Admission Service to provide pregnant women with firs aid in the event of an emergency In 2022 obstetrical services were provided in 14 517 cases Five healthcare institutions had less than 500 births The Ministry of Health stresses that when planning availability of obstetrical service it is important to take into account territorial availability When it comes to traumatology and orthopaedics sector the situation was the most critical in Latgale Traumatologist – orthopaedist services are almost unavailable in this region when compared with other regions This is because none of the hospitals in Latgale have managed to attract specialists in this field patients from Latgale are brought to the Hospital of Traumatology and Orthopaedics in Riga or Riga’s 2nd Hospital In Jekabpils patients are carried to Madona Hospital this hospital does have traumatologists and orthopaedics The ministry plans to ensure the availability of traumatology and orthopaedics services in fourth and fifth level hospitals Gynaecology services are planned to be preserved in all hospitals that provide obstetrical services Because of existing demographic trends and continued ageing of the population it is planned to maintain internal medicine profiles in hospitals of all levels There are also plans to maintain paediatric profile in all second to fifth level hospitals that meet requirements and criteria for quality Hospitals that do not meet requirements will still maintain a paediatrician to provide emergency medical services and patient observation To ensure better cooperation between hospitals it is planned to establish closer cooperation between the Children’s Clinical University Hospital and regional hospitals The report is handed to various cooperation and social partners Hospitals and other partners will be able to submit proposals and opinions about the plan Individual meetings are arranged with hospitals to address all questions and planned changes numbers of specialists employed and funding the Ministry of Health stresses that Latvia’s network of hospitals will be preserved – the changes will only affect the organisation of work there Also read: BNN ASKS | VARAM will not intervene in Riga City Council’s internal conflict, minister hopes With the goal of benefiting global human health Vitalik Buterin directs gift to research on aerosols establishing the UC San Diego Meta-Institute for Airborne Disease in a Changing Climate In a time when viruses from SARS-CoV-2 to RSV and influenza have dominated the news cycle concerns abound about airborne pathogens and pollutants such as: when microbes become airborne around us How do variations in the environment such as humidity and temperature affect how long pathogens and pollutants remain viable Do these factors play a role in how the respiratory system may be infected?  What is the distribution of airborne pathogens around the world?      Researchers at the University of California San Diego will have the opportunity to dive deeper into such questions thanks to a $15 million gift made in USD coin (USDC) by the Balvi Filantropic Fund, directed by Vitalik Buterin, founder of one of the world’s leading blockchain networks, Ethereum. The gift establishes the Meta-Institute for Airborne Disease in a Changing Climate (“The Airborne Institute”) at UC San Diego Buterin’s donation is one of the largest cryptocurrency gifts made to a U.S. university, and to a University of California campus. It is the largest to date to fund open-source research on aerosols. The gift was exchanged into U.S. dollars through Engiven a locally-based provider of cryptocurrency donation services to nonprofits it has become abundantly apparent that we need more open-source scientific research to better understand airborne pathogens and pollutants and how they affect us,” said Buterin “I am pleased to support the creation of this new institute at UC San Diego which will work to grow our scientific knowledge about airborne disease and share it freely enabling changes to infrastructure and policy that benefit people around the globe.” The Meta-Institute for Airborne Disease in a Changing Climate will represent a cross-campus collaboration using expertise in varied fields to better understand aerosolized pathogens and their impact which could include health issues such as allergies asthma and systemic diseases spread by aerosol transmission we translate discoveries into solutions,” said Chancellor Pradeep K visionary gift will empower our world-class scientists and researchers to conduct collaborative interdisciplinary studies of airborne diseases and pollutants with the potential to drive new discoveries to improve human health – all for the greater good.” which is focused on improving our understanding of how aerosol particles impact the environment “We are excited to launch this new institute that will allow us to take a multidisciplinary approach to better understand airborne transmission of disease,” said Prather “Working together with health care experts we will be developing state-of-the-art measurements and computational tools to study these problems A major goal is to develop a better understanding of the production and sources of airborne bioparticles and how long they remain infectious.” Researchers in the new institute will seek to develop a standard for sampling and analyzing airborne microbes and pathogens in viruses The team has set up air samplers in Imperial Beach at a coastal site that is heavily impacted by pollution runoff and sewage flowing into the ocean The samplers are being used to study ocean sources of airborne pathogens as well as to conduct water-to-air transfer of specific viruses to better understand the atmospheric sources of bioaerosols researchers plan to expand the project to include sampling locations around the world In a recent study, the tremendous impact of raw sewage flowing into the ocean has been shown to also affect the air. The Prather group published a study showing that nearly three-quarters of the aerosols near Imperial Beach contained bacteria associated with the raw sewage in the Tijuana Estuary This study shows that waterborne pollution can be an important source of airborne pollution “We are beginning to investigate the aerosolized pathogens from wastewater with a focus on better understanding the health effects of inhaling these bioaerosols and waterborne pollutants,” said Prather “This will be a new effort combining medicine engineering and public health with the goal of ultimately improving indoor air quality for all." “We have made tremendous strides in advancing technology to see pathogens in the wastewater and on surfaces and look forward to extending this to the air we breathe,” said Rob Knight Bioengineering and Computer Science and Engineering and director of the Center for Microbiome Innovation “Improved techniques for handling low biomass samples and for simultaneous detection of genome sequences and chemicals from the same specimen as we have been developing for our human microbiome projects will transform our ability to understand our environmental exposures and their positive and negative impacts on our health.” The institute will also draw on and expand groundbreaking computational efforts led by Amaro Researchers will use advanced computational techniques to understand how different production pathways impact aerosol size distribution They will look at how variables such as composition humidity and exposure to atmospheric gasses may affect the viability of pathogens and pollutants in the air The Amaro lab and collaborators have already built and simulated the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a respiratory aerosol giving the first-ever views of an aerosolized virus “These simulations are transforming aerosol research because we can see now what is happening to viruses when they are suspended in aerosols,” says Amaro “We are able to identify the different mechanisms through which different biological organisms may protect themselves in flight.” As part of the Meta-Institute for Airborne Disease in a Changing Climate researchers will also begin to investigate the health impacts of inhaling the aerosolized bacteria “One of the most exciting aspects of this effort is the bringing together of top scientists from diverse disciplines to answer questions that – until now – few have ever even thought to ask,” said Amaro “This convergence of expertise will allow us to develop and apply new techniques to answer these questions and transform our understanding of airborne pathogens and their impacts on human and ecosystem health.” The team will use emerging microscopy techniques and state-of-the-art mass spectrometry to identify and track aerosolized pathogens and pollutants and determine which ones are deposited in the throat and nasal passages as well as how factors such as particle size composition and environmental variables may affect how microbes infect the surface of lung cells The Balvi Filantropic Fund’s mission influenced by Buterin’s experience in the open-source software world includes making scientific knowledge more widely available to the world without barriers to accessing and using it the Meta-Institute for Airborne Disease in a Changing Climate will publish research supported by Balvi’s donation in open-access journals and make reports and other data available online to the public intellectual property related to research equipment and instrumentation developed with Balvi funds will be placed into the public domain “Our goal in establishing the Meta-Institute for Airborne Disease in a Changing Climate is to create a multi-disciplinary center dedicated to open-source science to further expand our understanding of airborne pathogens and pollution,” said Buterin “We are optimistic that bringing together top researchers from across disciplines will lead to positive global impact both for solving the present COVID pandemic and in other areas.” A significant cryptocurrency donation to UNSW Sydney will support an open-source tool providing early warning of emerging pandemics Lucienne BamfordThe Kirby Institute UNSW Australia+61 (0) 432 894 029lbamford@kirby.unsw.edu.au UNSW Sydney has received the largest known cryptocurrency donation to an Australian higher education institution which will support an open-source tool providing pandemic early warning signals Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has given USD Coin 4 million to establish the Shiba Inu OSINT Initiative funded by his Balvi Filantropic Fund and led by UNSW’s Kirby Institute has given USDC4M to boost UNSW Kirby Institute's fight against future pandemics Buterin’s crypto gift – which has converted to $5.3 million – will support the further development of EPIWATCH an open-source intelligence (OSINT) tool developed by UNSW Kirby Institute’s Professor Raina MacIntyre to provide pandemic early warning signals EPIWATCH development began in 2016 and is underpinned by extensive research and testing It harnesses open-source data and uses artificial intelligence to create early warnings The tool works by scanning millions of items of publicly available online data detecting changes to what is considered 'normal' reports about health concerns This is much quicker than waiting for formal reporting through doctors and laboratories EPIWATCH does not replace formal reporting but allows earlier warnings of epidemics that can be formally investigated by health authorities The gift will allow the team at UNSW’s Kirby Institute to make EPIWATCH accessible to low- and middle-income countries “Imagine if someone had detected COVID-19 before it spread around the world – that is our vision,” said Prof EPIWATCH does not depend on people making reports It is a great equaliser and can overcome weak health systems and censorship.” The OSINT tool has been developed so far thanks to grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) The Shiba Inu OSINT Initiative will enable EPIWATCH to be used in low- and middle-income countries it needs to be accessible in local languages and used widely at the grassroots level down to villages and small towns around the world This will give us the best prospect of preventing pandemics,” said Prof Mr Buterin said: “The earlier we can detect new epidemics as they come the more quickly we can start developing treatments or even stop them before they become large Open analysis of public data is an excellent alternative to more intrusive forms of monitoring which are also often only available to governments and other high bidders but closed to the public an open-source and open access approach that allows researchers to work collaboratively across the world can be more easily improved and scaled to detect new pandemics wherever they begin.” The gift from the Balvi Filantropic Fund is UNSW’s first crypto gift and is believed to be the largest crypto gift accepted by an Australian higher education institution Mr Buterin has already made significant philanthropic contributions for social impact including to improve the COVID response in India (India Crypto Relief Fund) and to support Ukrainian relief Vice-Chancellor and President of UNSW Sydney said: “We are delighted to receive such generous support from the Balvi fund to establish the Shiba Inu OSINT initiative We have seen the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world in the past two years “By making EPIWATCH accessible in lower-income countries the Shiba Inu OSINT Initiative has the potential to avert future world crises like pandemics It’s a powerful opportunity to drive meaningful social change and far better health outcomes not just for the people in those countries but for everyone globally.” UNSW respectfully acknowledges the Bidjigal clan of the Dharawal Nation on whose unceded lands we are privileged to learn and recognise the broader Nations with whom we walk together UNSW acknowledges the enduring connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to culture The Uluru Statement Take note – story published 1 year and 3 months ago councillors of the Balvi municipality from the Green Party of Latvia Sandra Kindzule and Jānis Trupovnieks announced that 4.8 million euros were missing to ensure the basic functions of the municipality. Trupovnieks himself had previously been the chairman of the Balvi district but in the last municipal elections he lost out to the list led by Maksimov The members of the Green Party claim that their recommendations to the council's leadership have not been taken into account for two years so they "do not take any responsibility for the situation and will only support those reforms that will be carefully weighed and based on figures and facts".  According to the members of the Green Party Maksimovs admitted that the county's financial situation is difficult – he said he had talked to the deputies about the need for structural reforms after hearing the figure of 4.8 million euros missing in the budget which will perhaps "wake up the members of the council" The chairman of the council estimates that "structural reforms" will mean extensive austerity measures – starting with school reform and ending with the heads of parish administrations. With the funds available to the municipality it is unable to maintain the current structure and management principles. "If we want to continue living as before we need an additional 4.8 million euros," Maksimov agreed with his colleagues which make up the largest part of the municipality's income have decreased due to the increase of the tax-free minimum wage This is especially felt in those municipalities where salaries are low Two schools have been closed in the municipality and it will be necessary to close more because "it is economically unviable to keep small schools" A decision has been made to close the Medneva kindergarten where there are "five children and six employees". Likewise Viduči elementary school will be liquidated on July 31. A merger of the music and art schools is also being considered Green Party MPs are said to have been against the closing of small schools which Maksimov calls populism. "There will be elections soon and everyone wants to be [seen to be] good," the chairman of the council said adding that financial flows might be balanced within two to three months The municipality is also considering applying for a loan from the state because currently there are such possibilities - the municipality's liabilities are 7.7% of the basic budget revenues which is below the limit set by the Ministry of Finance Discussions on the municipal budget and the necessary reforms in the Finance Committee began last Thursday and will continue this week. All 15 council members are on the finance committee A COVID-19 gifting fund started by Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin earlier this year has taken notice of burgeoning Toronto startup Raven Raven has received approximately $250,000 USD in grant money from the fund The capital will go towards growing the Raven Clean Air Map which tracks carbon dioxide (CO2) levels with the aim of assessing COVID-19 risk Pirzada created the Raven Clean Air Map as part of a three-person team after seeing what he called a lack of systemic efforts at COVID-19 prevention a government response that’s always slow and reactive,” he told BetaKit “There isn’t sort of an attention paid to the science especially As an emergency room physician in Toronto, Pirzada has been vocal about Ontario’s emergency room crisis and the effect that a new wave of COVID-19 is having on that He argued that the current “collapse” of Ontario’s public healthcare system is related to a lack of preventive measures on the government’s part He called the map “a stab at prevention” and “something governments really should have done a year ago when it became obvious that the virus was airborne It’s unfortunate that we have to do it for them Pirzada explained that the goal of Raven Clean Air Map is to provide people with information to make educated decisions about where they visit The map allows users to input readings from CO2 sensors with the goal of showing which areas have good ventilation and thus a lower risk of contracting COVID-19 users have to have their own sensor in order to do this the price of which can range from $60 to hundreds of dollars A reading below 800 parts per million (ppm) is good while over 1,000 ppm is where it gets “dangerous.” Having only launched its desktop app within the past month Raven Clean Air Map has already garnered around 500 users and 900 data points The map already has data points across 10 countries Pirzada emphasized the importance of this kind of tool as COVID-19 continues and especially affects vulnerable populations and you still risk illness if you catch it with long-term illness,” said Pirzada “Especially if you’re elderly or have medical conditions what if we put together the places that had the best ventilation and put it in a map Make it easier for people to decide where to go during the day,” he added do I go to ‘X’ shopping mall or do I go to ‘X’ shopping mall that has better ventilation?” Pirzada and his team are set to make the map open source They are also working to launch a mobile version of the app The ultimate goal is to get businesses to join individual users in submitting data Pirzada thinks businesses will want to show whether their buildings are safe for users He noted that Raven is also in discussions with a few manufacturers of CO2 sensors in order to integrate live sensor results into the map Buterin announced that he planned to “personally deploy these funds with the help of science advisors to complement CryptoRelief’s existing excellent work with some higher-risk higher-reward covid science and relief projects worldwide.” Balvi was then created to manage that process on his behalf The fund has handed out financing to the likes of the University of New South Wales to support the development of a pandemic detection tool, and an organization created by long-COVID patients studying the viruses’ long-term effects Balvi is described as a “scientific investment and direct gifting fund for deploying quickly to high-value COVID projects that traditional institutional or commercial funding sources tend to overlook for being too early or ‘outside the box,’ or because there’s no financial incentive.” The idea for Raven Clean Air Map fits that description Raven is both a fledging startup and the idea for the map came from a non-traditional place: a social media app started working on Raven prior to COVID-19 but really focused on the effort as the pandemic increased “social media-related misinformation.” The team is still building the social media side of Raven alongside the map The social media aspect aggregates and translates local news from around the world as a way to show readers what is happening on the ground in various regions of the globe “The whole reason for that was … to get Trump out of my timeline,” said Pirzada “Try to build like a better Twitter than Twitter or build a better Reddit and Reddit.” the idea for the social media app is to have users lead the way and submit as well as upvote and downvote certain news As summer comes to a close and schools start to re-open Raven is planning a marketing push to engage parents in testing air quality at education facilities He noted that he has seen a number of cases come through children contracting COVID-19 at school and passing it on to family members we’re trying to save the world,” he stated Photo by Joel Danielson on Unsplash The publication of record for Canadian technology and innovation news. Learn more the government approved the Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry's plan for the growth of the region of Latgale in eastern Latvia which runs along the country's eastern border with Russia and Belarus is the poorest of Latvia's four regions and one of the poorest areas anywhere in the EU The Plan of Action for the Development of Latgale/2015-2017 says that the majority of financing for the plan - EUR 52.24 million will go into revitalization of degraded land The money will be allocated from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 818 new jobs will be created and private investment is expected to reach 52.18 million euros the total amount of degraded land will be reduced by 124.6 hectares Taking into consideration that Latgale's population decreased by 25.7 percent between 2000 to 2014 special support measures are considered necessary in order to boost economic activity in Latgale The Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry notes that preconditions have to be created for the establishment of new companies and expansion of existing ones The ministry hopes that prudent and economically- justified investments in the business environment will make Latgale a more attractive region for business ventures thus triggering more private investment in Latgale The ERDF financing will be distributed among several local governments The two largest cities of Daugavpils and Rezekne and the surrounding regions will receive 17.35 million euros; while Balvi Preili and Aluksne regions will get a total of 11.89 million euros and other regions of Latgale will receive 23 million euros local governments will have the opportunity to apply for European Union funds for other objectives through the "Growth and Employment" programme The plan also proposes other measures to make Latgale a more attractive place for conducting business; for instance an expansion of the Rezekne Special Economic Zone The ministry adds that state institutions should consider implementing pilot projects in Latgale before introducing new reforms on a nationwide level This would mean that if new policies are successful Latgale would be the first to benefit from them The previous Latgale development plan by the Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry was implemented in 2012-2013 investments in Latgale totaled 98.8 million euros; the Latgale Entrepreneurship Center was established various projects aimed at improving business environment were carried out and two films popularising Latgale were produced The ministry has concluded that the first plan contributed greatly to the development of Latgale A subscription to The Baltic Times is a cost-effective way of staying in touch with the latest Baltic news and views enabling you full access from anywhere with an Internet connection. Subscribe Now! 2025 © The Baltic Times /Cookies Policy Privacy Policy You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience A Latvian developer is building a large-scale PV facility near the Russian border The plant will provide some of the electricity that the Baltic country will no longer receive from Russia following the planned desynchronization of the two energy systems in 2025 Latvian renewable energy developer PurpleGreen Energy B plans to build a 400 MW solar power plant in Balvi The company expects to begin construction on the facility next year as reported by the Public Broadcasting of Latvia The plant will be situated on an agricultural surface owned by the local farmer Kotiņi The media outlet said that the location choice was influenced by the proximity of a high-voltage power line currently connected to Russia Latvia has plans to transition away from Russia's high-voltage electricity lines by 2025 The Lithuanian renewables developer said this solar park could sell electricity to the spot market or via power purchase agreements Lithuania-based Ignitis announced a plan in September to invest up to €270 million ($273.8 million) in acquiring an undisclosed Latvian renewables company The company holds the rights to develop a 200 MW hybrid wind-solar project at an undisclosed location in Latvia which currently operates a 4 MW solar park in Obeniai will increase its total capacity to 7.4 MW this year according to a company spokesperson cited by pv magazine Latvia had 56 MW of cumulative solar capacity by the end of last year, with the majority, 49 MW, deployed in 2022, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). 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View our privacy policy. × The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this Close Take note – story published 5 years and 9 months ago Half of the mentioned sum will be provided by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development The commission established by the Municipal Social Service made the decision to grant the maximum benefit to two destroyed farms amounting to six minimum monthly salaries as set by the Cabinet of Ministers The third farm will be given a benefit amounting to four minimum monthly wages taking into account that the house is only occupied seasonally The farm which had suffered relatively less damage will be given a benefit amounting to one minimum monthly wage And another farm will receive a half of one minimum monthly wage.  The extent of damage wrought to the Golvari cemetery is still being assessed Although the felled trees were quickly cleared away it is planned that the cemetery fence will be replaced and arborist services employed to remove all broken trees The families affected by the storm have procured the help of their close relatives and neighbours in an effort to clear the consequences of the catastrophe and renew their farms Take note – story published 3 years and 2 months ago "Access to the construction site was very difficult. Logs and cement bags for the restoration of the church bunker were carried by hand because it is forbidden to move heavy machinery in the territory of the nature reserve. During the construction we encountered several challenges - in the autumn due to rainfall it was especially difficult to deliver materials to the site but in winter the low air temperature made it difficult for the workers to carry out the work on site. However the early frost was good for the contractor - it was easier to deliver the materials to the site,” said Uģis Perševics Construction Manager of Latvian State Forests Construction department which carried out the rebuilding works The Stompaku Swamp camp is located on a bog island chosen for defensive purposes by the National Partisans who carried out a dogged resistance to Soviet occupation at the end of the Second World War and Stompaku was one of the largest national partisan settlements in the Baltics with 24 bunkers and several surface structures was built in the vicinity where about 400 Latvian freedom fighters had found refuge and a formed a hidden when Soviet forces surrounded and attacked the partisan camp. The fighting lasted all day and eventually the partisans successfully managed a breakout and again melted into the forests.  only a couple of trenches and a white cross marked the location of the former chapel Among those in attendance at the opening ceremony was President Egils Levits who said: “They hoped for the support of the West but at that time the West chose to remain silent because it was more convenient. Nevertheless the national spirit of Latvian patriots led to resistance. In fact an island of free Latvia was formed here - a territory that was free from the occupiers.”  To learn more about the National Partisans of Stompaku and elsewhere – often referred to as the 'Forest Brothers' – and their remarkably tenacious fight against overwhelming odds, we recommend watching the short documentary below.  function () { LSM.articles.prepareVideoWithCover('vc-7227-2020-10-653981'); });16min Latgale's municipalities are ready to follow the recommendations of the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development on the content of publications but residents say that municipal newsletters People interviewed in Balvi municipality also note that the printed press including the municipality's newsletter is necessary and is read mostly by older people because when they read it's something else I think that's the place where they find out [information]." There are many older people who don't even know how to work on the internet She only reads newspapers [..] and there are a lot of [people] like that The municipality of Balvi continues to publish its newsletter "Balvu Novada Ziņas" The July issue contains a lot of information about the work of the municipality all the more so as the municipality is undergoing structural changes and staff reductions as a result of the tight financial situation "The legislation is quite strict about what we can publish in our newsletters," says Sergejs Maksimovs Chairman of the Balvi Municipal Council (Latgale Party) He is convinced that a municipal newsletter is necessary for the municipality to inform its residents about what is happening in the municipality; usually most of the publication is taken up by the municipality's binding regulations and changes to them which is the main reason why Balvi municipality publishes this newsletter in the first place we have a discussion with the Balvi municipality newspaper "Vaduguns" that we could publish more information about the project then I can call it unhealthy competition," says Maksimovs Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Press Publishers Association believes that municipal news outlets should not engage in pseudo-journalism thus creating unhealthy competition in the media market "If a municipal newsletter tries to engage in pseudo-journalism There are municipalities that strictly follow the rules but there are many municipalities that are not clear about hidden advertising covering their events and not only their own It is not enough to have laws and regulations but it is necessary to train these people who are involved in providing information to the public It is normal for a municipality to provide its own information but it is not normal for it to engage in pseudo-journalism," stresses Līcis The Local Government Law determines what material can be published in municipal newsletters Undersecretary of State for Regional Development at the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development points out that the ministry does not control every publication but there are certain criteria that municipalities have to follow "We have developed information and methodological material on how municipalities should look at the presentation of information and the main criteria are that the information should not be commercial but politically neutral and presented objectively and accurately If it is said that a cultural event is taking place in a municipality and people are invited to it it can be published in the newsletter," explains Oša Municipalities spend different amounts on the production Although the print runs are much the same - between 7,000 and 9,000 copies per month - the amounts spent vary the Rēzekne municipality newsletter is published only when there are important changes in legislation and costs the municipality EUR 8,500 per year the newsletter is produced by the Public Relations and Information Department distributed by the municipality itself and printed for less than 2000 euros The budget of the municipality of Balvi allocates under 50,000 euros for the newsletter The border municipality of Ludza is the only municipality in Latgale that does not have its own newsletter and while all municipalities in Latgale plan to continue publishing their own newsletters next year Ludza is not planning to do so under the pretext of high costs Take note – story published 1 year and 11 months ago There are currently 647 general education establishments in Latvia and the Ministry of Education and Science plans that about 60 schools will be affected by the new reform plan According to the new map of secondary education establishments created by the Ministry the municipality of Rēzekne will be left with one head of the Education Board of Rēzekne municipality the development strategy of the municipality included the development of each parish association and the possibility of obtaining secondary education was also planned There are currently six secondary schools in the municipality [..] inTaking into account the new criteria and the state's involvement in setting up the school network, only one high school remains on their map," Guntars Skudra said The number has fallen by more than two hundred in the past thirteen years In the border-area Balvi municipality alone, 9 educational establishments have been reorganized and eliminated in this period the chair of the Balvi municipality council economic problems are being addressed in the country at the expense of education and the Rugāji High School are no longer available on this map This cannot have a positive impact on the development of Balvi municipality,[..] the most important question that society and the municipality would like to understand is what is the aim of this education reform The only thing we can see is to save money but it is not the main objective of IZM," said Maksimovs The sharp drop in the number of secondary schools in the border area reveals a situation where only three high schools remain in the border area – Ludza Sergejs Maksimovs believes that most pupils will not have the opportunity to go 60 kilometers there and back to school, but using dormitory services that cost around €200 a month the average family from the countryside will be able to provide high school education to one child at best "The state is currently debating that in the future secondary education will be compulsory and at the same time create an environment where this education will not be available because to live in dormitories is more expensive," said Maksimovs the annual negotiations of the Latvian Association of Regional Governments and the Ministry of Education and Science held active discussions on a sustainable president of the Local Government authority municipalities are calling on the Ministry to continue negotiations on the optimization of the network of schools The Cabinet instructed the IZM to submit an information report by August 15 this year with clear criteria for the reform of the school network an assessment of its impact on the quality and management of education as well as an assessment of the impact on state and local government budgets In the period from 06:30 on March 21 to 06:30 on March 24 the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) received 311 calls in total Augšdaugava region, grass burned over an area of ​​3 hectares while on Saturday Grass and reeds burned on Aizkraukles Street in Jēkabpils over an area of ​​5 hectares while ​​4 hectares in Vectilža parish Rēzekne region, reeds and sedge burned in an area of ​​50 hectares The VUGD repeated yet again: burning stubble is prohibited and punishable by hefty fines. Stubble fires can endanger property Bogdane said that the whirlwind was seen at 15:00 on Saturday and was very strong "It followed a narrow line from Gulbene to Rgāji where it caused damage,” said Bogdane Three houses were destroyed in the Bērzpils parish – two had roofs torn from them adding that she has yet to see the property and is planning to do so soon Photographs and videos taken by witnesses show significant damage on a farm somewhere in the Bērzpils parish.  Before and after: pic.twitter.com/PGXmseU5HV — Kristians Drake (@kristians_k) July 7, 2019 but the four-generation “Krastiņi” farm which was situated in “Golvaros” in the Bērzpils parish The neighbors came to aid in collecting the wind-strewn possessions Bērzpils parish: pic.twitter.com/3EuL53CCqQ — Kristians Drake (@kristians_k) July 7, 2019 The whirlwind also laid waste to the Golvari cemetery the damage was significant,” said Bogdane Asked if the parish would provide some assistance to the damaged farms and so the application for funds will be made to the Balvi region on Monday "We'll also have to ask for the help of some builders as the parish doesn't have such specialists,” said Bogdane One of the Bērzpils parish farms told LETA that there was an overall of seven buildings on the farm the farm's owner and his 87 year old mother were on the premises The farmers said that the vortex had not only lifted the roofs of the buildings but had also hoisted various bulky items such as a freezer Parts of the sauna roof hoisted by the whirlwind had also maimed a cow which was standing in the field at the time.  The farm admits that the damage is being addressed but the natural disaster has utterly destroyed the property "Only cattle and humans are left,” said one of the farmers The storm had also wrought havoc on Gulbene and Ludza on Saturday leaving hundreds of houses without electricity Gales had felled trees in the Gulbene cemetery and destroyed the discus throw sector in the city's stadium told LETA that many three to four trees had fallen on roads the winds had felled birch trees and scattered their branches.  Audžiss also mentioned that the wind had felled five to six metal poles in the discus throw sector of the city stadium an athletics competition for seniors was planned to take place in the stadium captured in photographs taken by witnesses was seen not far from the Rīga Airport.  and was thus not a fully formed tornado Even though a funnel cloud can be potentially dangerous for planes It is clearly visible to pilots and can be easily avoided The funnel cloud was also noticed in other areas One was spotted in the vicinity of Mežaparks There were also reports of one being seen in Jūrmala C Raina MacIntyre receives funding from NHMRC (L3 Investigator grant and Centre for Research Excellence) and MRFF (Aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 experimentally and in an intensive care setting) currently She currently receives funding from Sanofi for research on influenza and pertussis Ashley Quigley receives funding from the Balvi Filantropic Fund Haley Stone receives funding from The Balvi Filantropic Fund Haley Stone would like to acknowledge the support through a University International Postgraduate Award from the University of New South Wales Rebecca Dawson receives funding from the Balvi Filantropic Fund own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment UNSW Sydney provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU Arizona State University provides funding as a member of The Conversation US View all partners The United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health alert after the first case of H5N1 avian influenza A farm worker in Texas contracted the virus amid an outbreak in dairy cattle. This is the second human case in the US; a poultry worker tested positive in Colorado in 2022 The virus strain identified in the Texan farm worker is not readily transmissible between humans and therefore not a pandemic threat But it’s a significant development nonetheless There are two types of avian influenza: highly pathogenic or low pathogenic based on the level of disease the strain causes in birds H5N1 is a highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 first emerged in 1997 in Hong Kong and then China in 2003 spreading through wild bird migration and poultry trading It has caused periodic epidemics in poultry farms Influenza A viruses such as H5N1 are further divided into variants, called clades. The unique variant causing the current epidemic is H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b which emerged in late 2020 and is now widespread globally In the past, outbreaks could be controlled by culling of infected birds, and H5N1 would die down for a while. But this has become increasingly difficult due to escalating outbreaks since 2021 Waterfowl (ducks, swans and geese) are the main global spreaders of avian flu, as they migrate across the world via specific routes that bypass Australia. The main hub for waterfowl to migrate around the world is Quinghai lake in China But there’s been an increasing number of infected non-waterfowl birds, such as true thrushes and raptors, which use different flyways the infection has spread to Antarctica too which means Australia is now at risk from different bird species which fly here Wild animals like red foxes which live in peri-urban areas are a possible new route of spread to farms Dairy cows and goats have now become infected with H5N1 in at least 17 farms across seven US states Globally, there have been 14 cases of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b virus in humans, and 889 H5N1 human cases overall since 2003 Previous human cases have presented with a severe respiratory illness but H5N1 2.3.4.4b is causing illness affecting other organs too For example, more recent cases have developed neurological complications including seizures, organ failure and stroke. It’s been estimated that around half of people infected with H5N1 will die The case in the Texan farm worker appears to be mild. This person presented with conjunctivitis Contact with sick poultry is a key risk factor for human infection the farm worker in Texas was likely in close contact with the infected cattle The CDC advises pasteurised milk and well cooked eggs are safe handling of infected meat or eggs in the process of cooking Although there’s no H5N1 in Australian poultry or cattle hygienic food practices are always a good idea eggs or poultry can be contaminated with microbes such as salmonella and E Coli Scientists have feared avian influenza may cause a pandemic since about 2005. Avian flu viruses don’t easily spread in humans. But if an avian virus mutates to spread in humans, it can cause a pandemic One concern is if birds were to infect an animal like a pig In areas where humans and livestock exist in close proximity markets or even in homes with backyard poultry the probability of bird and human flu strains mixing and mutating to cause a new pandemic strain is higher The cows infected in Texas were tested because farmers noticed they were producing less milk and the economic loss to farmers may be a disincentive to test or report infections For now there is no spread of H5N1 between humans so there’s no immediate risk of a pandemic we now have unprecedented and persistent infection with H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b in farms wild animals and a wider range of wild birds than ever before creating more chances for H5N1 to mutate and cause a pandemic Unlike the previous epidemiology of avian flu, where hot spots were in Asia, the new hot spots (and likely sites of emergence of a pandemic) are in the Americas, Europe or in Africa Pandemics grow exponentially, so early warnings for animal and human outbreaks are crucial. We can monitor infections using surveillance tools such as our EPIWATCH platform The earlier epidemics can be detected, the better the chance of stamping them out and rapidly developing vaccines we must identify how H5N1 is spreading to so many mammalian species and monitor for early signs of outbreaks and illness in animals Economic compensation for farmers is also crucial to ensure we detect all outbreaks and avoid compromising the food supply This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Vitalik Buterin is a Russian-Canadian programmer and writer who has been active in the Bitcoin ecosystem since 2011 co-founding Bitcoin magazine and contributing articles to it a blockchain platform that acts as a global computer for decentralized applications As per the reports Vitalik Buterin will get a percentage of the Shiba Inu coins he gave to an Indian COVID-19 relief fund titled India Crypto Relief Fund Buterin recently announced on Twitter that CryptoRelief is returning $100 million in bitcoin (approximately Rs Buterin aims to "personally employ these fund(s)" in "higher-risk higher-reward COVID scientific and humanitarian programs throughout the world.” He went on to claim that in order to ensure a transparent deployment of the cash he co-founded a new organization called Balvi which will manage the process on his behalf a co-founder of Polygon as well as the creator of CryptoRelief indicating that the monies will be released in USDC the decision to return some of the monies to Vitalik was primarily influenced by the necessity to comply with Indian legislation regarding relief fund distribution Buterin introduced Balvi in a separate tweet Buterin believes Balvi is in a better position to make these high-value global bets that benefit both Indians and non-Indians The initiatives will encompass vaccine research and development novel methods to air filtration and ventilation Balvi will use the "SHIB monies" largely for vaccine research and development sponsoring innovative air filtration initiatives This content has been removed. Get more news at Philanthropy News Digest." While benefits of volunteering have been well documented, less than 1 percent of total giving went directly to volunteer engagement between 2016 and 2025, a report from Points of Light finds. Where should nonprofits focus resources dedicated to volunteers? To subscribe, select any of the newsletters listed below. Please report it so we can improve the news we bring you. Get the latest nonprofit news, funding opportunities, job openings, and more delivered to your inbox with Philanthropy News Digest newsletters. Candid gets you the information you need to do good. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article gray whales inexplicably began to die by the scores along the Pacific coast whale watchers and government scientists were stunned that hundreds were perishing That was when Carolyn Cole and I set out to find answers we had a plan to follow the whales on their yearly migration starting in Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula where these whales appear every spring to bask and reproduce in warm Then we would work our way north up the coast Cruise ships were the most visible spreaders Climate & Environment The whales were present, the tourists abundant. In San Ignacio, all of the cabanas at Pachico’s Ecotours were full with visitors from around the world — including a couple that happened to live on the same street as me, in Menlo Park. We got good video and flew home in the nick of time — three days before shutdown orders grounded Californians in their homes. Within days it became clear our plans to physically follow the whale migration would — like a GoPro in my incapable hands — be paused. Canada had closed its borders. California and much of the U.S. had enacted shelter-in-place orders. Researchers up and down the coast faced scientific lockdown. Searching for new avenues to explore the whales’ saga, we turned to social media and began following avid amateur whale watchers — folks who were doing what they could to monitor the whales. It’s how we found Scott and Tree Mercer — so determined to observe and record the whales’ journey past their home in Point Arena, Calif., that they defied sheriff’s orders and were ejected, more than once, from their perch near the lighthouse. It’s how we got word of new strandings — from Southern California to Del Norte County — and built a network of sources, including experts such as Sarah Grimes at Ft. Bragg’s Noyo Center for Marine Science, Bill Keener at the Marine Mammal Rescue Center in Sausalito and Alisa Schulman-Janiger in Dana Point. As a crazy year got ever crazier, we took to the road to cover the pandemic, wildfires and protests over George Floyd’s murder across much of California and other states, but we kept tabs on the whales as we moved. Carolyn took trips to Oregon and Washington to capture the migration — unfortunately facing bad weather and photo-reluctant whales at every turn. And as the year came to a close, and coronavirus restrictions began to loosen, we decided to revisit the whales in Baja — and booked our travel for February, trying to schedule it for the same time we visited the year previously. Unfortunately, the place we stayed before, Pachico’s Ecotours, was closed. Times reporter Susanne Rust takes to the waters of the San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja to report on gray whales in 2021. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) So, we booked at Antonio’s Ecotours — just down the road — where getting a reservation was only too easy. The only other visitors at the resort were a French film crew; they left the day we arrived. It was a stark difference from early 2020, when the resorts were booked to capacity and the communal eating areas packed every night. Even more concerning was the state of the whales. Like the previous two years, many of the whales were still skinny. And in the Baja lagoons, there were fewer mothers and calves than typically seen. But there were some healthy ones too. Possibly they had a reprieve from stress due to a decrease in boat traffic and noise pollution. Now, as we seem to have turned a very tenuous corner with the virus, we’re hoping to visit with the whales later this summer in Alaska — where they journey every year to consume their yearly food supply. Carolyn and I hope that 2020 — a year of stops, starts and prolonged quiet and reflection — will give us all more perspective on this fragile planet. One in which we as humans can move somewhat freely again, but with more awareness of our impact on these creatures and ecosystems we all share. Gray whales have one of the longest migrations of any mammal and have proved themselves adaptable. But can they adjust to rapidly changing oceans? Susanne Rust is an award-winning investigative reporter specializing in environmental issues. She is based in the Bay Area. California Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map View upcoming auction estimates and receive personalized email alerts for the artists you follow museums and exhibition halls across the world have been paying more attention to women-artists than ever Feminist Perspectives in Latvian Art: 1965–2023 is on view in the Great Hall of the main building of the Latvian National Museum of Art in Riga (Jaņa Rozentāla laukums 1) The new permanent exhibition 12 Photographers / 125 Photographs / 10 Series is open to the public in four small cabinets in the right wing of the 2nd floor of the main building of the Latvian National Museum of Art in Riga LCRI is looking for the causes of Long Covid and hoping to find treatments to help the millions .. The Long Covid Research Initiative (LCRI) hopes to accelerate efforts to understand and treat Long Covid a sometimes disabling condition that lingers for months or years after infection with SARS-CoV-2 with a particular focus on whether the virus stubbornly persists in the body after initial infection a microbiologist at the PolyBio Research Foundation and LCRI’s chief scientific officer told Forbes the research is not just geared towards identifying the presence of the virus in the body but is also aimed at understanding the downstream impact it has on things like blood clotting and the immune system Proal said another key aim of LCRI’s research program is to identify measurable features of Long Covid that could form the backbone of clinical trials and help develop much-needed treatments for the condition one of LCRI’s co-founders and a Long Covid patient told Forbes the group was founded with a “laser focus” on solving the problem of Long Covid and said its structure and funding is designed to cut bureaucracy and leapfrog slower government-funded research and Scott-Green said the group is aiming to raise $100 million in order to help patients as soon as possible The annual cost of lost wages alone could be as high as $230 billion “Many people aren’t really aware of the enormity of the problem of Long Covid,” Scott-Green said The figure—around 20 million adults—does not include children and is likely an underestimate whose research focuses on infection-associated chronic illnesses told Forbes that when the pandemic started Scott-Green said he hopes its model will one day be translated over to other chronic illnesses linked to infections Hopefully Long Covid will be “the first domino in a series of breakthroughs,” he said The Pandemic After the Pandemic (The Atlantic) How common is long COVID? Why studies give different answers (Nature) Clues to Long Covid (Science) Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus Read 15 years of Mumbai Mirror's journalism here. Continue readingFor 24x7 updates on Mumbai and Maharashtra For reprint rights:Times Syndication Service In a series of tweets Ethereum Creator Vitalik Buterin has once again thanked the Shiba Inu Community for their efforts in the growth of the cryptocurrency His most recent tweet gives a second update on Balvi Balvi is a nonprofit he co-founded that allocates funding to initiatives targeted at vaccine research and development This thanks by the creator of Ethereum was well received by the SHIB community Shiba Inu lead developer Shytoshi Kusama responded “I think we of the Shibarmy are so proud to be part of this.” Second update from Balvi! 🧵Lots more anti-covid projects funded, thanks to funds from @Shibtoken @CryptoRelief_!Previous update here:https://t.co/V4bZfZ2rOi Buterin and the Shiba Inu community have developed a friendly relationship as the coin has grown. SHIB creator Ryoshi gifted Buterin 50% of the Shiba Inu supply Some have even suggested that Vitalik Buterin is one of the original founders of Shiba Inu In January 2022, Vitalik Buterin received $100 million back from his massive Shiba Inu donation to the Crypto Relief fund Buterin has continued to give back to those in need especially in the Shiba Inu and ETH communities Buterin also donated $4 million USDC to the University of South Wales (UNSW) in May 2020, to prevent global pandemics. Disclaimer: Our articles are NOT financial advice, we are not financial advisors. All investments are your own decisions. Please conduct your own research and seek advice from a licensed financial advisor. Shilpa Shetty’s name has become synonymous with yoga. She began yoga around 18 years ago when she began suffering from chronic spondylitis. The actress feels that yoga is not just a form of exercise for her but also a discipline. It helps her to stay flexible and it also helps her mind to stay calm She practices yoga for an hour three times a week Some of her favourite asanas are Bhujangasana The first came out in 2008 and was called Shilpa’s Yoga More recently she started the ‘Shilpa Shetty yoga app’ to encourage people to take up yoga on a larger scale also seems to be following her footsteps and regularly does yoga at school The lady with the zero size means Kareena Kapoor She is so flexible that she can do some of the most difficult yoga poses like the headstand and the chakrasana with ease but that does not mean that she has given up on her routine of daily yoga sessions who had put on a lot of weight during her pregnancy lost all her kilos due to regular yoga post-childbirth who runs the yoga institute ‘Anshuka Yoga,’ has revealed in interviews that the actress managed this weight loss by doing pranayams and surnayasmaskars While the former helped to get the hormones back on track the latter did a lot to improve her posture she does 50 suryanamaskars daily along with 45 minutes of other asanas When it comes to talking of celebrity yoga Malaika Arora was introduced to yoga by Kareena Kapoor Khan She enjoys the breathing that yoga involves she feels that yoga has helped to improve her concentration power she has said that suryanamaskar has helped to improve the glow on her face since it improves the blood circulation within the body Regular yoga that Sonam Kapoor does manifests in the way she looks Her positive bent of mind is also due to the yoga that she practices regularly she loved aerial yoga because it kept her more flexible and also it helped to seat off the extra calories more easily These classes have been formulated by yoga guru Bikram Choudhury 26 asanas and two breathing exercises are practised She is good looking and she is so because of the hours of yoga that she does This Bollywood actress embraced yoga more than ten years ago she says that it was yoga that gave her both mental and physical strength She is always motivating women across the globe to lead a healthier life Recently Nargis Fakhri led a yoga session that was being conducted on the first day of the XYoga Dubai Festival at the Kite Beach in Dubai She is fit and she has never compromised on this she has been practicing yoga for over ten years now She even did prenatal yoga during her pregnancy which helped her to recover faster Today she devotes half an hour to yoga every day The first DVD that she released – Yoga: Recovery and Rejuvenation – was about how various asanas can help to improve the condition of mind She also has a YouTube channel where she uploads videos of the various asanas that she does The actress who has a DVD named Bipasha Basu: Love Yourself is one who not only works out in the gym and eats correct but also regularly practices yoga to keep fit – physically and mentally Her day begins with suryanamaskar post which she does 108 rounds of a unique yoga module that has been designed for her Akshay Kumar is known to be the person who loves martial arts has said that Akshay is like a yogi – he leads a disciplined life and is extremely focussed In keeping with yogic principles of discipline the actor wakes up at 4 a.m Sometimes he even has fun doing yoga in water In many interviews Akshay has credited yoga for making him feel more contented with life The man with the melting good looks keeps himself in shape with not only cycling and basketball but also with regular doses of yoga as well he often uploads pictures of him in various yoga poses on his social media page Suveer Balvi teaches Sidharth Malhotra yoga as well The actor has been practicing yoga since 2016 He feels that over the years he has been able to tackle the pressure of giving box-office hits only because yoga has kept his mind calm Did you know that Sachin Tendulkar practices asanas regularly He was initially taught by BKS Iyengar and then by Dr S.N when the cricketer was suffering from a stiff back During that time Tendulkar not only did yoga with the team but 45 minutes of personal training even after that Sachin feels that cricket is a game that needs a lot of concentration and it was yoga that helped him to improve on his levels of focus a lot has said in an interview how yoga has changed Dhawan as a person from one who was impulsive to one someone who is more balanced now Dhawan is known to practice yoga regularly – right from suryanamaskar and pranayama Believe you me when I say that yoga is not restricted only to Indians only the famous American singer to Oprah Winfrey the lady who shot to limelight with her show; and from England’s star footballer David Beckham to the famous Hollywood actress everyone has incorporated yoga into their lives who is trained by Mandy Ingber has said that it was yoga that helped her to give up smoking She does yoga sessions at least 5 times a week where she does not stop at the normal yoga poses but goes a level higher while doing a half moon she lifts her fingertips off the mat and while doing a basic triangle she extends out both her arms It has made his body more flexible and also keeps him feeling more relaxed has benefited a lot from yoga – more so after childbirth She has said that amongst others she practices ashtangawhich involves a lot of movements and various postures Oprah Winfrey who shot to limelight with her show practices transcendental meditation every single day She says that this keeps her mind feeling more calm and satisfied Evan Longoria practices yoga as he feels that it helps him to improve on his concentration which In December 2014 the United Nations recognised yoga’s benefit at providing a holistic approach to a person’s well-being declared 21stJuneas ‘International Day of Yoga’ With celebrities across the world recognizing the benefitsof yoga 8 Open Relationship Rules That Have To Be Followed To Make It work Your contribution does not constitute a charitable donation It will allow Bonobology to continue bringing you new and up-to-date information in our pursuit of helping anyone in the world to learn how to do anything Get your weekly dose of insightful articles straight to your inbox You must be logged in to post a comment This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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