Huawei Releases 5GtoB Solution

Shanghai, China, February 22, 2021] Huawei's Executive Director and Carrier Business Group President Ryan Ding gave a keynote speech at the company's "5G Brings New Value" forum held at the MWC Shanghai 2021, where he announced the official launch of Huawei's new 5GtoB solution. During his speech, Ding talked about the developments, commercial returns, and opportunities for industry digitalization that 5G would bring.

The 5G industry has been developing faster than expected, with operators already seeing commercial returns from the first wave of 5G rollouts. The 5G user base and the number of 5G devices in commercial use have exploded since 2019. By the end of 2020, 380 5G devices had hit the market, 8 times more than there were the year before. The mobile 5G user base had also reached 220 million and wireless home broadband connections reached 1.05 million, a 17 and 21 times YoY increase, respectively. Ding claims these numbers will triple in 2021.

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'Society is changing': A record 5.6% of US adults identify as LGBTQ, poll shows. And young people are driving the numbers.

A record number of U.S. adults – 5.6% – identify as LGBTQ, an increase propelled by a younger generation staking out its presence in the world, a poll released Wednesday shows.

The survey by Gallup marks more than a 1 percentage point jump from the last poll in 2017 in which 4.5% of adults identified as LGBTQ.

The estimated 18 million adults who identify as LGBTQ represent a continued upward trajectory since Gallup started tracking identification in 2012, Gallup senior editor Jeff Jones said. 

Is it that LGBT people are overrepresented in these polls becasue they seek them out? Is it that many identify as say, a Kinsey 1-2 so don't consider it worth mentioning outside of polls? What possibly causes this discrepancy that apparently our entire generation is bi?

— Seóirse🔻 (@SeoirseDuffy_) February 24, 2021

“It reflects what we are seeing in society and the way society is changing,” he said.  

One of the biggest headlines in the 2020 poll is the emergence of Generation Z adults, those 18 to 23: 1 in 6, or 15.9%, identify as LGBTQ. In each older generation, LGBTQ identification is lower, including 2% or less of respondents born before 1965.

For the first time, Gallup queried respondents on their precise sexual orientation, rather than a simple yes or no on whether someone identified as LGBTQ, allowing more insight into identity, Jones said.

Among LGBTQ adults, a majority or 54.6% identify as bisexual, the poll shows. About a quarter, or 24.5%, identify as gay; 11.7% as lesbian; 11.3% as transgender. 

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Democrats begin to turn on New York governor Andrew Cuomo over nursing home COVID-19 death scandal

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s approval ratings have plummeted as anger grows over his administration’s handling of the coronavirus in nursing homes.

The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion survey of 953 adults between February 15 and 17 saw Mr Cuomo’s approval rating dip below 50 per cent.

Forty-nine per cent said they approved of the job he was doing while 44 per cent disapproved.

That’s down from the 66 per cent approval rating the third-term Governor reached in July last year, while the number who approve of his handling of the pandemic has also plunged from 72 per cent in July to 54 per cent.

“Cuomo’s approval rating, which was sky high in the summer, has returned to its pre-pandemic level,” Marist Poll director Dr Lee M. Miringoff told The Wall Street Journal.

“Should Cuomo decide to seek a fourth term, these results suggest it will be a challenge. That said, his current numbers are comparable to what they were when he faced the voters last time.”

After being feted by the media throughout much of last year – where his daily, Emmy Award-winning press briefings boosted his popularity and even led to calls for him to run against President Donald Trump – the shine has well and truly come off the 63-year-old’s political star after a series of explosive revelations in recent weeks. 

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Facebook reverses ban on Australian news as government agrees to amend media code

Facebook will lift its news ban for Australian users and publishers, less than a week after making the shock decision.

The ban – made last week in response to a proposed new Media Bargaining law – meant Australian users could no longer view or share local articles, while international Facebook users were also restricted from seeing Australian news.

Lifting the ban means local news publications and sites – including news.com.au – will be back on Facebook, with content once again allowed to be shared in coming days.

“Australian news will be restored to the Facebook platform, and Facebook has committed to entering into good faith negotiations with Australian news media businesses and seeking to reach agreements to pay for content,” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told reporters.

Mr Frydenberg thanked Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg “for the constructive nature of the discussions we have had over the course of recent days”.

“It has been a difficult process, but these are really important issues. These are important issues because the purpose of the code and the purpose of the Morrison Government’s intentions have been designed to sustain public interest journalism in this country,” he said.

“That is why we have sought to put this code in place, that is why the now-Prime Minister, then the Treasurer, commissioned the ACCC to undertake this groundbreaking review a number of years ago.”

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Golden Globes 2021 nominees: The Crown and Mank top the list

The nominees for the 78th annual Golden Globe Awards have been announced, with The Crown and David Fincher’s Mank leading the way.

Hit royal drama The Crown and Mank, a biopic of Citizen Kane writer Herman Mankiewicz, both scored six nominations.

Olivia Colman, Josh O’Connor, Gillian Anderson, Helena Bonham Carter and Emma Corrin all received nominations for their performances in The Crown, which is also up forbest TV drama.

Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried were nominated for best actor and best supporting actress for their roles in Mank, which is also up for best screenplay for the late Jack Fincher, best director, best score and best film (drama). 

Divisive Lily Collins vehicle Emily in Paris received two, for best comedy series and best actress, while The Flight Attendant also received nominations for best comedy series and best actress for Kaley Cuoco.

The Golden Globes have been delayed by two months and will be hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on February 28.

Netflix dominated for the second year running, with 42 nominations, 22 in movie categories and 20 in television.

U.S. aims to return to U.N. rights body, shield Israel

GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. President Joseph Biden's new administration said on Wednesday it would continue its international re-engagement by seeking election to the U.N. Human Rights Council where it will press to eliminate a "disproportionate focus" on ally Israel.

Under former President Donald Trump's more isolationist approach, Washington quit the council in 2018 but the Biden government has already returned as an observer.

"I'm pleased to announce the United States will seek election to the Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term," Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the council by video. 

"We humbly ask for the support of all U.N. member states in our bid to return to a seat in this body."

Elections for three-year membership on the 47-member council are due at the U.N. General Assembly in October. 

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‘Don’t know if he’s insane or evil’: Man accused of murder secretly recorded and tracked wife, court told

Before Mourad Kerollos stabbed his wife to death, he installed a GPS tracker in her car, secretly recorded her conversations and bombarded her with phone calls demanding photos of her companions, a court has heard.

Mr Kerollos is facing a judge-alone trial in the NSW Supreme Court accused of murdering Gihan “Gigi” Kerollos, 48, by stabbing her in the neck outside Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick at about 8.30pm on May 18, 2019.

The 62-year-old does not deny killing his wife, but has pleaded not guilty due to mental illness. Acting Justice Peter Hidden must decide if Mr Kerollos was so mentally ill that he is not liable for murder, or if his liability is reduced to manslaughter.

A forensic psychiatrist is expected to tell the trial that Mr Kerollos was experiencing a mental disorder such as schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, which included auditory hallucinations, delusional beliefs, referential ideation, and a “delusion of infidelity” also known as “the Othello syndrome”. 

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‘Game Over’: Facebook post before alleged sledgehammer attack in CBD hotel

A man wanted by police after a woman was attacked at a luxury hotel in Sydney’s CBD allegedly wrote on Facebook hours earlier: “Game Over”.

A warrant for attempted murder has been issued for the arrest of Matthew Donaldson, 41, who police believe may be in the Blue Mountains area and may be armed with a firearm.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, approximately 182 centimetres tall and of a solid build with light brown hair.

Mr Donaldson allegedly posted two photos from inside a hotel room on Facebook on Tuesday night with the caption “Game Over”. 

Asked on the 9.17pm post what game he was playing, he replied: “life or death, I lost.”

Emergency services were called to the five-star Primus Hotel on Pitt Street following reports a woman had been hurt about 11pm. 

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