ICIR Nigeria. ICIR Nigeria News, Images, Posts, Texts, Videos and Claims. Check for latest news on ICIR Nigeria.
Blessing in disguise’: COVID gives boost to Portugal’s bicycle makers
By Sergio Goncalves and Miguel Pereira
Workers are seen in RTE bicycles factory in Vila Nova de GaiaNext SlideFull Screen1/5 SLIDES © Reuters/PEDRO NUNESWorkers are seen in RTE bicycles factory in Vila Nova de Gaia
By Sergio Goncalves and Miguel Pereira
LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal’s bicycle makers feared for their future when the coronavirus pandemic forced them in March to shut for two months but 2020 now looks set to be a bumper year as people shun public transport and opt for healthier ways of getting around.
Portugal, Europe’s largest manufacturer of bicycles, had to shut its nearly 40 factories and put their 8,000-strong workforce on furlough to help curb the spread of COVID-19, but is now struggling to keep up with booming global demand.
“When we closed on March 13, we thought it would be a catastrophe, we were scared,” said Bruno Salgado, executive board member of RTE Bikes, which owns Europe’s largest bike factory, in the city of Gaia, in northern Portugal.
“But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for us,” said Salgado, standing between two busy production lines at the factory, which produced 1.1 million bicycles last year.
Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, almost the entirety of India has been put under lockdown and quarantine measures. This has led to some visible effects on sectors and industries all over the nation. However, some sectors such as agriculture, insurance and e-commerce have managed to stay abreast.
Worldwide, people have been trying to avoid crowded trains and buses during the pandemic, preferring to cycle, walk or jog to work and other destinations.
Cristina Latoeira, a civil servant in Lisbon, said it was the pandemic that had finally persuaded her to splash out 800 euros on the electric bike she had long dreamed of buying.
“It’s the fear of being on very busy public transport, in winter, the fear of contagion that made me choose this mode of transport that I consider much safer,” the 42-year-old said.
Like most other European countries, Portugal has recently seen the number of COVID-19 infections rise again after a summer lull.
EXPORT SURGE
Portugal exports about 90% of the bicycles it produces, with key markets in Germany, France and Italy.
As lockdowns imposed to halt the spread of COVID-19 began to ease across Europe during the summer months, distributors around the continent ran out of stock, pushing Portuguese manufacturers to raise production and capacity.
RTE Bikes is now working at full steam, producing about 5,000 bicycles a day, up from an average of 3,000-4,000 this time last year, Salgado said.
João Maia, general manager at In Cycles, a rival firm which produced 87,000 bicycles in 2019, has seen demand double.
“At the moment, we export bicycles to all countries in the world, including countries that are supposed to be major bicycle producers” such as Italy, Bulgaria and Romania, said Maia, as electric bikes were assembled in a production line behind him.
In Cycles plans to double its production lines to four from this month and already has orders for about 185,000 bicycles in 2021, Maia added.
Even before the pandemic struck, partly due to increased concerns over climate change and a move to healthier lifestyles, Portugal’s production had jumped 42% in 2019 to a record 2.7 million bicycles – almost a quarter of all those built in the European Union, according to Eurostat data.
Despite this year’s two-month factory shutdown, Gil Nadais, general secretary of the Portuguese bicycle manufacturers’ association Abimota, told Reuters he expects the country will beat last year’s record.
Lisbon civil servant Latoeira certainly has no regrets.
“I had hesitated a lot, I was very anxious whether I should make this purchase because it is a bicycle, it can be stolen,” she said. “But it was worth it.”
Humility And Gratitude Enrich Life
Humility is the opposite of pride, which is the primary obstacle in our effort to forgive. Pride causes us to blame others for our misfortunes and to shift responsibility for what happens to us onto anyone but ourselves. But the Lord promises, “If they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” According to our humility and faith, the Lord will help us stop blaming others and truly forgive.
Expressing gratitude invites the Spirit more fully into our lives, which can soften and change our hearts. Consider keeping a journal of things you are grateful for. Look for manifestations of God’s love each day. As you cultivate an attitude of gratitude, you may find that you can even identify reasons to be grateful for your trials.
Forgiveness As A Quality Of Life
Forgiveness as a quality of the Christian life is a gift. “God is rich in mercy; because of God’s great love for us, God brought us to life with Christ when we were dead in sin … this is not your own doing, it is God’s gift” (Eph 2:4–5, 8). Forgiveness as a quality of the Christian life is a commitment to making the richness of God’s mercy a reality wherever there is alienation or division in today’s world.
To forgive is to pardon an offense. It is to let go of blame for a past hurt. It is to release a great burden. It is to move ahead with life.
In his last general conference address, President James E. Faust (1920–2007), Second Counselor in the First Presidency, cited this definition of forgiveness: “Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves.
Understand what forgiveness is not. Forgiveness does not require condoning a wrong, nor does it require allowing a harmful behavior, such as an abusive relationship, to continue. Also, forgiveness is not forgetting—if the offense wounded you enough to require forgiveness, you will likely have a memory of it. Forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember. We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future.
Understand that failing to forgive magnifies the pain. Pain, disappointment, and injustice touch every life, often wounding tender hearts. At such times it may seem natural to blame another for things that have gone wrong. When we seek to place blame, however, we actually magnify our pain. This is because the act of blaming focuses our minds and hearts on the past, causing us to relive the hurt and harbor emotional and spiritual injuries that might otherwise heal. Resisting the urge to place blame is key to our ability to forgive.
In order to fully heal, we need to accept responsibility for our reaction to whatever happens. Taking responsibility for the condition of our hearts allows us to regain control of our lives. Although we cannot always control what happens to us, we can always choose our response. Herein lies the power of our agency.
‘Angry’ Nigeria Vice-President Osinbajo vows punishment for culpable police officers
Many young Nigerians recounted their sad experiences in the hands of the police unit.
Source: UPDATED: #EndSARS: ‘Angry’ Osinbajo talks tough, vows punishment for culpable police officers
7 Affirmations You Should Use to Promote Positivity in Your Life
Senate Releases Damning Report of Hunter Biden Foreign Payments and Influence Sales – Money, Hookers and Bribes… — The Last Refuge
Senators Ron Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee,released a report todayshowing millions in sketchy payments to the son of former Vice-President Joe Biden that showcase compromise and blackmail material.
Included in the release are details of payments made by the wife of the former Mayor of Moscow and what appear to be eastern European prostitutes provided to Hunter Biden.
TheSenate reportreveals millions of dollars were funneled to Hunter Biden during a series of questionable financial transactions between Biden, his associates and foreign individuals. The report outlines a system of influence sales that were “very awkward for all U.S. officials pushing an anticorruption agenda in Ukraine.”
Additionally,the senate reporthighlights the potential for blackmail against the Biden family, the former vice-president and the U.S. government if Joe Biden was to remain in…
View original post 509 more words
#Make criticism a means of self – development!
When someone criticizes you, consider your feelings. Avoid the temptation to react. If you want to react, take a deep breath. Then listen to the critic and start wondering if there is something in it that you can learn from.
EPL Round-Up: Liverpool, Manchester United humiliated in dramatic weekend
A whooping 144 goals have been scored in Premier League this season.
Source: EPL Round-Up: Liverpool, Manchester United humiliated in dramatic weekend
How to be grateful!😊
Many times we ignore those things that we should be grateful for, or else our ego turns us away from the real feelings of inner self. As we learn to accept and appreciate rather than criticize or deny, a feeling of gratitude begins to take birth. This feeling promotes feelings like love, attachment, beauty and happiness.
My Awesome Fearless Blog 